This is an explanation provided by Shiro Obata of the pictures he took on his trip into Sendai April 11-13, 2011.
４月１１日は多賀教会で茨城地区の伝道者の会合がありました。特に東北の支援態勢について意見の一致をみました。いつもより時間がかかり、多賀を出発したのは午後４時。
常磐道は福島県に入ったところで地震で通行できませんので、いわきから磐越道を通り、仙台に行くことにしました。２時間で着く予定でしたが、途中でふたたび大きな余震があり、高速道路は閉鎖、まったく知らないところで普通の道路にでました。道をさがしながら、今回、泊めていただく仙台教会の細井兄姉の家に着いたのは夜の１０時。
そのまま１２時まで、いろいろと仙台の被害状況について、また、私たちの支援活動のために仙台教会の敷地内にある、ライフセンターを使わせていただくことなどを話し合いました。細井さんの家は被害がありませんでしたが、家族で写っている村井さんの家は大丈夫に見えますが屋根は大きく壊れ、家も傾いていて、このままでは使えないということです。細井兄はつい先ごろまで仙台市役所の児童局長、いまは老人福祉の責任者や大学で社会福祉を教えていますので情報はたくさん持っていました。初めの何枚かの平和的な写真は仙台の教会員の家です。
On April 11 we had a meeting of the Ibaraki area ministers at Taga. There was a special unity of opinion as to the feeling for support of Tohoku (Northeast). The meeting took longer that usual and we left Taga that afternoon at 4.
As we entered Fukushima Prefecture, we were unable to continue on the Joban Expressway. From Iwaki we took the Banetsu road to get to Sendai. We anticipated arriving in two hours, but on the way there was another big earthquake. The expressway was closed so we took a regular road which we knew absolutely nothing about. While searching for the right road, it was 10 that night by the time we arrived at the home of the Hosoi’s where we were to stay.
We stayed up until midnight discussing the state of damage in Sendai, the use of the Sendai church building for our support efforts, to use it as a life center, and we discussed other things. While there was no damage to the Hosoi’s house, the Murai’s house appears okay, but there is a big break in the roof and the house is tilted. It cannot be used in this state. Until a short time ago brother Hosoi was the bureau chief for the juvenile division of the Sendai City Hall. He is now the responsible person for elderly social welfare and also teaches social work at the university so has a great deal of knowledge about things. Several of the first peaceful pictures are of the Sendai church member’s homes.
１２日、１３日は亘理町、石巻市に行きました。一転して大災害です。その惨状は写真では撮りきれません。海の近くは津波で流されてなにもありません。瓦礫（こわれた家屋、車など）は道路の両側に積み上げて、車が通れるようにしていますが、これをどこに捨てるか、処分するかまったく方法がみつかっていません。
On the 12th and 13th we went to Watari and Ishinomaki. They was completely destroyed. The pictures do not do justice to the damage done. Near the ocean where the tsunami flowed there was nothing left. There was rubble on each side of the road, broken houses, cars, and other things. They piled the rubble on each side of the road so cars could pass. Where will they dispose of all this rubble? They have not found a way to dispose of it yet.
最後の石巻市の県営アパートと人々の列はチャドさんたちの働きの場です。救援物資をそこの人々も一緒になって、車からおろしているところ。品物を食糧（おかず、果物、缶詰）、衣類、カセット・コンロ、おむつなどの衛生用品、学用品などと分けて、広げ、人々を３分間づつ入っていただき、一人１０点づつ好きなものを選んでもらいましたときの写真もあります。ここは電気、水道、ガスがまだありません。市役所からは一人に少しの水と一日に３回、おにぎりやパンが来るだけです。お風呂は歩いて２０分以上のところに自衛隊が設営していますが、家族で入れる時間は非常に短く制限されています。ですからここにどうにかしてお風呂を作りたいと考えています。
Last we went to Ishinomaki to a public apartment where people were lined up. This is where Chad Huddleston is working. Supplies and the people came together as they were unloading supplies out of a car. They spread out the supplies – food (okazu [side dishes to eat with rice], fruit, canned goods), clothing, cassette gas burners , diapers and other hygienic things, school supplies, etc. These were divided and spread out. People were given 3 minutes to look around and get 10 items per person which they wanted. One of the pictures is of this. There was no electricity, water, or gas. The city hall provided a little water three times per day along with an onigiri [rice ball] and bread. They must walk over 20 minutes to get to a bath constructed by the Self Defense Force. A family could only use it for a very short time. For that reason we thought it would we would like to build a bath.
私たちもここで重点的に奉仕します。もう一か所は亘理町、そこは流されずにのこった家屋のなかのヘドロ（津波と共に流されてきた土など）の非常に疲れる作業がまっています。以上、写真の説明でした。小幡
We will do our main work in these areas. Also in the area of Watari there is rubble (mud/dirt which came in with the tsunami) which was not washed out to sea. This is waiting for the very difficult work of removal. This ends the explanation of the photographs. Shiro Obata