ayoda

[ayoda]

We arrived in Tokyo at 5:00 AM, then boarded the shinkansen (bullet train) and a couple of local trains before arriving in Uchinada.

We have somewhat limited bathing options, so we walked to the local onsen (hot springs). Peter and I have been to these public baths numerous times, Aaron said he got used it quickly. By the way, no pics from inside.

We did find dinner at the local supermarket. My sushi was a great bargain at 550 yen, since we got there late, it was 30% off! Why no photos of my actual meal? Let's just say I was hungry.

This morning we were greeted by a continuous falling of rain. Nonetheless it's off to our two hour drive to the Noto Peninsula. So more to come, please keep praying for us! #glints #NotoHelp #westlightchurch

[ayoda]

We arrived in Tokyo at 4:50 AM. It took us four hours via the shinkansen (bullet train) and local trains before we finally arrived at the Uchinada Bible Church.

We have limited bathing facilities, so we use the local onsen (hot springs). Peter and I have been there numerous times. It was Aaron's first time. He said he got used to it quickly.

We did get dinner at the local supermarket. Not only was my sushi cheap to begin with, it was 30% off! That worked for me. And why not a photo of the sushi? Let's just say I was really hungry!

We've been greeted by heavy rains this morning. Nonetheless we're off on our assignment in the Noto Peninsula., raincoat in hand. More pics to follow. Please keep praying and stay tuned!

[ayoda]

And we made it past security at LAX and waiting to board. We introduced you to the team in the previous entry, Aaron on the left, Peter on the right, and the AARP member in the middle. Our next entry will be from Uchinada, Japan. Keep praying and stay tuned! #glints #japanbound

[ayoda]

Heading back to Noto 2025

織田幸夫です。初めまして。(Hello, I’m Alan Oda, pleased to meet you!)

We are grateful to so many of you for your ongoing prayers and support! After an extended pause due to the pandemic, my son Peter and I were able to return to Japan to again serve as disaster relief volunteers. Last year we joined Noto Help, offering aid in the aftermath of the earthquake that happened on New Years Day 2024 in the Ishikawa prefecture of Japan. We were part of several teams cleaning up quake-related debris and relocating families to-and-from kasetsu jyūtaku (temporary housing).

We have two announcements for 2025!

2024 was our first time officially partnering with Global Relief Intercultural Services, known by the acronym GLINTS, whose mission is “Accelerating the Global Advance of the Gospel.” We’re pleased that Alan has been appointed as GLINTS Associate Global Staff, which provides us continuity with our Japan volunteer relief efforts.

We also are announcing we are returning to Noto this summer with Noto Help to continue their earthquake relief work with local churches and volunteers from around the world.

Our 2025 team consists of three people:

Alan is heading to Japan for the eighth time to aid in disaster relief. Before Noto, he served in post-tsunami Ishinomaki and post-earthquake Kumamoto. In addition to GLINTS, he helps research the effectiveness of post-disaster interventions for children with OperationSAFE.

This is the second year for Peter Oda heading to Noto. Previously, he joined his dad (me) in Ishinomaki and Kumamoto. He has done it all, from major cleanup work to entertaining children in community outreach programs. In total, Peter has served in six previous summer disaster relief missions.

Our newest teammate is Aaron Nishimoto, a high school junior who attends church with the Odas. He is an Eagle Scout with Boy Scout Troop 764. His family was evacuated during the January wildfires in the LA area, his experience further motivates him to help others in need. He is attending Palisades High School meeting at a temporary facility since his family and his neighbors still cannot return home.

This year we will be with Noto Help from June 24 - July 5. Our current assignment is to continue with cleanup, debris removal, and relocating families, we may also help with community building at temporary housing locations. 

Most importantly we covet your prayers for this trip, both for our team and the relief effort. We’ll be posting our updates at ayoda.tumblr.com (may require free registration) and ayodanoto.blogspot.com. 

Your financial support is also appreciated. Our fundraising goal is $7000 for the entire team. Any additional amounts will be designated for future missions trips and / or to address past deficits.

There’s different ways to give:

By Zelle (preferred): Use donations@glints.org or 630-715-0734. Write in the comments section “Oda Global.”

By check: Make checks payable to GLINTS and send to GLINTS, PO Box 962, Wheaton IL 60187. On the memo section designate your donation to “Oda Missions Support.”

