. >> reporter: moma fled with his family immediately after the disaster and set up in sendai. he thought the odaka area was uninhabitable because of radiation. >> translator: at the time, i had given up. i thought i'd never be able to return here. to work or live. >> reporter: but when he learned the decontamination work was progressing, he looked into reopening his practice. a former employee supported him. kuni had worked as a nurse in his clinic. she moved to a neighboring city after the evacuation. when monma told her hee might g back, she immediately agreed to return to her position. >> translalator: i thought restarting the practice would surely help people who were considering coming back. so i said count me in. >> reporter: monma has always been committed to getting to know his patients. he is returning as their doctor and also as their friend. he now lives and works in odaka during the week and goes to see his family in sendai on the weekends. they only have one day a week together. monma's wife thought it might be better for him to work at a hospital in sendai, but h

he now lives and works in odaka during the week and goes to see his family in sendai on the weekends. they only have one day a week together. his wife keiko thought it might be better for him to work at a hospital in sendai, but he insisted on returning to odaka. >> translator: my husband says that odaka is where he's needed most. i have no way to argue with that, and i want him to do his best for the community. >> reporter: monma's eldest son misses his father, but he's proud of him. >> translator: my father always accomplishes what he sets out to do. now his goal is to share time with us and take care of his patients in odaka. somehow, he's able to do both. he's quite a guy. >> reporter: monma says his patients, staff members and family helped him make the right decision. >> translator: i wish half of the residents would return. i want this to be a place where returning residents can feel at ease, and i want to be a person who helps make that possible. a bridge to odaka's recovery and vibrant future. >> reporter: just like with a patient, a community is recovery can take time. so mo

waurl conditions as well. 20 in sendai, 30 in tokyo and over to kagoshima and kyushu getting a littleit of a break from the rains we had this week. we should see dry conditions as we go through friday. hope you have a good day wherever you are. here's your forecast. >>> that wraps up this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks for joining us. rita aspinwall: on this edition of "native report," we watch as glass artist jes durfee transforms simple glass rods into incredible works of art. ernie stevens: we attend a community-wide celebration of indigenous peoples' day. rita aspinwall: and we interview dr. bob powless, who helped found one of the first university indian studies programs in the united states. ernie stevens: we also learn about what we can do to lead healthier lives, and hear from our elders on this "native report." narrator: production of "native report" is made possible by grants from the shakopee mdewakanton sioux community, the blandin foundation, and the duluth superior area community foundation. [music playing]