. >> reporter: japanese american artist jay horinochi wanted to help. the 31-year-old belongs to an art collective called tokyo deks. he's been a regular visitor to karakuwa since he first volunteered soon after the disaster struck. the isolated location made it difficult for relief workers to reach the town. the community was in urgent need of assistance. jay and other volunteers helped locals remove debris and clean up their homes. he met ichiro when she offered volunteers a place to stay. over time, he began to understand what she and other locals were missing. >> a lot of the locals were saying that after the tsunami, color was gone. there has to be something i can do as an artist to kind of, you know, just bring a little bit of energy or joy back to them by using color. >> reporter: jay reached out to karakuwa in late april. he brings with him several other artists. and an idea to brighten up the community. they decide to paint the walls of two buildings. on ichira's factory, they plan to depict the town's maritime heritage. and in the house for vo