Misawa woman's plan to 'give something
back' nets thousands in donations
By Wayne Specht, Misawa
bureau chief
Koishi |
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan — When the World Trade Center towers fell from the New York
skyline Sept. 11, Tomoko Koishi went door to door to Americans living off base to extend
condolences for the attack.
Koishi, a housing agent for dozens of Americans in the Misawa community, said,
"Seeing the destruction on television was such a shock for me. I just had to do
something so I knocked on doors of our tenants."
She said she feels she has a lot in common with her military renters because her
husband is a staff officer at Japan Air Self-Defense Forces Northern Air Defense Force
headquarters at the Misawa base.
As damage and death tolls increased in New York and Washington, Koishi felt moved to
"give something back" to the Americans, "our friends who contribute so much
to Misawa’s economy."
"The television news showed me so many other countries like France, England and
Italy were pledging support for America," she said. "At first, I didn’t see
Japan doing the same thing, I wondered what was wrong with Japanese people?"
With the blessing of her boss, Yoshitaka Endo, Koishi again went knocking on doors,
soliciting donations from landlords, contractors, plumbers, painters and the local gas
company.
After three days, Koishi reached the goal she set for herself — 500,000 yen, about
$4,385.
She says she was pleased and surprised by the generosity of donators.
"I would have been pleased with getting just 250,000 yen, but reaching my goal
made me feel good, and I hope it will make families of policemen and firemen who lost
their lives feel a little better, too," said Koishi, who donated 58,000 yen (about
$440) to the total.
Koishi said some donations may have been given for the more than 25 Japanese employees
who worked in the World Trade Center who are still unaccounted for.
On Wednesday, Koishi gave a check to Jenny Wren, station manager for the Red Cross
office at the base, who will send the money to the national disaster fund that this week
reached $200 million in donations.
"This is a wonderful example of how the Misawa community cares about the military
and civilians who live and work here," Wren told Koishi. "It will be put to good
use for families in the United States who were lost at the twin towers and at the
Pentagon."
Koishi said a comment made by her 16-year-old son, Yousuke, while watching the tragedy
unfold on news reports helped to spur her to seek the donations.
"He said he wished Japan would someday be like America," she said.
"After the tragedy, your country became so much stronger than before."
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