Asa-Kita-Ku (Shiraki) Volunteering
About a 40 minute drive from Hiroshima station in the Asa-kita-ku suburbs of Hiroshima, the town of Shiraki is accepting volunteers.
English Volunteering Handbook PDF gives advice in detail useful for 1st-time volunteers in Japan. Or see the post listing the pages of the English Handbook for Landslide Disaster Volunteering here.
On the last Saturday in July, there were about 40 volunteers helping out. We saw a lot of damage on the 40-minute drive into the countryside from Hiroshima station. It seemed like we drove deep into the countryside to get there and some parts of the road had just been repaired allowing the area to accept volunteers as well as start the long process of rebuilding and recovery.
In fact, along the way, there was an area of the main road that had been completely washed away but has now been completely rebuilt. The rail service that usually runs alongside the main road has been stopped since the disaster.
Once you are there, the views of the surrounding mountains and rice paddies make it hard to believe that you are still in Hiroshima city. To volunteer, head to the JA office in Shiraki. They are accepting volunteers everyday rain or shine, (but closed for any official warnings of typhoons or extreme weather).
A local staff member says someone should be there from 7:30~ most days through the month of August. It is possible to register and get volunteer insurance here (350 yen for the year). All the staff were very welcoming, deeply grateful and friendly. If you are keen to volunteer somewhere and have access to a car, this is a good place to volunteer. Make sure you arrive early in the morning to sign in (between 7-9am) as most work finishes by noon.
The sign-in volunteer desk is set up at the Shiraki JA office building. There is free parking across the street. To find it, follow the link to the map below and keep an eye out for the Shiraki Post Office, take the following left at the traffic light, go over the tracks and you will soon see the JA (green) sign on the right side of the road.
Address to volunteer center for JA-Shiraki
2418 Shirakichō Ōaza Akiyama, Asakita-ku, Hiroshima-shi
Map to Shiraki JA office on Google MAPS
English Volunteering Handbook PDF gives advice in detail useful for 1st-time volunteers in Japan. Or see the post listing the pages of the English Handbook for Landslide Disaster Volunteering here.
