To the north of the main harbor—what’s left of it—three older fishermen are repairing their skiffs. One man leans against the bow of his small boat as we approach. “I need to get back out quickly,” he says after sizing us up and deciding he’ll talk to us. “I have only this small boat, so I catch only small fish—sea urchins and shellfish, mostly. My skiff was washed ashore and I found it. There was a big hole in the hull. Now I’ve fixed it. The government is busy. There’s no use waiting for them. We’re fixing things up as best we can.
“We’ve been told to move to higher ground, but we’re men of the sea and you can’t tell us to grow vegetables. We have traditions and techniques that have been passed on to us, and we can’t change over to farming just like that.
“I saw the tsunami and still, I’m not afraid. We’re just like animals. It’s our instinct to survive. Not because of fear, but just because that’s what we know to do. Most of us around here believe we must live on the ocean. We can’t live in a city apartment. It isn’t fun to live without facing challenges. I’ve faced death three or four times already. That’s why I’m not afraid now. Or maybe I’m just stupid!” He laughs, lights another cigarette, and keeps talking.
“When I’m out on the ocean, there’s only this one piece of wood that separates me from death.” He touches the bow of his boat and gazes at it affectionately. “As soon as the quake hit I watched the birds. They all flew away. The announcements on the loudspeakers mean nothing. I always watch the birds. They told me to run. I was here at the waterfront when the Wave came in. I saw the tide push back and the seaweed twist on the ground, so I tied up my boat and hurried up the hill. People who forget Nature, forget how it works, they are doomed.
“I’ve been fishing since birth. I catch whatever is out there and sell it at the market alongside the big boats. We need only to live according to our instincts and needs. My boat’s name is Honfukumaru—‘A long breath of Wind.’ ”
* * *
Die while you live.
Be utterly dead.
Then do as you please.
All is good.
—SHIDO MUNAN