Dear All,
It’s 9:41am and no aftershocks for a while (we had relatively a big one last night but getting used to it). This morning, I found the strangest thing from the window of my apartment. It’s Mt. Fuji! I knew it’s in that direction but my place I’ve never noticed that I can see it from my window since where I live is in the middle of Tokyo (Shinjuku)…so a scenery from the other side of window is Tokyo skyscrapers. Quite surreal. It’s all probably because of the air is so clear since all the factories are shut down? I don’t know. Well, it’s a nice gift from nature so I enjoy.
Thanks for all the comments! Thanks so much for reading! I’m reading and would love to reply each of you, but I’d like to post another entry instead. All of your comments are related to what I’m thinking and what I talk with my friends. It’s about, what should we do now and what can we do. All of us are traumatized by the disaster, even Tokyo is quite safe but we experienced, witnessing our on going disaster.
As erichnabokov said (thanks for your opinion!) I know my friend could be seen nihilistic, but I have to say, he’s not. Let me explain!
He was the one who suffered from the urge of going up North and do whatever he can as a volunteer, right after the quake. It’s so painful to know that you’re totally useless. Because becoming a volunteer at this stage, you need quite a skill. Like rangers, like people in our Self-Defence force, you’ve got to be trained under the toughest situation. It’s been snowing heavily, some places are still underwater so you need to be shot vaccines before going in, however the people who truly need vaccines are the victims. You need to bring your own food because all food there are for victims, skill to find the place to sleep and time, no complaint, then you could be counted as a manpower but not useful enough. Right now, they need professional help and supports. Real knowledge with real experiences. Probably after a while, all the volunteers can go up there and help re-establishment. At this moment, we’ve got to be patient.
This is what we learnt from Hansin-Earthquake in 1995. Almost all man I talked with suffered from the feeling of (sort of) guilt, that he really wants to go there right away but it’ll be just a selfish act. Therefore, my friend is only an example but he decided to stay in town to cheer people up around him. Trying to utilize this situation as positive as possible. Because we are not yet finished. We have a duty to keep this city functions. It’s very sad to see the empty shelves in the supermarket or how quiet the city is, but there are things we are trying to do. My friends still open their cafe for people. Bookstores are still open. We need to protect the places we love, still need to use our money on something we truly love, this is a kind of support we can do for each other. That’s one of the reason I keep going to my favourite cafe. Surely, what I can pay is so tiny but we don’t want to give up. You’ve got to protect things you love. That’s probably the reason why I stay here, there are people and places I love and they are still here.
Here’s what people around me are doing: trying not to use electricity as possible, (I used to use my heating, light and played music while I’m working, but now I switch off everything except PC) tying not to buy up things, trying not to be alone. These are the things what we can do so far for the people in up North. And we donate and pray for/with them as much as we can. However, if you stop working it means (especially like myself, freelancers) you are not making any money for the next month. Because our life goes on!
We are in the city. It’s less people now and there are tons of rumors saying Tokyo is almost over. However I don’t trust that information. Because at this moment, it’s a beautiful out and we’re still here.
Thanks for reading! Have a nice day!!
All my love,
Akira
Akira, I meant this very...
Akira, I meant this very respectfully when I said that you people seem to react really composed. I am scanning the reader comments in this newspaper, and you can read 80% hysteric assumptions. Not even rumors, just blind suppositions, like their minds lift off in their own little world. What you are describing deserves our highest respect, because you think as a collective. The need to rush off, to do something, is being rationalized, the fear of the unknown is overcome by thought. This is what humanity should strive for. It should not become lethargy or blind trust, but what you describe shows very clearly it is not that. According to news, the situation seems to stablize. More and more support arrives, radiation settles at a given level. So I keep my fingers crossed that help gets really through.
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I am just wondering if here the same thing happens which you describe; the fear rules. Our chancellor here has decided to stop 7 nuclear power plants, just like that. It seems everyone nowadays sees the devil in those powerplants. But the worst enemy for you over there is still the destuction and the winter. And the best help would be to stay calm and accept the things you can do, and accept those which you can´t. So, thanks a lot for your very enlightening articles and replies.
.
And besides, it seems Germans, in general, are having a hard time having a nice day anyways. We are mostly very grumpy people! 😉
Dear Akira, thank you for...
Dear Akira, thank you for writing this blog. I know, it is helping you! But you have no idea how it is helping me!! I saw Fuji-san last year, when I visited for sakura. My son
a little younger than you are, was at the university of Shizuoka. We have a „Japanese daughter“, her name is Yukiko. I am very worried about her. I invited her to come
to Germany for some time to avoid radiation. I know it is such a hard decision for her.
And deep down I know she will not accept my invitation. She has to stay in her country and your writing makes this clear to me.
One wants to „save“ the ones one loves !!! It is in a certain sense a selfish act.
And you are so right, this helplessness no matter where you are, in Germany or in Tokio is very hard … like you I am saving energy and keep to myself and not watch too many „breaking news“…
I pray for you and your people. you are young and yes, this is a chance to make the world a better place. We have to believe in this thought.
All the best for you, good for Tokio is that the bookstores are kept open. This is a place I would go and feel safe!!
Apropos books, I have read a lot of Japanese literature, but not your book, sorry.
They wrote it is very violent ??
Please keep writing your blog I trust your words. Thank you again.
If I can figure out how, I will send you a photo from Fuji-san how I saw him!!
Much love,
sebbi
Thank you very much for...
Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts and feelings with us here in Europe! Your picture of Fuji-san is very impressive and I dearly wish it is a good omen for the future. I hope sincerely that the brave engineers, technicians, workers, soldiers and volunteers can get the Fukushima reactors under control again. Of course one should not forget the harsh conditions for the people in Sendai who show great endurance and discipline in very severe circumstances. I am very impressed that the people of Japan are standing together in this emergency and I wish that life in all affected regions can improve very soon. Thank you again for sharing things with us all, and best wishes for the coming days! Continue to enjoy the time at your favorite cafe!!
What your doing right now is...
What your doing right now is the hardest and the best you can do at this stage.
You are keeping the economy of your country alive which may sound like a political act but actually is not, its an act of intersoicial support, meaning that you keep one another alive just by trying to live normally.
Would most of you stop that right now, your society could break under the pressure, by doing it you keep it alive.
And though most of the people I know would just like to leave anything at home and come to help you all, in this way we are in the same situation, and have to keep it going.
And the other thing you do which can be considered the best, is directly what you do Akira, your sharing your thoughts with others.
All that are reading this are thankful to you for doing so.
And what I peronally have to say is, don’t stop with the way you’ve been thinking right now, enjoy the little positives you uncover, like the Mt. Fuji to be seen, it’s not helping any if you were oversee it, neither would it be good for you.
So thanks for all and love back to you from Germany.
Though I don't know what...
Though I don’t know what you’ll think about it, I got once more something to say, I don’t know about the other radio-channels but the channel here in my area called SWR3 started to bring japanese poems with their translation and some japanese music in there Programm.
This just as a little information by the way, I hope you like it.
The mountain stands like a...
The mountain stands like a sign of hope, doesn’t it – almost as if it had decided to let itself be seen, saying: „Be calm, hold out; I’m still here, and I’ll be guiding you!“ Sorry for the pathos, but that’s what first came to my mind when I saw the picture. In any case, I totally agree, right now it’s all about enjoying the small good things, seeing the mountain, being able to communicate … Easy for me to say, of course, I know that. Be strong, we’re all thinking of you!