By credit card or PayPal: Go to www.glints.org/donatenow Write in the comments section “Oda Global.”

Questions? Feel free to contact me at ayoda77@gmail.com. Your continued partnership is a blessing!

Peter, Aaron & Alan

[ayoda]

I think we're back

August 15

It's been a week since we've returned, I dove back into my day job and jet lag has hit me really hard. But through the mental fog I'm able to reflect a bit on our time in the Noto Peninsula, a trip which I'm still surprised actually happened.

It took awhile to arrange this year's visit, since this situation is still pretty raw. We posted previous pics to show there's still a lot of recovery ahead. So many homes in disrepair, particularly near the coast. Although the earthquake happened on January 1, we spent our time helping people move in, move out, or simply clean up. Also, we saw temporary housing still being built, a bit surprising.

The volunteers kept changing each day (we're front / left). I still am amazed at how volunteers kept coming in and out each day from all over Japan, let alone from other countries. The leaders each day had to create / recreate teams to be sent to the different service areas.

At 8:00 a.m. every morning the day started with a devotional, then we were informed of our work assignment. We'd then travel the next 2.5 hours from Ishikawa to the Noto Peninsula by car or van to where we were needed. We saw scenes such as this repeatedly.

I'm borrowing this pic from the Noto Help social media site. We'd mentioned there was a house which we were helping clear out as it was beyond repair. That's me helping bring down furniture from the second floor. There was a lot to be moved, the team we worked with was just amazing in how they tackled any task without a complaint. Did I mention we had two Pastors on this work team? They simply felt called to serve in Noto.

I can't say enough about Peter. Aside from rescuing me more than once with his Japanese fluency (it's easy for me to get in over my head with the language), he took on every task he was asked to do, from digging up weeds and sand, to crawling under houses, to loading furniture into trucks, all of this in temperatures in the nid-90s (and maybe higher) plus humidity also in the 90s, as in 90+ percent.

I also want to thank Morofuji-Sensei. We've worked with him since Kumamoto in 2017. He leads the Kyushu Christ Disaster Relief Center (九州キリスト災害支援センター), he brought his team from Kumamoto to Ishikawa (almost 600 miles) because of the acute need in the Noto Peninsula. Morofuji-Sensei also had his Dad and his son working with us. He was our connection with Noto Help.

Worth noting: On the day we left last week, Kyushu Island experienced a 7.1 magnitude earthquake, yet there was no significant damages.

On the last day we were in Ishikawa, I walked by an elementary school. The translation is "let's live strong and healthy! Let's carry on!" We hope we help them grow to a better future.

I underestimated the number of volunteers that Noto Help would help facilitate. I thought by the time we left, it would be around 2,900. When we left last week, over 3,100 volunteers participated with Noto Help. We were privileged to be two of them.

I think I still have a bit more to say, so stay tuned.

To those of you who have supported us with your prayers and your contributions, thank you!! We are more than $2000 short of our fundraising goal. If you would still like to contribute, I'm copying the information from our prayer letter, you can also contact me directly at ayoda77@gmail.com for more info. Again, thank you for your encourgement and kind words!

If you would like to offer financial support:

By Zelle (preferred): Use donations@glints.org or 6307150734. Write in the comments section “Japan Mission Team.”

By check: Make checks payable to GLINTS and send to GLINTS, PO Box 962, Wheaton IL 60187. On the memo section designate your donation to “Japan Mission Team.”

By credit card or PayPal: Go to www.glints.org/donatenow. Write in the comments section “Japan Mission Team.”

ありがとう (thank you) for your continued partnership!

[ayoda]

August 7

We literally get down and dirty with the day's assignment. There was a small tsunami which flooded homes a few yards from the coastline. One issue was sand washed under the house and covered the house's foundation. I believe the concern was this would eventually cause problems with mold. The flooring was removed so the frame could be exposed and cleaned as well as allowing us to remove a layer of sand which covered the foundation.

We had to crawl under the house to get to much of the sand. That's Peter working underneath the remaining floorboards. FYI we all took turns doing the crawl.

Once we removed the sand, the support beams for the flooring needed to be wiped down. We also wiped down flooring that was largely intact, but covered with a fine layer of dirt.

