Put into words

A few years ago I knew Mr. Teiichi Sato at the contemporary art school event. He operates a seedling shop (Sato Seed Shop) at Rikuzentakata-city in Iwate prefecture, Japan and who is victim of the East Japan great earthquake tsunami, and he recorded the first edition of the disaster issued on March 11, 2012. The title is ”The Seed of Hope in the Heart”, it is written in English. Despite being not good at English, the reason why he wrote it in English was too hard to record it in Japanese (mother language). He said that he wanted to put a little distance between heart and word. Mr. Sato thought that it should tell the fact and he wanted to tell that in his own words. The English version is now 5 version (as of 2017), and he records it in Chinese and Spanish as well because he wanted to tell his thanks to people who gave huge supports in those whose own languages.

I was very impressed by his action “Leaving the facts and tell” and “Writing in English (other language)”. I respect for his sense of mission that telling the fact, and I’m touched by the honesty of writing in English because it is too sad write it in Japanese, also I sympathized for his choice.

I was in Tokyo at the earthquake, even in Tokyo I was panicked by an unprecedented disaster and I remember the fear of death. After that, there were opportunities to go to Tohoku several times and there were times when we talked with the victims. I felt the strength of the core that they take the facts and go live, and the kindness who had various experiences from people in Tohoku. I have never met Mr. Sato directly, but I feel his personality through the movie (Mr. Sato’s activity was also a movie “Traces of Breath“).

I am writing, putting in words and telling by this blog, but I feel that it is difficult. So, I can not do what Mr. Sato has been if I imagine Mr. Sato ‘s experience of tsunami’. Facing the facts, looking at emotions, expressing it into words and making it to be transmitted… And I think it is really awesome person to keep doing it and to express other languages.

I think that the way people work is also wonderful, as new things have been created with the straight thoughts of Ms. Sato and people who sympathize with it.

The other thing that I think is writing blog in English (not mother language) is somehow easy to write as Mr. Sato thinks. In a good way, without feeling the weight of the words, it is easy to duplicate my thoughts on sentences in words. In my case, English is the lighter responsibility for certain kinds of words for me.

But in case of Mr. Sato, I think very good circulation is born at this project between Mr. Sato and foreigners by being transmitted well his thoughts have been to people who speak English, Chinese or Spanish because his thoughts in other languages express straightly and honestly.

Well, reading back today, I was pretty frustrated that my true intention could not be put into words well, but I would like to continue as much as possible.

Mr. Sato’s information;
“Let’s Talk Foundation”
http://www.lets-talk.or.jp/en/project/seedofhope_5thedition/

“Movie”
http://ikinoato.com/trailer/