A Village Gives What It Can

The keeper of the Kashinozaki lighthouse helped the injured sailors and alerted the village authorities. Residents searched the coast for survivors, carried the injured to safety, and helped recover the bodies of the dead. Oshima was not a wealthy village; many families lived by fishing and farming. Still, they brought the sailors food, clothing, and shelter. Some gave sweet potatoes and eggs. Others handed over chickens and other supplies their own households depended on. The villagers had no personal connection to any of these men.