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The Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Recovery Programme

Reconstruction of the Hirota Nursery School, Progress Report No. 1, Dec. 2013




THE GREAT EAST JAPAN EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI
RECOVERY PROGRAMME

Reconstruction of the Hirota Nursery School
Funded by the Malaysian Red Crescent Society



Progress Report n
o
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December 2013
Japanese Red Cross Society

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The Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Recovery Programme
Reconstruction of the Hirota Nursery School, Progress Report No. 1, Dec. 2013

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. BACKGROUND 1

2. VISIT OF MALAYSIAN RED CRESCENT SOCIETY TO HIROTA NURSERY SCHOOL 2

3. PROJECT 2
3.1 Project Summary 2
3.2 Project Agreement 3
3.3 Project Description 3
3.4 Project Plan 3

4. Progress 4
4.1 Current Progress 4
4.2 Plans for the Coming Period 4
4.3 Ceremonial Event Schedule 4

5. PROJECT TIME FRAME 5

















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The Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Recovery Programme
Reconstruction of the Hirota Nursery School, Progress Report No. 1, Dec. 2013
Location of Rikuzentakata City
Hirota Town being affected by the tsunami
Rikuzentakata City
Rikuzentakata City
1. BACKGROUND

On 11 March 2011, Japan was struck by an earthquake of magnitude 9.0 with the epicenter off
the northeast coast, followed by a massive tsunami that devastated the northeastern coast of
Japan, including Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture.

Rikuzentakata City is located in the southeast end of
Iwate Prefecture on the coast of the Pacific Ocean;
its main industries are agriculture, fishery and
tourism. It had a population of over 24,000 at the time
of the disaster. The number of the houses affected by
this disaster is close to 8,000, that is accounted for
95% of the total number of the houses, of which more
than 3,500 houses were totally destroyed. Lives of
more than 1,700 people, which consist of 7% of the
population, were lost, including many children being
affected; 31 children lost their lives, 38 children
orphaned, and 170 children lost one parent.

Because of the massive damage of the tsunami and
the sluggish progress of recovery of the city, the
population has decreased to approx. 20,000, that is 14 % less compared to the population before
the disaster. In order to stop the population outflow, Rikuzentakata City developed a disaster
recovery project, Healthy Children for Rikuzentakata Project, and started the operation, which
is planned to continue until 2018. The theme of the recovery project is human-friendly, and it
aims for the society where people raise their children in the safe environment. The recovery
project consists of four sub-projects, one of which is the reconstruction of the Hirota Nursery
School.

Hirota District is located in the peninsula which sticks
out the Pacific Ocean; therefore, it was affected by
the tsunami several times in its history. From the
experience, the Hirota Nursery School is located in
relatively higher land; nevertheless, the nursery
school was affected by the tsunami. In Rikuzen-
takata City, four nursery schools including the Hirota
Nursery School were affected by the tsunami, and
three nursery schools except the Hirota Nursery
School already have plans to relocate to the safer
places. Rikuzentakata City and the Hirota Nursery
School had sought possible ways to relocate the
nursery school at a safe land by themselves, but they had difficulties to find funding for the
reconstruction. The nursery school, therefore, had to reopen using the affected building with the
minimum repairs in the same location as before, and the children, their parents and the school
staffs never felt safe with the environment. As reconstruction of the Hirota Nursery School is part
of the disaster recovery plans of the city, they strongly hoped to recover all four affected nursery
schools to provide the safe and secure environment to raise children in the city as a whole.

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The Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Recovery Programme
Reconstruction of the Hirota Nursery School, Progress Report No. 1, Dec. 2013
Discussion with the Rikuzentakata City JRCS
In front of the Hirota Nursery School JRCS
The offer by the Malaysian Red Crescent Society to support the reconstruction of the Hirota
Nursery School was therefore extremely appreciated not only by the Hirota Nursery School but
also by Rikuzentakata City.


2. VISIT OF MALAYSIAN RED CRESCENT SOCIETY TO HIROTA NURSERY SCHOOL

In order for the MRCS to discuss the prospective
project, reconstruction of the Hirota Nursery School,
the MRSC delegation headed by Mr. Bahari bin Abu
Mansor, Vice President, visited Rikuzentakata City on
15 May 2013 to discuss with the municipality
members and the concerned people and to see the
current situation of the Hirota Nursery School with
their own eyes.

First, they visited the city hall and received the brief
explanation of the situation of Rikuzentakata City
after 11 March 2011 GEJET and also paid a
courtesy call on Mr. Futoshi Toba, Mayor of
Rikuzentakata City. Then, they visited to the Hirota
Nursery School which is currently operated in the
affected building with the minimum repairs.

By hearing the explanation from the municipality
and the nursery school staff members, the MRSC
recognized the needs to relocate the building to the
higher land in order to secure the safety of the
children and the staff of the school.


