A school group from Tanakura Junior High School was the special guest of the Japan team and the Mayor of Kakamigahara City, Mr. Hide Yokoyama. Normally a school group would not be the cause for excitement at a hockey tournament, but this particular group of 32 students and two coaches caused quite a stir because Tanakura Junior High School is located in the Fukushima District, the area that was ravaged by the tsunami on March 11, 2011.
The school itself is located about 70 kilometers away from the Fukushim Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, the center of so much attention following the tsunami. School was cancelled for about a month following the disaster and although the students are back in classes, life is still far from normal for the children of the region.
Mr. Yokoyama made a donation of one million yen to the children and their school. In addition, the group were special guests of the Japanese team and each was invited onto the field after Japan’s game against Brazil and presented with autographed jerseys and balls as a memento to their courage in the face of the disaster.
