As part of the FC Tokyo player association activities, we visited Tomioka Elementary and Junior High School in Futaba District, Fukushima Prefecture on November 9, 2022 (Wed).

The visit to Tomioka Elementary and Junior High School was the second time since 2019 (only online exchanges and encouragement letters in 2020 and 2021), and we kicked the ball and interacted with about 60 children.

In the afternoon of the same day, the visiting players had the opportunity to see the current state of reconstruction by visiting areas that were actually affected by the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear accident, and were able to understand the extent of the damage once again.
As FC Tokyo players, we not only want to make ourselves known, but also want to continue these activities in order to support the recovery efforts, without letting it fade away.


□Participating Players
Masato MORISHIGE, Hirotaka MITA, Keigo HIGASHI, Go HATANO, Manato SHINADA, Keita YAMASHITA, Akihiro HAYASHI, Koki TSUKAGAWA, Yuki KAJIURA, Kuryu MATSUKI, Kojiro YASUDA, Kashif BANGNAGANDE
Total of 12 players


□Player Comments(excerpt)
・Manato SHINADA(Player Representative)
"First of all, we would like to express our gratitude to everyone involved for giving us this opportunity. Thank you very much. This is the first time we have visited a school in a disaster-affected area for recovery support, and we were able to see the children's lively spirits, which gave us energy and courage. It was a very fulfilling time. We would like to continue to increase these opportunities."

・Keigo HIGASHI(Second visit following 2019)
"There are more children here than when I came three years ago, and I hope they will continue to come back gradually. I also felt the hardship they are going through. It was good to see them energetic through activities such as soccer. After that, I visited many towns and learned that the recovery is still ongoing in some areas, but there are also places that are slowly coming back. If I have the opportunity, I would like to come back again."

・Go HATANO (2nd visit following 2019)
"I was able to participate again this time and see the energetic children. I was conscious of making sure they could enjoy themselves even a little. I hope that by continuing these activities, we can contribute to the recovery in some way."

・Akihiro HAYASHI (Second visit following 2019,
"It was our first time participating in disaster recovery activities in 3 years, but I hoped to bring even a small smile to the children we met. Even if they didn't directly experience the earthquake, I believe they have been greatly affected. If we were able to create memorable moments for them, I am happy. I believe we must not let the disaster be forgotten, so I will continue to share stories and the current state of recovery that I was able to visit this time, and keep it close to my heart."

・Masato MORISHIGE
"The children played soccer with energy and they also recognized FC Tokyo and themselves. I heard that the number of children is increasing year by year, so I hope it will continue to increase little by little in the future. After visiting disaster areas such as return difficult areas, I realized that it takes time for Fukushima to recover. I hope to continue these activities and let as many people as possible know about them."

・Hirotaka MITA
"Both the children and teachers were full of energy and enjoyed playing soccer in elementary and middle school. It was great to be able to play together. I was told that there are areas where recovery is progressing and areas where it will still take time, but I was happy to see that some parts of normal life have returned."

・Keita YAMASHITA
"This was my first time participating in a recovery support activity, and I was able to feel a lot more by going to the site myself than just watching it on TV or in the news. The local children were happy to interact with us, and since we don't have many opportunities like this, it was enjoyable for us as well. It has been some time since the earthquake, but not everything has returned to normal yet, and I got the impression that it will still take some time. I would like to come back again next year, and I think it was a good activity."

・Koki TSUKAGAWA
"Through this activity, I was able to understand that we are taking steps towards recovery, and I hope to continue to contribute to the power of Fukushima in any way possible. The children also seemed to have a lot of fun playing, and I believe their smiles will further aid in the recovery."

・Yuki KAJIURA
"I am glad to have been able to see the smiles and energetic figures of children through our reconstruction support activities this time. I hope that we can continue these activities in the future and make even better contributions as FC Tokyo."

・Kuryu MATSUKI
"This was my first time participating in support activities in Fukushima Prefecture. When I visited various places affected by the disaster by bus, I saw that there were still many areas that had not yet recovered. However, I was happy to see that the children were able to live with smiles on their faces, and I hope to continue supporting them in some way."

・Kojiro YASUDA
"Participating in this activity, I felt that the children of Tomioka Elementary and Junior High School were energetic and cheerful, and the players were also able to receive energy. Also, when we visited last time, we were told that the number of residents in the disaster-affected area was gradually increasing, so I felt that it was important to go to various places and engage in activities."

・Kashif BANGNAGANDE
"This was my first time coming to Fukushima Prefecture, and I was able to visit the disaster-stricken areas that I don't usually think about. I was able to feel grateful for being able to live a normal life, and it was a great opportunity for me. I would like to thank everyone for their support in making this activity possible. The children's smiles gave me energy and it was a great experience for me. I also think that I was able to bring some enjoyment to the children."







Thank you very much to everyone who supported this activity, everyone at DREAM Fukushima, and everyone at J Village.