Two regional newspapers that were founded in tsunami-hit areas of Iwate Prefecture and focused primarily on recovery efforts have ceased publication because of declining populations and decreasing readerships.

The Kamaishi Shimbun ended its operations in Kamaishi on March 31, while The Otsuchi Shimbun in Otsuchi, just north of Kamaishi, published its final issue on March 11, the 10th anniversary of the disaster

RECOVERY STILL FAR OFF

“We never thought we could make it this far,” said Shuichi Kawamukai, 68, former head of The Kamaishi Shimbun. “We struggled to write each word.”

The newspaper had a circulation of slightly less than 4,000, covering about one-fourth of all households in the city.

Founded on June 11, 2011, the four- to six-page newspaper was delivered twice a week, in principle.

It provided stories on events held in support of residents of temporary housing units, groundbreaking ceremonies for reconstruction projects, announcements from the municipal government and other everyday aspects of the disaster-stricken areas. The articles were written in a matter-of-fact, diary-like style.

While the newspaper couldn’t afford to dig deeper into serious issues, it shared suggestions and opinions on reconstruction efforts from contributing writers in a front-page column.

Its 10 employees previously worked as reporters and sales representatives at a local evening paper covering the Sanriku coastal region in the north of Kamaishi.

On March 11, 2011, when Kawamukai was taking pictures of children who had evacuated to higher ground, he saw the newspaper company’s building swallowed by the tsunami along with a rotary printing press.

Two of his fellow reporters were killed in the disaster, and the local paper was forced to discontinue publication.

It was Takenori Noda, 68, mayor of Kamaishi and Kawamukai’s senior high school classmate, who encouraged him to start a new newspaper. The mayor was having a hard time spreading information through the city’s disaster response headquarters.

Kawamukai founded a limited liability company and brought in personal computers for editorial tasks at his own expense. The reporters used cameras donated in support of their efforts.

Using central government subsidies, the newspaper distributed about 20,000 copies to all households in the city for free.

The Kamaishi Shimbun was at risk of going out of business after the subsidies ended, but it made a fresh start as a subscription-based newspaper with a circulation of about 5,000.

A turning point came in autumn 2019 when Japan hosted the Rugby World Cup, and a pool match was held in the city. The paper also ran feature stories on the event.

But once the excitement wore off, ad revenue dwindled. And as the number of events to cover also decreased amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, the editors decided to publish on a weekly basis, only to see subscription revenue plummet.

With seven of 10 staff members at least 60 years old, the company decided to discontinue the newspaper.

The final issue was numbered 930.

Kawamukai expressed his feelings in a front-page column.

A large photo of children in a disaster-stricken area had appeared in the inaugural issue. The final issue showed a photo of a temporary housing facility for disaster survivors that was completed in Morioka in spring this year.

He thought it was worth reporting because 13 households evacuated from Kamaishi also moved into the facility.

“We couldn’t ask survivors questions in a straightforward manner. It was difficult for us to get deep into their feelings because we are survivors, too,” Kawamukai recalled. “But it was meaningful to keep records of our efforts for recovery.”

He opted to add the word “fukko” (recovery) to the flag on the front page since its first issue. He intended to remove it when Kamaishi fully recovered, but his wish never came true.

Photographs and other data accumulated by The Kamaishi Shimbun, as well as its brand name, will be taken over by a semi-public company that supports community development and manages a website to spread local information.

ONE-PERSON NEWSPAPER’S MISSION

The Otsuchi Shimbun’s final issue is numbered 385.

It was originally a weekly newspaper founded by Otsuchi native Yukiko Kikuchi, 46, in June 2012 because she thought residents weren’t given sufficient information on how to rebuild their lives and how reconstruction efforts were being carried out.

Although she had no previous experience in journalism, Kikuchi served as a reporter, writer and editor of The Otsuchi Shimbun.

Using state subsidies at first, and ad revenue and support funds later, she continued to deliver the paper to all households in the town for free until March 2020, except for some periods.

She covered issues surrounding the municipal administration, and her stories created opportunities for residents to take interest in community development. She also wrote a series of comforting articles about pets of disaster victims.

After Kikuchi started charging fees in April 2020, Otsuchi natives living outside the town and other supporters subscribed. But it gradually lost its readership and continued to bleed red ink.

Kikuchi has heart and eye conditions. She decided to suspend publication, saying she was burned out economically and physically.

However, she found a new role to play.

Certified as a disaster-prevention expert in 2019, Kikuchi has been giving lectures and making other efforts since 2020.

“I want people to know why so many sacrifices had to be made and learn lessons from the current recovery efforts that are not necessarily going well,” she said.

(This article was written by Masataka Yamaura in Kamaishi and Masakazu Higashino in Otsuchi.)