The last time Peter was with our team was 2017. He was quite helpful then, since most of our work was visiting the "kasetsu" (temporary housing) residents or doing community outreach, not physically taxing, a different kind of tired. On this trip, Peter engaged in all of the physical labor asked of him. He also would periodically caution me not to overdo it. I behaved myself...sometimes.

These two homes were right next to each other. One home was deemed safe, the other house was declared unsafe. To reiterate, earthquakes can cause unpredictable damage.

This house was only a few hundred yards from the house we were helping restore.

We've acclimated to our new home-away-from-home, it's a basic two story building which experienced only cosmetic damage. I didn't sleep particularly well, but I did OK with the day's activities, at least I think so. Tonight should be better.

We're getting ready to wrap up our trip. We've a bit more we'd like to share, so please stay tuned.

[ayoda]

August 6

Hey y'all, it's Peter. It's been a week since we touched down in Japan. To keep things (relatively) short, between a lost wallet, a surprise change in accommodations, and tomorrow being our last full day in Japan, I'd say we're seeing just how far we can be stretched.

The work we're doing has been the highlight so far. The days we took off weren't bad but I would rather sweat doing important work rather than sweat walking for hours trying to track down our lost money (we did find it, but boy, what a way to reach 20000 steps).

I won't deny that just me and Dad feels like a Japanese comedian duo or ボケ (gag) and ツッコミ (retort) with the positions changing occasionally, but we're looking forward to having a bigger team next time (hint, hint) so it's not just two clueless Odas playing "guess or google translate"

I'm turning it over to my dad now, but seriously, thank you for your support in all shapes and forms. またね、bye!

Thanks Peter! Those following on social media have seen this pic, I've a great colleague for this trip! The only drawback is Peter is clearly taller than me. A low bar to be sure, but nonetheless.

We have moved from the city of Suzu and landed on the seaside community of Wajima. The building in the pic has been seen elsewhere, still it's different to see it in person. This building collapsed and fell down like a tree. There would have been greater casualties had the earthquake hit during a regular workday.

Wajima appears to have suffered more damage than anywhere we've previously seen. That may be due to its proximity to the ocean.

Upon closer inspection part of the collapsed building fell on the auto. We saw several vehicles also trapped.

Today's work was cleanup. We picked up by hand tile roof shingles, rocks, weeds, and other miscellaneous items. That's Peter doing cleanup.

It took five of us and filling dozens of bags, but the job got done.

We were treated to a nice lunch (including air conditioning!), joining the other team at a small church.

Upon our return to the Noto Help base, we were again treated, this time with sno-cones! Perfect for this weather!

Hoping all of you are well and staying cool!

[ayoda]

August 5

We have Mondays off, so we've decided to give you a behind-the-scenes recap of our trip. This is the Uchinada Bible Church, which graciously hosts the Noto Help effort. Apparently there's no church big enough in the Noto Peninsula that can house this operation and its staff and volunteers. Although it takes 2.5 hours to travel to the disaster site by car, it nonetheless works.

When we arrived, the display indicated the number of volunteers who've served from around the world with the Noto Help effort. By the time we leave on Thursday, this number should be closer to 2,900.

Our accommodations are basic, but it works. I mentioned previously I had trouble sleeping on the floor, they provided an air mattress for me. We've limited access to the shower since that's on the other side of the building housing female volunteers, but between that and the local hot springs, we've managed. The men's room is down a flight of stairs. Most importantly, this room is air conditioned (!), which makes it comfortable at night.

One difference since our last trip in 2019 is more vendors will take Visa, before that wasn't always the case. Even some vending machines will take credit cards.

We went to a local ramen bar where we viewed the Olympics for a few minutes. The Japanese coverage is clearly different than what we see in the States, there's no athlete profiles offered and the sportscasters don't appear to be celebrities. There's a bit more focus on the Japanese athletes, but all of the competitors get camera time.

Speaking of ramen, we occasionally take a break from the convenience stores. It was a good meal that was very affordable.

We did take part of the day over the weekend to visit family in Fukui, which is the adjacent prefecture to Ishikawa. It's the first time seeing family in a dozen years. The city of Mihama, surrounded by lakes and the Sea of Japan, is my parents' home town. The views are spectacular!

Back to HQ and preparing for another visit to the Noto Peninsula. Thanks for reading, please stay tuned!

[ayoda]

August 3

The following is a series of random thoughts. If you're looking for something more serious and (possibly) meaningful, skip today and we'll be back to normal next time. But if you're still amused (bemused) at the possibilities, here we go:

The presence of Shohei Ohtani is everywhere, even on vending machines. This particular green tea is one of my favorites, I wonder if the "Shohei" effect means I'll be soon paying more.

We enjoyed dinner after a visit to the local hot springs, served by this robot. It also said "thanks for your patience." I wanted to take more pics, but Peter said "stop being a tourist."

On the way back from Suzu City (Noto Peninsula, where we've been serving), we stopped by the airport just to stretch our legs. These are life-size cutouts of these well known sumo wrestlers. I was thinking of taking a photo with these figures, yet I decided not to again incur the wrath of my offspring.

Is Marvel in need of a new superhero?

We're staying at a church which has been generous and accommodating. Nonetheless, having pulled a back muscle just a few weeks prior, I found it very hard to sleep more than a few hours with just my sleeping bag on the floor. When I asked for a pad to sleep upon, they instead shared with me an air mattress! I actually was able to sleep more than five hours! I also realized my days of Boy Scout camping is waaaay in the past.

Save for a visit with family in nearby Fukui (it was quality time, details later) who treated us to gourmet seafood, we've mostly been getting our meals at supermarkets and convenience stores. If you've heard stories about the "konbini," like the ubiquitous Family Mart and 7-Eleven, we can verify the tales are true! No complaints about our dining, it's been both decent quality and decent prices. Plus with the hot weather, I've consumed more ice cream than normal. I'm not complaining!

It's been a few years, but the residents of Fukui prefecture are still amused that one of their cities and a former president share the same name. I don't know of a Japanese city that even remotely sounds like "Trump" or "Biden."

Yes we're here to fulfill a serious purpose, but it doesn't mean there aren't amusing tales. Back to the normal blog next time. Have a great weekend!

[ayoda]

August 2

We returned to the Noto area, this time to a city called Suzu. We helped empty the home pictured (no inside photos to protect their privacy) as the house suffered major damage from the Jan 1 quake. I could tell in its heyday (don't ask me what "heyday" means) this hose was a showcase of traditional Japanese architecture and design. So much finished wood, fine details in places I didn't expect, especially the exterior. The original owner was the family patriarch, we cleaned out the house while preserving some family photos and certificates.

I'm certain we've worked in similar hot and humid conditions, but I probably erased the experience from my memory. Suffice to say we were pretty soaked with sweat, yet somehow we got the job done with minimal issues. The family thanked us, staying there was no possible way to complete this task without help.

(This train stop may have been abandoned during the pandemic.)

I could easily cite 1 Timothy 6:17, about avoiding putting one's hope in wealth, yet I also recalled the Asian philosophical belief about "impermanence." Forever is reserved for the spiritual realm. No matter how finely crafted a house or anything else, like all material things it has a finite lifespan.

We continue to encounter many houses that were destroyed or at least unsafe for habitation. We also drive to Noto through severely damaged roads. If you look closely at the above pic, you'll see a car that's apparently been abandoned there since the quake.

What I'm trying to avoid is seeing all this and taking it for granted, I hope I'm humble enough to remember to pray for the families who've lost so much. I'll have more thoughts later.

We're taking the day off on Saturday to visit my parents' home village, just two hours from here. More to come, thanks for reading and stay tuned.

[ayoda]

August 1

The Noto Peninsula is a hidden gem on Japan. Beautiful forests and fields, right on the ocean. Our job is to help restore the area as best as we can.

The original estimate was 299 dead, about 1,200 injured, over 60,000 homes damaged. Many eventually find themselves in a "kasetsu juutaku," temporary shelters pictured above. We're guessing each unit is about 200 square feet, which includes kitchen and bathroom facilities. Many will eventually find themselves there, albeit there's some reluctance to do so. Plus there are some alternatives.

Here's an example. We returned to the house we helped clean out yesterday. I now know our purpose was to help prepare their home to receive family friends. The latter's home is still liveable, but will need several months for extensive repair and slight remodeling. We were assigned to help move furniture, books, and other goods that will be in the way of the reconstruction. Neighbors helping neighbors, indeed.

I also learned something interesting. There were numerous homes where the heavy tile roofs collapsed onto the house. Apparently the reason is if a fire breaks out, the collapsed roof will snuff out any flames from spreading. There were fires after the Noto quake, but the roofs minimized the potential damage.

