Overview

In 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake left more than 20,000 people dead or missing. On 11 March 2011, shortly after taking offi-ce as mayor, Futoshi Toba, mayor of Rikuzentakata in Iwate Prefecture, experienced firsthand the earthquake and tsunami which destroyed city hall and killed many of his subordinates. His wife was also missing, but despite the pain, he struggled to carry out his duties as mayor, leaving his two children with relatives, only to find his wife's body on April 5. Mayor Toba, in order to rebuild his town, has to face the government, which is slow in making decisions, and the residents, who are opposed to his bold actions and measures. This non-fiction book focuses on the 10-year journey of the mayor of a city hit by an unprecedented tsunami. Mayor Toba's account of the pain and trauma involved to rebuild his town is like no other story from the front lines. Toba builds a professional working relationship with an American woman, Amya Miller, who showed up to volunteer. Together, they learn from, push and support each other as they traverse the roads that hopefully will lead to recovery. The book is unique in that it is told alternately from the perspectives of Mayor Toba (the insider) and his supporter Miller (the outsider). But that is not all. Their viewpoints represent men and women, Japanese and Americans, mayors and volunteers; those who remain in the town and those who leave it. These multiple perspectives combine to create a documentary that offers a multifaceted view of a disaster of unprecedented scale.

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9781920850265

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Reviews

""Miller and Toba have a unique perspective on the disaster aftermath and recovery. They understand what communities need to recover, and they have valuable lessons to teach others around the world. Natural disasters happen everywhere, and community response can be improved based on the experience of those with experience. The personal perspectives offered by Miller and Toba are engaging for non-specialist readers too. Their story offers a rare glimpse into decision-making in a community tasked with relief and recovery challenges."" Theodore J. Gilman, PhD, Executive Director, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University. ""At a time where natural disasters occur with increasing frequency around the world, the stories Mayor Toba and Ms. Miller share is both timely and necessary for the global community to read, hear, and know. Their survival, determination, commitment, grit, and experiences are both hard to fathom and important as we face recovery. To my knowledge, there is no other book written in the aftermath from such unique perspectives: Mayor Toba's intimate inside knowledge of what went well and wring is written with frankness, and Ms. Miller's arrival and continued presence in the disaster community as a foreign woman left a mark on many."" John V. Roos, Former United States Ambassador to Japan. ""Miller and Toba together wove a series of stories previously unheard of, all while sharing intimate imagery from the disaster region. From their unorthodox working partnership to the consequences of Japan's adherence to rules, there is a level of honesty in this book that needs to be read and known."" Yujin Yaguchi, Ph.D., Vice President (Global Education) / Director, Center for Global, Education / Professor, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo. ""In the midst of great tragedy a partnership was formed that stands as a testimony of resilience, compassion, and an unwillingness to take 'no' as an answer. Amya Miller and Mayor Futoshi Toba give a firsthand look into the trials and triumphs of rebuilding Rikuzentakata after the city was destroyed by tsunami in 2011. As a fellow Mayor who had the opportunity travel to Rikuzentakata multiple times, witnessing the tireless dedication of these two people, I am certain this book will serve as an inspiration to all who read it."" Blake Inscore, Mayor, Crescent City, California USA.

Author Information

Futoshi Toba, the previous mayor of Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, was born in 1965 and spent his youth in the City of Machida, a suburb of Tokyo. A graduate of Machida High School, he studied in the US for several years, moving to his father's hometown of Rikuzentakata in his twenties. From April 1995 to March 2007 he was a city council member in Rikuzentakata. In March 2007 he became a deputy mayor, running for and winning the seat of mayor in February 2011. He served three terms as mayor. Amya Miller was a US-Japan business consultant and interpreter with over 35 years experience specializing in US-Japan relations. Born and raised in Japan, she attended both Japanese public schools as well as international boarding schools. Miller co-authored a bilingual children's book, The Extraordinary Voyage of Kamome: A Tsunami Boat Comes Home. She currently lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband. Miller and her husband are parents to one child.

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