Mother of Japanese hero of 2011 quake in Turkey lives with memories of her son

By Ahmet Furkan Mercan

OITA, Japan (AA) – The mother of a Japanese aid volunteer who died in the 2011 earthquake in eastern Turkey has been living with the memories of her son for the last 10 years.

Miyazaki Atsushi came to the rescue of earthquake victims in the Van province, when it was struck by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake on Oct. 23, 2011 and extended his helping hand to people both as a doctor and an aid worker as part of the Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR Japan).

But a magnitude 5.6 quake jolted the city again on Nov. 9.

The second earthquake caused his hotel to collapse to rubble, and Miyazaki, badly injured, was taken out of the pile of debris following intense rescue operations, but succumbed to his wounds at a hospital.

As the “hero of the earthquake,” Miyazaki is still a source of inspiration and respect in the eyes of the Turkish people.

According to Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, the Oct. 2 and Nov. 9 quakes of 2011 claimed 644 lives and left almost 2,000 people wounded. A total of 252 people were rescued from the debris.

- Condolence message from Turkish president on wall of family's home

His mother Miyazaki Keiko hosted Anadolu Agency at her home in Oita, southeast of Japan, and talked about her son and the emotional legacy he left behind.

Her living room is decorated with photos and newspaper articles on Atsushi's missions.

A big picture with the Turkish-Japanese flag is exhibited both at the entrance of her house and in the memory corner for her son. Keiko also preserves the letters, books, and poems sent by the people of Van and students.

An Ottoman coat of arms is placed at a corner of the family's house, and a condolence message sent by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after the death of his son is presented on a wall.

Noting that her son loved to help the needy and has a “desire for help,” Keiko said: “After studying in Japan, he pondered world issues and his desire to help developed greatly. He wanted to take part in the UN.”

She added that Atsushi also visited Turkey when he was a student.

Recalling a phone conversation she had with her son before boarding the plane from the Turkish capital Ankara to Van, Keiko said: “There was an earthquake, but we couldn't imagine that aftershocks would follow. He called me on the phone from Ankara to Van, this was our last conversation.”

“As a mother, I sometimes think 'if he had not gone to help' or 'if there had been no earthquake',” she said.

“I think, 'wouldn't it be okay if he had slept in another hotel instead of this hotel when he went to Turkey?' Earthquake is a natural disaster, of course, there is nothing to do. It was his job, even if we say 'if he didn't,' it was his way, his choice.”