Shimogo Agricultural Cooperative (JA), based at Nakatsu-shi in Oita prefecture neighboring to earthquake-hit Kumamoto prefecture, has continued to support quake victims living at evacuation centers of cities and villages in Kumamoto prefecture.
Tomio Matsumoto (left), general manager of JA Shimogo, and his staff members visit a quack-hit area with “a milk collection truck filled with hot water.“ (Mashiki-machi, Kumamoto prefecture)
JA Shimogo’s activity for supporting those victims is still being implemented with its own “mobile bathroom,” which provides an opportunity for those people to enjoy bathing in a Japanese-style bathtub.
“A Kumamoto support team” of JA Shimogo has been sent with the “mobile bathroom” to Kumamoto prefecture ten times since the prefecture was struck by powerful earthquakes in the middle of this April.
A loading space of JA’s refrigerated two-ton truck for transporting fresh farm products was modified into “a bathroom” with a bathtub and a washing place.
A milk-collection four-ton truck filled up with hot water visits shelters in Kumamoto prefecture with the “mobile bathroom,” where evacuated people are still forced to stay without a bathing facility.
An electric motor-driven pump connects these two trucks to supply hot water to the bathtub on the truck. JA Shimogo’s support team can render this “mobile bathroom service” at any place where electric power and a facility for drainage are available.
JA’s several staff members organize the support team and drive the “mobile bathroom” truck and the milk-collection truck filled with hot water for about three hours to visit quack-hit people in the neighboring prefecture Kumamoto. A total of 160 persons have been provided with this service in past two months.