One of the leading firms in Ohfunato reopened its business at the flooded area
[From Ohfunato City-my stricken home town]
– East Japan Great Earthquake & Tsunami Disaster-
Hashizume Shoji Co. restated at their original place after reexamination of own evacuation measures
One of the leading business firms in Ohfunato City, Hashizume Shoji Co. restarted full-scale business on September 1 at their head office. The business firm is dealing with construction materials.The head office located in the stricken area in Ohfunato town was flooded above the second floor at the tsunami on March 11. The building site has been still sinking so they heaped up earth by their own expenses. They also reexamined evacuation measures before restarting their business at the head office.
Hashizume Shoji Co. will be a model case for restarting of business or reconstruction while the flooded area will be considered as not for housing but industrial zoon after the disaster.
Its head office is located in Kakunoshita, Ohfunato Town, near Ohfunato Chamber of Commerce and Industry. As well as their head office, warehouses were also completely damaged. Fortunately, skelton of the head office was left from the tidal wave and its earthquake-resistant was enough strength. And therefore they decided to restart at the original site.
The head office had temporarily transferred to its sales office in Kitakami City in two months, and then built temporary warehouse and head office in Massaki Town in June.
Electricity and water supply has been recovered and rubbles are almost cleared and increasing number of commuting cars is seen in Kaku-no-shita district in the morning. On the other hand, flooded road caused by subsidence has left unsolved. All roads in the district are flooded at high tide.
It is hard to secure parking lot so they had to heap up earth by their own expenses.
Floor arrangement of the head office is also changed. The main office is transferred from the second floor to the third floor to secure important data and document from the water. The executive room and conference room are transferred to downstairs instead.
Another damaged division of their iron and steel division located in Horikawa, Ohfunato Town has restored and also reopened on September 1.
The temporary warehouse for construction materials in Massaki Town will be kept for dispersion of facility against disasters.
They try not to transfer their facilities to cities or towns in an inland area, because they like to preserve working place for local employees.
They reexamined an immediate evacuation route to high ground against possible next tsunami.
Building of an escape stairway connect to the rooftop is also considered as safety building against tsunami. New signboard indicating flooding line of 8.1 meters was also equipped on the outer wall of the head office, which avoids fading away of the tsunami experiences.
Although, the reconstruction scheme of Ohfunato City is now under way, the area where their head office and steel and their iron and steel division are located is considered to be used as industrial zoon.
It is expecting to motivate industrial activities in the district, but on the other hand it does not specifically indicate how to secure employees’ lives.
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| Mr. Miyazawa, CEO & Its head office before the tsunami |
‘Ohfunato is located along saw tooth coastline so there is always high ground within walking distance. We can secure lives of people who commute and work in the industrial zoon. We want to bring home to everyone the danger of the tsunami through periodical evacuation drills.’ Mr. Miyazawa, CEO, expressed.
＜Reference＞
http://www.tohkaishimpo.com/
http://www.hasizme.co.jp/
View Hashizume Shoji Co. in a larger map
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