Sticking by a friend's side when times get rough is what proves one's worth as a volunteer worker — and Fukushima Prefecture will need such help for a long time in a variety of ways, says Yasuo Seki, an official at the Fukushima Prefecture Disaster Volunteer Center.
According to Seki, who supervises volunteer centers in Fukushima, more than 62,000 people have given their time in the prefecture since the March 11 quake and tsunami. But the numbers have seen a substantial drop following the end of Golden Week.
"There were plenty of volunteers during the holidays — some who came from as far away as Kagoshima Prefecture. They joined us in removing rubble from local homes and streets," Seki said in a recent interview with The Japan Times.