Festival of Friendship and Fortitude: Photohoku Brings Emotional Relief to Fukushima Prefecture

A 50-meter-long nagashi sōmen stand was one of the many attractions at the festival. (© Miseon Park)

Shinchi in 1997 (left) and in August 2014, over three years after most of the town was swept away by the March 11 tsunami. (© Shinchi Town [left], Saiki Katsumi)

Volunteer photographers help residents from the tsunami-hit town create new family albums. (© David McMahon [left], Sakaguchi Ken)

Photohoku founders Brian Peterson (right) and Yoshikawa Yūko (center) aboard the night bus to Shinchi with long-term collaborator Hoshino Hiroaki. (© Saiki Katsumi)

Touchy interacts with local children at the matsuri. (© Miseon Park)