Bridging the Distance to the Disaster-Stricken Areas

Two years have quickly passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake. The mood of self-restraint that once swirled through the streets is now a thing of the past, and it seems daily life has fully returned. However, when one turns their gaze to the affected regions, many people are still living with the scars of the earthquake.

Unyielding, United Once More

Then, on Sunday, March 10, 2013, the second charity run event, “Run for Children Tohoku in adidas RUNBASE 2013,” was held. In the afternoon of that day, the area around the venue was hit by strong winds and haze, making the weather far from ideal for running. Yet, despite the difficult conditions, perhaps driven by their thoughts for the people in the affected areas continuing their recovery, participants began to gather one after another at the reception area, the running facility “adidas RUNBASE,” undeterred by the weather.

In the hands of those who had completed registration wasa special T-shirtdesigned by graphic designer Yoshihiro Sugawara, who hails from Sendai City in Miyagi Prefecture, one of the areas severely damaged by the earthquake. He designed it together with Matsuura, imagining the future of the children growing up in his hometown. The words printed on the back, “Life Is Better,” embody the earnest wishes of Sugawara and Matsuura, and by extension, the people in the disaster-stricken areas, for a brighter future beyond recovery.



Wearing the special T-shirts, they proceeded to “Madures Nagatacho,” a restaurant next to adidas RUNBASE. There, after expressing his gratitude to the participants, Matsuura spoke about his feelings for the affected regions. “The road to recovery is still long.” His words likely carried weight because he himself had taken opportunities to see the situation in the disaster-stricken areas firsthand.

Children's Education Is a Long Game

Following this, a video message from Kumi Imamura, the representative of the Hataichi Fund, was shown on screen, introduced by Matsuura. Imamura presented the activities undertaken by the Hataichi Fund, such as providing “Collabo Schools,” places for children living in the devastated areas to spend their after-school hours and holidays. While the situation is improving, new problems are emerging two years after the earthquake, including an increase in consultations from children regarding bullying and domestic violence (DV).



The participants listened intently to Imamura's words with serious expressions. It was a moment that renewed their resolve for the upcoming run.

The Road to Recovery Has Just Begun

At 2:46 PM, after gathering again in front of RUNBASE for a moment of silence, they finally set off towards the Imperial Palace. With each step, they aimed to deliver the message “Life Is Better” emblazoned on their backs to the children in the disaster-stricken areas.





The participants' bright smiles after finishing the run. They were filled with a unique kindness, the kind that comes from thinking of others and taking action. The total amount of donations collected as participation fees on this day was 105,000 yen. Along with the thoughts for the children accompanying the donations, the entire amount was delivered to the Hataichi Fund by Matsuura. Now that the event has concluded, what are his thoughts? We asked Matsuura for his impressions.

“Running became my way to break free from the anxiety I felt after the earthquake. That led to my challenge in the Tokyo Marathon last year. I believe I've become stronger, both mentally and physically, by running every day. This time, I poured that feeling into the words ‘Life Is Better.’ In marathons, runners often wear messages of encouragement on their backs for their fellow runners. I hope that everyone who participated today will wear this T-shirt again someday and participate in a race. Of course, I hope to do so myself.”

The road to recovery has only just begun. When faced with the anxiety of not seeing the finish line, when the struggle feels too great and you want to give up halfway… Running is often accompanied by anxiety and hardship. But perhaps that is precisely why the joy of reaching the goal is incomparable to anything else. We don't know when that will be – years from now, decades from now. But the steps taken on this day are surely leading towards a brighter future for the children.