10-year-old 'bus department chief' an inspiration to fellow disaster refugees (JAPAN)

[AsahinaKimi]

Ten-year-old disaster refugee and self-appointed bus manager Yuki Nozaki salutes to a bus driver at an evacuee shelter in Yamada, Iwate Prefecture, on May 1. (Mainichi)

YAMADA, Iwate -- A fifth-grade boy at an elementary school-turned-evacuation shelter here is lending inspiration to his fellow disaster refugees by taking charge of getting everyone on buses to the closest temporary bathhouse.

Ten-year-old Yuki Nozaki -- who is staying at Yamada Kita Elementary School with his mother, grandmother and younger sister after their home was washed away in the March 11 tsunami -- even calls himself the "bus department chief."

"The bus to the bath house is here," Nozaki calls out to the 150 or so evacuees in the school gym. "Everyone who would like to go, come right this way, please." After a number of people with their bath towels in hand board the bus, Nozaki gives the driver a smart salute, saying, "They're in your charge," before watching the bus pull away.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110514p2a00m0na019000c.html

[malaise]

1. Must be depressing for everyone after two months

in shelters. I'd be beyond miserable by now.

[FSogol]

2. Nice story. n/t

[Chris_Texas]

3. kr

[Left coast liberal]

4. Real leaders always rise to the top.