HIGASHI-MATSUSHIMA, Miyagi -- Riki Konno was 5 when he lost his 8-year-old brother Hiromu in the tsunami during the Great East Japan Earthquake nine years ago.
The 14-year-old from Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, inspired by his train enthusiast brother, dreams of becoming a Shinkansen driver. It had also been his brother's dream.
Riki vaguely remembers spending entire days with his brother admiring toy trains and fighting over the train cars.
On Saturday, Riki was in Higashi-Matsushima, through which the Olympic torch relay for the Tokyo Games is scheduled to pass on June 21. That day, the torch will be onboard a JR Senseki Line train traveling between Higashi-Yamoto and Nobiru stations.
"My brother would have definitely come here to watch," Riki said, holding a photo of his brother as he will do that day when he intends to wait for the train with the Olympic flame.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
