Thank you very much for your help in making our Japan Relief Effort last Friday at Sushi Wave such a great success.

Despite the short notice, it was our busiest day on record. With donations and profits combined we raised $3122.60. This exceeded our expectations and exemplifies the generous, open-hearted community we live in. Many people dropped in just to donate. Every table was full of caring, concerned locals, with some even bringing their own table.

Our neighbours at the French Patisserie kindly offered up their own staff to help clear tables and do dishes during the peak times.

The funds raised will go directly to one of our staff member’s family and community in an evacuation centre in North-eastern Japan.

Below you can read a translation of the letter from the staff member Nao, in response to our offer of  funds.  Nao has just arrived back from Japan.

Last week  we were rejoicing that she had found her sister, this week she bears the tragic news that her sister’s husband and father of her 4 children is among the tens of thousands still missing. He was a council worker responsible for evacuating the community to higher ground on the day of the Tsunami.

We would like to personally thank all those who supported this cause and donated so generously. On the colossal scale of things this amount may be small, but the kind sentiment and compassion towards those suffering is great and far reaching.

Letter from Nao

Dear Kaz & Suzi,

After reading your letter I was filled with surprise and gratitude.
When I think about the future, it’s too much… My sister has 4 children and elderly parents-in-law  to support.  Sometimes I still hope her husband will come back, but then give up and cry… then hope again, it goes on and on like that. I left my sister at the evacuation centre, who had nothing but the clothes she was wearing, with such a desperate reluctance, as “if someone was pulling me back by the hair”. If I stayed there longer, all the water and food I brought for them would have been consumed quicker. So I decided to leave after giving her a big hug. I have never felt so helpless.

It took me 21 hours to drive from Kobe to Iwate without stopping, but once I arrived, there was almost nothing for me to do to help there. I felt like it’s a miracle that people survived from the tsunami. Almost everyone in town was dead. It was like a hell. It was a completely different place from the one I knew.

My sister lives in one of the worst hit areas in Iwate prefecture called Rikuzentakata. There is still no water, telephone or electricity. I cannot talk to her on the phone, but my ex-husband lives in Ofunato (a neighbouring  town), where mobile phone reception was restored yesterday, so he will be able to see her and get messages to her. She is a nurse who has been working for the elderly and injured people at the evacuation centre, so I’m sure she’ll spend that money towards her community.

I really appreciate you and the Sushi Wave staff, and all the people in the Peregian Beach area who have supported us. Thank you for your kindness. I wish the heart-warming fund will help not only my sister, but also all the people at the evacuation centre there.

Please say hello to everyone at Sushi Wave.
Thank you very much.

Nao