Yoshi Tabata, "Kataribe" -- Author of the Picture Story Show: "A Tsunami"
Ms. Yoshi Tabata survived the Showa Sanriku Great Tsunami that took place on March 3rd, 1933, in Taro Town, Shimohei County, Iwate Prefecture (currently Taro, Miyako City). She then created a picture story show entitled "A Tsunami" based on her tsunami experience. She has been voluntarily performing the show to children in the community and to students during their school excursions for more than 30 years. She also created a set of tsunami cards called KARUTA. Her picture story show and KARUTA were adopted as part of the library activities at Taro Daiichi Elementary School. For her valuable long term contribution to the safety of the community, she was awarded the distinction of "Kaigan Koro Sha (Contributor to Coastline) Award" by Zenkoku Kaigan Kyokai (the National Association of Coastlines) in 2006. On March 11th, 2011, Taro Town was hit by huge tsunamis again, which washed away her house. However, she resumed performing a tsunami picture story show on May 21, 2011.
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