Main

The Mitsui & Co. Environment Fund

Introduction to Grant Projects

The Tohoku Pilgrimage Project

The Tohoku Pilgrimage Project

Activity grant

Project Description

The Tohoku Pilgrimage Project (kokoro no michi) honors victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake and earthquakes in the past. The project gathers "stories from the heart" which communities want to pass on for the next 1000 years, and keeps the communication of the stories alive. The project disseminates these stories beyond countries, ethnic cultures and religion, so people far and wide can recognize Tohoku as the origin of these stories. The Tohoku Pilgrimage Project continues to collaborate and champion development activities to create cyclical and independent cultural restoration which can be inherited even after 1000 years.

Grant year
FY14/3 Activity Grants
Grant term
3 years
October 2014 - September 2017
Grant amount
3,000,000 yen
Activity region
Areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake
A panel discussion at the 3rd Tohoku Pilgrimage Project Forum

Overview of the Organization

Yuuji Takahashi, Cooperation representative
Representative
Yuuji Takahashi, Cooperation representative
Establishment
2012
Establishment purpose
The organization aims to solve the below three problems.
  • Inheritance of earthquake disaster information and the dissemination of cross-border stories
  • Whilst the population of the Sendai area increases, the population is decreasing in coastal towns, threatening industrial revival. We strive to support the regeneration of local livelihoods.
  • Support cooperation of local areas through cooperation
Main activity areas
Areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake
Staff
10 full-time staff members, 58 part-time staff members, 10 full members
Annual operating budget
4.38 million yen in 2013, 2.5 million yen in 2014
Recent activities
  • Millennium story inheritance project
    Investigation on candidate pilgrimage locations, holding a Tohoku pilgrimage forum, holding a Tohoku Pilgrimage area creation committee, installation of a column on the pilgrimage site
  • Livelihood development project
    Development of a pilgrimage system, transmission of pilgrimage area information, planning and production of pilgrimage map, plan development and trials with local tourism officials and tours, implementation of pilgrimage land activation model project