3. PROJECT

3.1 Project Summary

Hirota Nursery School was affected by the earthquake and the tsunami of 11 March 2011 with
inundation above the floor level, and all the equipment and machines in the cooking room and
child-raring equipment were totally destroyed. Since no substitute buildings existed, the nursery
school had to reopen with minimum repair of the building and evacuation route secured in case
of emergency, where nobody feels safe with this environment. Therefore, this project aims to
develop an environment where the parents feel safe to leave their children at the nursery
school, while the children spend their times freely without anxieties, by relocating the nursery
school at the higher land.

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The Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Recovery Programme
Reconstruction of the Hirota Nursery School, Progress Report No. 1, Dec. 2013
Large amount of debris swept into the Hirota
Nursery School by the tsunami Rikuzentakata City













3.2 Project Agreement

A Project Agreement between the Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRSC) and the Japanese
Red Cross Society (JRCS) concerning the Reconstruction of Hirota Nursery School under
Great East Japan Earthquake Relief and Recovery Programme was concluded on 5 August
2013, which states the MRSCs funding of 396 million Japanese Yen for the project.

3.3 Project Description

The specification of the new building is as shown below:
Specification of Hirota Nursery School
Structure of building Wooden one-storied building
Total site area 3,500 m
2

Total floor area 900 m
2

Total building area 960 m
2

Layout Infant room (1), formula room (1),
bathing room (1), nursery room (5),
play room (1), toilet (3), cooking room (1),
office room (1), material store room (3)
Number of the capacity of children 90
The above information may be modified depending on the situation as the project progresses.

3.4 Project Plan

The current schedule of the project is as shown below:
Schedule of the project (tentative): Sep. 2013 Sep. 2014
Oct. 2013 Dec. 2013 Tree cutting in the construction site and the surrounding area
Oct. 2013 Jan. 2014 Land development survey and ground investigation design
Oct. 2013 Jan. 2014 Development of the basic construction design
Dec. 2013 Jul. 2014 Land development of the construction site and outward
construction
Jan. 2014 Apr. 2014 Development of the execution construction design
Apr. 2014 Sep. 2014 Building construction
The above schedule is tentative and is subject to change.

Surrounding area of the Hirota Nursery School
being affected by the tsunami Rikuzentakata City

Hirota Nursery School

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The Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Recovery Programme
Reconstruction of the Hirota Nursery School, Progress Report No. 1, Dec. 2013
Tree cutting of the construction site of the Hirota
Nursery School Rikuzentakata City

The sign board of the MRCS and the JRC at the
construction site Rikuzentakata City

4. Progress

4.1 Current Progress

The progresses to date are as below:
Progresses to date [ - Dec. 2013]
The MRCS paid the visit to the Rikuzentakata City and the Hirota Nursery School on
15 May 2013.
Project Agreement between the MRCS and the JRCS concerning the Reconstruction
of Hirota Nursery School under Great East Japan Earthquake Relief and Recovery
Programme was concluded on 5 Aug. 2013.
Groundbreaking ceremony was held on 31 Oct. 2013.
Land development survey and ground investigation design started in Oct. 2013.
Tree cutting started in Oct. and completed in Dec. 2013.
Basic construction design drawing started in Oct. 2013.
Land development started in Dec. 2013.














4.2 Plans for the Coming Period

The plans for the coming period are scheduled as below:
Plans for the coming period [ Jan. 2014 ]
Land development survey and ground investigation design will continue until Jan.
2014.
Basic construction design drawing will continue until Jan. 2014.
Land development and outward construction will continue until Jul. 2014.
Execution construction design drawing will start in Jan. 2014.
Building construction will start in Apr. 2014.
The above schedule is tentative and is subject to change.

4.3 Ceremonial Event Schedule

The ceremonial events are scheduled as below:
31 Oct. 2013 Groundbreaking ceremony before land development
Apr. 2014 Commencement ceremony before building construction
Jul. 2014 Ridgepole-raising ceremony
Sep. 2014 Completion ceremony
The above schedule is tentative and is subject to change.

The Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Recovery Programme
Reconstruction of the Hirota Nursery School, Progress Report No. 1, Dec. 2013

5. PROJECT TIME FRAME
as of Dec. 2013
Activities Starting Ending 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3
Conclusion of the project
agreement
Aug. 2013
Tree cutting in the
construction site and the
surrounding area
Oct. 2013 Dec. 2013
Land development survey
and ground investigation
design
Oct. 2013 Jan. 2013
Basic construction design
drawing
Oct. 2013 Jan. 2014
Land development of the
construction site and outward
construction
Dec. 2013 Jul. 2014
Execution construction
design drawing
Jan. 2014 Apr. 2014
Building construction Apr. 2014 Sep. 2014
The above time frame is subject to change as the project progress.
2013 2014 2015 Scheduled Period
Scheduled Period
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