Translators’ Note

The Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami devastated the pacific-coastal towns and surrounding areas of northeastern and central Japan.  We have been introduced to a personal blog that has described the enormity of this horrible devastation, lives of the aftermath and hope for the reconstruction of a small town called Onagawa*.

Mayumi who is a professional photographer, promised principals of her hometown schools that she would take pictures of elementary and junior high school entrance ceremonies and provide new students with those pictures with free of charge.

With her permission, we have decided to volunteer for translating her blog into English with intention that people around the world can associate with her effort, victims’ feelings and hope that can lighten a person in any walk of life.

Each of us has its own translation style and preference in choice of words and expressions.  In addition, each proofread its own work and there was no native-speaker’s check for our translations.  We all know that our translations must be faithful to the meaning and intent of a writer, and so we did as close as possible.

We would like to ask your forgiveness in the case that there are some errors in our translation.  However, please feel free to point out any significant errors that may affect the meaning and contact us via Mayumi’s blog.  We will be glad to reconfirm and clarify the meaning in such matter.

In the meantime, please enjoy her blog in English.

Thank you.

Chiyo McQuire, Kyoko Hayashi Grahovac, Sanae Lash and Yuko Burgei

* Chiyo McQuire is a cousin of Mayumi and a professional translator.  She asked her fellow translators to join in this undertaking.