January Sycamore Tree

In Sendai there is a Pastor who`s name is Aoki. You may not know it from looking at him, but he was once a homeless man. Looking at a homeless person on the street you may imagine any number of things, that this person lost their job and their home due to the bad economy,they became ill and were no longer able to work, or perhaps they have psychological issues. Rev. Aoki`s story is not too different from many others but he was able to pull himself out of debt and get back on his feet. What is more inspiring is that he managed to become a pastor and organize a homeless ministry in Sendai.

In the Bay Area there are any number of churches and non-profit organizations that run soup kitchens and halfway houses, but when Rev.Aoki started his organization almost 10 years ago there were none. The city provided opportunities for the homeless to receive medical care and limited job resources but there was little effort put into outreach. Now, besides the NPO that Rev. Aoki directs there is also one small Catholic group that works with them to do weekly rounds distributing fruits and hot miso soup and a monthly soup kitchen. Additionally, Rev. Aoki rents space once a week to provide showers and laundry machines and convinced the city to provide temporary janitorial work.

Over the winter holidays I invited several students from the center to join me on the Wednesday night rounds and for one of the monthly soup kitchens. This was a first time experience for all of them. It was raining the night we went on a rounds to check in all the parks and distribute bananas, instant miso soup, and toothbrush/towel sets. We passed through Kotodai Park, which I ride my bicycle through everyday on my way to work, and the parking lot of the Sendai International Center where I sometimes go to read. There was also a Christmas illumination and festival happening nearby so many of the homeless people that normally live in one of the larger parks had found other places to stay for the night. Because of the leadership of the regular volunteers we managed to finish in under 2 hours and distributed goods to about 50 people around the Sendai train station. It only takes about the same amount of time as watching a movie but can make such a big difference.

Homelessness isn`t something that a city is typically proud to show it`s visitors. But, this is one of the experiences I will remember most about the two years I`ve been here in Sendai.