May 27 - Today's guest blog is by John Taylor, the Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Sapporo. He writes about his recent trip to Iwate Prefecture.

Jim

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Entertainment Helps People Pull Through

Part of my job is to introduce and explain U.S. culture to audiences in Northern Japan to increase mutual understanding between our two countries. We use a variety of tools to accomplish this goal. For instance, we had planned an American Film Festival at a public library in Koriyama, Fukushima on March 21. Shortly after the devastating earthquake and tsunami struck on March 11, though, it became apparent we would have to cancel this program, as the library had sustained significant damage.

Once the situation had settled, I had a strong desire to bring some type of entertaining cultural events to the people in regions affected by the disasters. I devised a simple and portable program, packed my guitar, and headed for evacuation centers in Rikuzentakata and Ofunato, where I performed a set of 12-14 songs introducing American popular music.

Knowing my limitations as a musician and not wanting to leave people terribly disappointed, I also brought the ingredients and equipment to make authentic "s'mores." This is a traditional American treat so tasty that after you eat one you want "s'more" (some more). S'mores are ideally prepared over the coals of a campfire, but a barbecue grill worked fine.

The programs were well received, especially the s'mores. I could tell people were happy just to have a distraction. While conditions were challenging and I ended up spending a night outside, I am sure I got more out of these programs than the audiences. Meeting with the survivors made a big impression on me. I was inspired by their resiliency, patience, and resolve to rebuild and restore their lives while helping their neighbors in the process.

I will never forget this trip. I look forward to organizing more cultural programs in Tohoku, and I hope to reschedule the film festival in Fukushima soon.

John Taylor