The sign, loosely translated, says "Noto, be strong and persevere." We saw similar signs in Ishinomaki after the 2011 tsunami, then similar signs in Kumamoto after the 2016 earthquake. We feel privileged to contribute in some small way. More tales ahead, stay tuned.

[ayoda]

August 1, Thursday.

As I mentioned previously, earthquakes are unpredictable. It's appearing we'll be working most days on the Noto Peninsula (the city of Suzu, to be specific), a 2.5 hour drive each day. It normally takes less time, but there are areas where the road collapsed, others where the road cracked, dropping the road a foot or more. I appreciate our drivers, they're navigating narrow detours and literal bumps on the road (it's a bit jarring).

Our job on Wednesday was to help a family clean out their house of quake-damaged items (damaged goods, water damage, etc). The house fortunately was minimally damaged, but there was a lot to both toss and reorganize.

Worth noting, the Noto Peninsula is a destination for tourists who want to explore less crowded traditional areas. Whereas Kyoto and Shizuoka (Mt Fuji area) are overwhelmed with foreign visitors, Ishikawa (which includes the Noto Peninsula) are hidden gems, even though they're continuing to recover.

The teams we work with consist of churches, charity groups, and other volunteer organizations. The Noto Help ministry has had over 2200 volunteers since the Jan 1 earthquake. It's a privilege for Peter and me to be a small part of a major effort.

And of course, another Shohei Ohtani sighting.

Stay tuned, keep sending your prayers and positive thoughts, ありがとう(thanks)!

[ayoda]

ooh cool the ask box is open this is emily btw

Hi Emily-San, how are you?

[ayoda]

Earthquakes cause unexplainable damage. A house that's fallen off from its foundation sits next to a house seemingly intact, the residents still able to live in their house. Most of the damaged houses are older, more traditional wooden structures with the heavy tile roofs, yet I also saw houses less than 20 years old rendered uninhabitable.

We jumped into a van and took a 2.5 hour ride to join a team of 13 to the Noto Peninsula. On the country side, they don't have a complete sewer system, so water from cooking and cleaning drain into concrete-lined ditches, which eventually flow into a nearby river. The earthquake and later heavy rains caused the ditches to become filled with mud and debris. Our job was to clear the ditches to allow waste water to flow again. (In case you're wondering, bathroom "sewage" does not drain into the river and are properly disposed elsewhere.)

We were given the option of starting a day later with the cleanup team, they assumed we needed time to recover from the flight. Peter and I decided to start almost immediately since Peter and I agreed we were there to work. It was quite hot and humid, but the team leaders were good about giving us lots of breaks and providing cold drinks. You can see the before-and after, it was challenging and tiring, but the team got it done.

We're about to start our day. Who knows what we'll be doing? Stay tuned!

[ayoda]

We have arrived in Tokyo and have already seen the first of several Shohei Otani ads. We await the Shinkansen (bullet train) to take us to Kanazawa, we'll recover there before heading to the Uchinada Church and get our first assignment.

I know we've already posted several pics, but this is what we look like after a 10.5 hour flight. We had no problems with Delta, it went smoothly except they ran out of the chicken dish and were switched to (salty) miso pork. But thanks to a prescription sleep aid, I actually got a few hours of snooze. Peter, on the other hand, learned online Monopoly is challenging. Stay tuned!

[ayoda]

We're onboard! Your prayers and positive thoughts are welcomed as we get ready to head to Ishikawa, Japan and the Noto Peninsula. We'll be joining the Kyushu Christ Disaster Relief Center who set up their team there after the New Year's earthquake. We last served with them in Kumamoto back in 2019. See you in Japan!

[ayoda]

Getting ready

So this is a test posting as much as it is a request for prayers and positive thoughts as we prepare to depart on Sunday to Japan. The journey's a bit complicated as the Noto Peninsula is in a rural area.

In the past we've done cleanup, children's programs, visits to temporary shelters, and served meals. We don't know what to expect this time other than we've been assured it's going to be hot and humid. They'll watch out for our safety, so we'll see what transpires.

We'll see how Tumblr works, we'll let you know if we choose another option. See you soon from the Noto Peninsula!

P.S. This is who we're working with. Thank you Levi & Diane for your partnership!