"Makenaizou"

(This word means an elephant which never be beaten, and it's also the word to express a strong determination "I won't be defeated!")

These are hand towels shaped like elephants, which were handmade with donated towels. The residents of the temporary houses made them as a side job and got paid about \100 per a towel. This voluntary action which started in the stricken area of Jan.17 Earthquake was passed on to other disaster victims of the following natural disasters in Japan, and many towel elephants were made in the temporary houses in various districts. This interchange through "Makenaizou" is still going on in the stricken areas of the Great East Japan Earthquake. This exhibit is the one made in the temporary housing of the Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake.