More to do

Decks and benches at the Hassendo temporary housing project, Ofunato, Iwate.

One of the things I have noticed about the recent tsunami disaster here is how quickly conditions change. You have to be nimble to keep up with changing needs.
A friend who moved into temporary housing asked me to make a small deck so she could hang the bedding out to air. This, and the smaller bench version, have proven to be very popular. Nearly everyone in this small housing project (11 units) now has either a deck or a bench. A visitor from a different housing project (Maeda Kouen) asked me to make one for her; now her neighbours are wanting them, too. It is great to see how these simple objects not only make hanging laundry easier and safer, but also make it possible for residents to be outside, and get to know each other (I have a photo of four ladies sitting on one of the new benches chatting, but am reluctant to post it. They were nor too sure about being photographed, as they were nor dressed up).