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  • Good morning, everyone!

  • It's Day 2 in Tohoku!

  • Yesterday, we left the town of Iwate-machi

  • and headed east, heading for the coast of north Japan.

  • [TOHOKU: 6 Years After the Quake]

  • When I first found out we were coming here

  • I have to admit, I was little nervous to see what it would be like.

  • But, it's since years since then (the Tsunami)

  • and I'm excited to see how the towns

  • have begun to rebuild

  • Our first stop is Koishihama,

  • a bay that is famous for its scallops!

  • Today we're meeting a fishmerman who works here.

  • ("Don't forget to put on your life jacket!")

  • So for today's scallops I was thinking...

  • there are some about 4 - 5 cm's wide

  • then there are some about one year older than that

  • then we'll see the next batch, another year older.

  • Those are the one's we're actually farming now.

  • We'll try and pick a few

  • then I thought maybe,

  • you might want to try a taste?

  • Really?! Wow!

  • I'm excited to try!

  • Morning guys!

  • We are actually on a boat right now

  • doing something a little different.

  • Yesterday we ate the bento box

  • that had scallops inside of it

  • but today we're actually going fishing for scallops!

  • Out here in the ocean!

  • The only thing is that

  • Six years ago the tsunami hit here

  • and there was a huge disaster

  • but there are still so many people who are

  • working hard to rebuild the area.

  • So we're meeting with a fisherman today

  • to talk about how he's still getting the best scallops

  • and so come along!

  • Let's see how it goes!

  • Morning, Charly!!

  • So, first he showed us the smaller scallops.

  • (They're so cute and pretty!)

  • then he showed us the ones that are a year older.

  • ( " THESE ARE SCALLOPS?! ")

  • and then the next level up were ready to eat!

  • Very ready to eat...

  • Oh my gosh...

  • the rawest, freshest scallops in my life!

  • Here I go!

  • TASTY!!

  • What is this high-end breakfast!?!?

  • That is probably the most delicious scallop or seafood

  • that I'll probably have for a long time!

  • This is ridiculous!

  • That was a delicious scallop. Right, Charly?

  • Yeah it was amazing!

  • Best scallop ever!

  • On this train line they also have tours

  • so if you want to try and you're into scallops

  • (AND I KNOW YOU ARE )

  • If you're into scallops

  • then you should definitely come over here!!

  • He told us a story,

  • about the day he was out fishing

  • when the earthquake and tsunami came.

  • But it only took him about half a year

  • to get going and start working again.

  • I'm just kind of taking it all in... bit by bit.

  • What they're slowly showing us today

  • is a lot of the places that were really affected by

  • the earthquake and tsunami that happened

  • in 2011.

  • So this place up here that we're seeing

  • is one of the ruins

  • that's still left standing.

  • I've never been anywhere near here before.

  • All of this is really a first look for me.

  • So, let's go take a first look together.

  • That sign over there

  • it points how far up the Tsunami actually hit.

  • The 15.1 meters

  • You can see there are cars going by

  • but all of that was under water.

  • RIKUZENTAKATA is the name of the town where we are.

  • This is where we are.

  • The station completly disappeared.

  • "We will not forget: the tsunami that attacked our city"

  • There are a few abandoned reminders

  • and signposts showing how high the Tsunami struck [14.5 meters, up to the 5th floor ]

  • even standing here and looking at these images

  • it's really hard to imagine what it was like to be there.

  • The first time I ever heard of this region, "TOHOKU"

  • was 6 years ago. "TOHOKU DAISHINSAI"

  • "GREAT EAST JAPAN EARTHQUAKE,"

  • When the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan's northeast coast.

  • For me, as a foreigner looking in

  • who never had heard of this place

  • Until now, "Tohoku" meant "Tragedy".

  • But now that I'm here and looking at things

  • you can see that next to almost every memory of the tragedy

  • there's a sign that they're rebuilding.

  • A lot of people say that nothings left in Tohoku anymore

  • but it's not that nothing's left

  • they're actually building everything.

  • The earth that we're standing on right now, they built this!

  • There's a hotel back there, and they just built that!

  • The earth and the walls are being built higher and safer

  • This is a model but, this was a mountain.

  • But they broke down the mountain

  • and built a conveyor built bridge

  • that takes the sand and earth over to these parts.

  • Because one of the ways that they're rebuilding

  • is reinforcing by making the land higher.

  • So that if there were another Tsunami in the future

  • people can be at a higher elevation off the sea level

  • and hopefully safer.

  • meeting with the fisherman

  • and made me understand more about Japan.

  • I feel like I have a deeper understanding of Japan now

  • that's more than just fun in a big city or hanging out with friends

  • People live here. These are their lives!

  • I feel like I got to take part in that a little bit.

  • So, I'm really glad I came.

  • Before the day was out, we visited a local chef

  • who hand-delivered meals to people in the area who lost their homes.

  • Six years later, he's still uniting people in the region

  • with his food!

  • " What's your favorite food??"

  • "All foods!"

  • "That's perfect!!"

  • Hello everyone, we are back!

  • We're trying out something special!

  • Turns out, there's actually an Italian restaurant in town

  • that's doing something a little bit different than what you expect.

  • As you see behind me...

  • There's Charly and the most wonderful Master Chef!

  • Cooking up some Italian food

  • Using only the best food that was caught around here.

  • Scallops look familiar??

  • Some local winter spinach!

  • 3x more nutritious than summer spinach!

  • White wine!

  • Oh my gosh, the food just came!!

  • It smells so good!

  • It looks so good!

  • Wowwww!!

  • Thanks! (In french, to Charly)

  • Fresh wakame seaplant, perfectly in season!

  • This spinach is SERIOUSLY delicious!

  • Everything is so good!

  • The wakame is raw! I just added it at the end!

  • It's raw and fresh!

  • It's GOOD!

  • Here in "sanriku", along the coast

  • is the region that was most hit by the Tsunami

  • and chef here uses all the vegetables

  • and all the products from the sea, from there!

  • So, this is really neat!!

  • While we were eating he told us more stories about how he volunteered.

  • But he also shared one special word for us to take home with us.

  • "GANBAPPESHI!"

  • GANBAPPESHI!!!

  • It's different from plainly saying 'GANBARE'

  • because "GANBAPPESHI"

  • implies "together"

  • To say "we can overcome, together!" you say

  • not "ganbare" or "ganbatte"

  • here, we say "GANBAPPESHI"

  • Tohoku, six years later.

  • When you visit the area, and meet the people there

  • you can see that they're literally moving mountains.

  • They're going to build new homes over there.

  • They work together, help to grow and eat together

  • they're building together

  • something strong and new.

  • There's a tree in this region, called the Miracle,

  • the last pine tree left standing after the disaster.

  • It's one of the tallest things you could see in the city

  • and now they're beginning to build around it

  • For more details about the changes in the Tohoku region

  • and about things you can do if you visit there

  • check the link in the description below this video.

  • It was such an eye-opening experience

  • and I'm so grateful for the chance to come here.

  • So, until next time...

  • To the people along the coast of Tohoku

  • GANBAPPESHI!!!

Good morning, everyone!

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