"You Are on the Other Side of this River"

https://jbby.org/book/8554  

Rino from Miyagi prefecture and Ryo from Fukushima prefecture are both survivors of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, and both of their families relocated to cities near Tokyo, on opposite sides of the same river. But their experience of the disaster and their reaction to it are quite different. Written from Rino’s perspective, the story depicts how these two are drawn together despite their differences. Rino’s older brother died in the tsunami. Ever since, her mother has suffered from insomnia and her father has buried himself in his work. Rino, who hated being pitied by her classmates in junior high school, decides to enter a senior high school on the other side of the river where no one will know her past.  

She joins the brass band club, keeping her background a secret. Ryo belongs to the same club, but he speaks openly about his experience of the disaster. At an all-school brass band competition, Rino runs into some of her classmates from junior high, and Ryo finds out that she is also from the disaster-stricken area. They begin to share their experiences. Rino tells Ryo that she dated her older brother’s friend for a while, but broke up, while Ryo confides that he was bullied in junior high because he was from Fukushima and that his relationship with his girlfriend in Fukushima is rocky. At the end of the year, Rino is able to open up to her band mates. She finds that sharing her past helps her feel more comfortable at school.  

The novel explores situations common to many survivors such as the after effects of the tsunami in Miyagi and the dislocation caused by nuclear contamination in Fukushima. Rino and Ryo’s efforts to communicate and bridge the gap give the reader hope. A winner of the Japan Juvenile Literature Association Prize.  

『この川のむこうに 君がいる』  

宮城県と福島県で東日本大震災に遭った 梨乃（りの、女）と遼（りょう、男）が出会い、お互いの苦悩に違いがあることを知りながらも心を開いていく様子を梨乃の視点から描いた作品。４月、梨乃は、宮城県で東日本大震災を経験したことを中学時代のように同情されるのがいやで、埼玉県から荒川（あらかわ）を越えて東京都の私立の高校へ入学し、吹奏楽部に入る。誰にも震災経験を知られないようにしていたが、同じクラブには、遼がいて、福島県での被災経験をオープンに語る。梨乃の兄は津波で亡くなり、母は不眠を抱え、父は仕事に没頭する毎日。梨乃は、吹奏楽部のコンクールで中学校時代の友だちに再会し、宮城県出身であることを遼に知られてしまう。それ以来、二人はお互いの体験を語るようになり、梨乃は兄の親友の太一（たいち、男）と付き合っていて別れたことなどを語る。一方、遼は、中学校の時、福島出身であることからいじめられていたこと、福島県内に住む彼女との関係がぎくしゃくしていることなどを告げる。12月になって、梨乃は、自分の震災体験をクラブの女友だちに話し、少し肩の力を抜いて学校へ通えるようになる。そして、お正月に梨乃と遼は多摩川の両岸で楽器の音を響かせる。  

 ４年を過ぎても津波の傷跡（宮城）や、放射線による避難（福島）に苦しみ続けている震災体験者のさまざまな状況が描かれている。そんな中でも梨乃と遼が語り合い、お互いを理解し続けようとする姿に希望が読み取れる。  

Text. Hamano, Kyoko  

Rironsha  

2018  

224 pages  

20×14  

ISBN 978-4-652-20289-0  

Age 13 +  

Tohoku 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami, Friendship, Falling in love