Certificate handed over personally to each graduate
Ofunato Junior High School
A graduation ceremony is impossible to be performed, so that certificate is handed over personally to each graduate at Ofunato Junior High School. Ofunato City was also greatly damaged by the huge tsunami caused by the earthquake on March 11, 2011. Since the earthquake has occurred, most students attend school first time on this day and handing over ceremony is performed instead of formal graduation ceremony.
The death and missing toll reached over 400 in the city, fortunately, all students and the teaching and clerical staff of the school is survived so that all 106 graduates could receive certificate.
The principal, Satoshi Ito delivered a farewell address at the ceremony. ‘Please, never forget the time and day of the earthquake ‘2011/3/11/14:46’ and remember that you are the survivor form this natural disaster.’
After the ceremony, all graduates sung in chorus to encourage refugees from the disaster who are temporary living in the gymnasium of the school. They sung in chorus ‘Yell’ that is a hit song presented by a Japanese popular pop singer group ‘Ikimonogakari’. About 200 refugees are now in temporally living in the gymnasium. ‘Good by is not always a miserable word. It is a yell for our dreams to be come true…..’ All refugees, including elderly people listened attentively to their chorus.
‘We sung in chorus to encourage tsunami victims, and it was also a good opportunity that we could sing together on this final graduation day. Mr. Yoko Akasaki (15), one of the graduates who conducted a chorus, said in tear. Ms. Kyoko Ohwada (67), one of the refugees, at the voices of their song, her expression softened and said, ‘I hope they can strengthen bonds of friendship more firmly and step forward each way for future.’
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