Actor Ken Watanabe to close cafe in quake-hit area, seeks new local role

SENDAI — A cafe set up by Japanese actor Ken Watanabe dedicated to the reconstruction efforts of an area hit by the massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011 will close Sunday, nearly 15 years since the disaster struck.

Watanabe, the 66-year-old owner of the K-port cafe in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, has decided to shut things down, having taken his age into consideration. "I would like to look for (new) ways on how to have fun activities with the local people over the next decade," he said.

Watanabe, who was nominated for an Oscar for his role in the Hollywood blockbuster "The Last Samurai," opened the shop in November 2013, more than two years after the disaster devastated northeastern Japan.

In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, Watanabe began visiting Kesennuma, one of the worst hit areas, to work as a volunteer and opened K-port after hearing residents say they had no place to gather. Despite a busy schedule he has tried to work at the cafe once every two months or so.

On Saturday, a day before the closure of the cafe, Watanabe himself welcomed customers.

Yumiko Chiba, a 57-year-old resident of Miyagi and a frequent user of the cafe, said, "Having lost my parents to the tsunami, it was a place where I could be at ease and unwind. It gave me the strength to move forward."

Kesennuma saw many of its buildings inundated or swept away in the tsunami, which ensued following the magnitude-9.0 earthquake on March 11, 2011.

K-port was built near the harbor. At the time of the disaster, restaurants were few and the seaside area was dark.

Watanabe plans to keep the building after the closure and hopes to pass it on to the younger generation.

"I want to think together with residents about fruitful ways to enjoy this city," he said, expressing hope that people will look at Kesennuma beyond the image as a disaster area.

© KYODO