Japan's Triple Tragedy: 9.0 Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear Disaster

Japan's triple tragedy of a 9.0 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster that started on Friday, March 11, 2011, happened so fast that I didn't have time to process the disaster until a week later. At first it didn't sink in for me because I didn't know much about Miyagi prefecture nor did I have any friends or their families that were affected. Having lived in Japan for two years, I had been used to minor or major earthquakes and/or tsunami warnings, but this was a domino effect of tragedy that went way beyond what I experienced.

The reality of this tragedy kicked in for me a week later when news reports started announcing the numbers of those that were dead or missing. With more than 8,000 people officially dead and 12,000 people missing, it was finally the impact of the death toll that did me in. To think that 20,000 people are missing or presumed were wiped off the face of the earth in one day was mind boggling to me.

The 9/11 Terrorist Attackers killed nearly 3,000 people, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and left nearly 2,000 people dead, and the 2010 Chile earthquake took the lives of over 500. All of these tragedies, including Japan's, happened in developed countries yet the magnitude of devastation, both on the psyche of its citizens and economically, has humbled us all.

To put things into perspective, I looked back in history at two recent earthquakes in lesser developed regions of the world that both killed more than 300,000 people: the 2004 Indian Ocean (9.0 magnitude affecting Thailand and Indonesia) and the 2010 Haiti Earthquakes (7.0 magnitude). While the natural disasters in New Orleans and Chile are no less in scope, they were both in more developed countries and the loss of life never reached into the tens of thousands. Would fewer people have died if Haiti, Thailand and Indonesia were more developed countries? The possibilities are endless and I'm sure that scientists will discuss this for many years to come, but we can't ignore the fact that natural disasters and man-made ones (fires, nuclear and biological) are getting to levels we haven't seen in centuries (the Black Plague in Europe, volcanic eruptions that ruined Pompeii, etc.).

All of the natural disasters and massive loss of life that have occurred in the last five or six years were tragic, but they never directly affected me. Sure, I gave money to the causes and followed the news to see what would happen next, but I didn't know a soul that lost their life. This tragedy touched my heart, because I felt for the people in the country that I called my home for two years and that I claim as my second home.

I had just visited Japan for my first return visit last summer. While I was there, wherever I went, food was in abundance, people enjoyed festivals and school children were playing and laughing. That's quite a contrast to what my Japanese friend reports from Tokyo a week after the earthquake hit when I checked on her:

Gina, I'm scared!! But so far we believe that we are okay. I wear a cap, a mask
and gloves when I go out. We will get out of Tokyo if we see a clear danger.

Toilet paper rolls and rice are sold out at all the stores. So I took one
roll from a hospital. Now we have enough since my stepdad send them from Osaka.
There are several kinds of food we cannot find but we're much much better
than what disaster victims are going through.

This is just one friend's account, but when I checked on other Japanese friends based around the world and in Japan, they seemed confused about why the Western media seemed to sensationalize the tragedy and likened it to Chernobyl. I'm not sure if I should be more worried for my Japanese friends or not, but I'll leave you with that same friend's last email, which should tell you how she feels about the atmosphere in Japan right now:

Thanks for checking on me!

We want to help victims but we can’t even go there.

I wonder how long it will take until we recover.

I’m so worried that this will cause a huge damage on our economy and our lives.

Many stores and restaurants are still closed.

Our lives have been stopped or being very slow. I can’t wait till we’re allowed to laugh with friends, enjoy our meals with beer and wine.

While we worry about how to fix the global recession, handle multiple wars, bicker about how to deal with tyrants and revolutions in the Middle East, it's tragedies like this one that make us all realize that we are just alike when we face tragedies or challenging situations. If tragedies brought on by nature create a space for people across cultures to care for and support each other, then that is just one positive thing that could come out of this situation. Still, my heart hurts for Japan and its people.

Japan Travel Guide by a "Gaijin" (foreigner) for a "Gaijin"

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine went to Japan for work in Tokyo and then traveled to other parts of the country. I had lived and worked in Nara, Japan as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) for two years and he wanted to travel to my old stomping grounds, the Kansai (or Kinki) region: Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Kobe in Hyogo-ken. I was SO excited to tell him about my favorite places there. There's so much to see in Japan, but I told him that if I wanted to experience real Japan, you have to go to Kansai: Kyoto, Nara, Osaka prefectures, which are the most well-known must-see destinations.

For first-time travelers to Japan, I recommend an online guide: http://www.japan-guide.com/list/e1105.html. Here are my personal favorites in Kansai.

A word about temples:

They will all look like temples, but the difference is shrines represent the Shinto religion whose followers believe that the Emperor is a living descendant of god and explains why the Japanese fought to the death during WWII. If you know that history, then you’ll remember that in addition to the atomic bombs being dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in order to truly discourage the Japanese from continuing to fight, that Gen. MacArthur forced the Emperor of Japan to do a radio address telling his people that he was not a god. There are still some old Japanese that still practice Shinto, but most younger Japanese (under 50) are not religious at all, however, you’ll most likely catch a beautiful Japanese wedding (in traditional kimonos) at a Shinto shrine than at a temple. Definitely stalk the shrines to see if you can catch a glimpse of a Japanese wedding where the bride and groom will wear beautiful kimonos.

Just remember: “shrines” have orange ‘toris” or gates and have “jinja” somewhere in the name and temples have a variety of names, but they’re usually less decorative and simple, made out of dark wood and might have “terra” or “dera” in the name (depending on the kanji that is used).

Kyoto: Attractions in Kyoto-shi: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2158.html

Kyoto is one of many ancient capitols of Japan (read a little bit of history about Japan), but just so you know: Osaka, Kyoto and Nara were all ancient/old capitols of Japan depending on the age/period and the emperors. Japanese history is simply fascinating! Temples are everywhere, so it will be quite easy to get all templed out. I’ll rank my favorites below:

1. Kiyomizudera (temple) – this temple is absolutely breathtaking. It doesn’t cost much to enter, but when you do, you’ll see that the temple is built on the side of a mountain and since it’s winter, you won’t see the canopy of trees, but you’ll be able to see most of Kyoto from there. There’s also a "love shrine" built right next to it. Perfect for couples to visit.

2. Kinkakuji (temple) – it’s a feat that they built this temple in gold. The beauty around it makes it worth seeing just for the photo opportunities.

3. Ryoanji (temple) – this is where you will see real monks. They actually do make these amazing designs in the rocks as some kind of meditation. When you look at it you wonder how they made such designs in the rocks/sand without making footsteps.

Note: You will likely not have time to see more than 3 temples in a day, simply because of all of the traffic in Kyoto and the fact that the streets are so small. Definitely, when you arrive at Kyoto station, look around for the tourist map and also find the bus terminal at the station and get an all day pass. ALL of the buses can take you to a temple/attraction.

Other attractions in Kyoto, if you have more than one day…

1. Kyoto Tower – I recommend doing this first so that you can see how far most of the attraction you’ll see are through the telescope. Perhaps even have some “udon” noodles while you’re there if the restaurant is open.

2. Arashiyama – if you have time, take a train from Kyoto station up to Arashiyama, but don’t get lost! Follow the crowd when you get off the train and say, “Arashiyama”? There are wild monkeys in the mountains there and it’s kinda cool to see. You can also take a boat ride on the river there. The shopping is quite good too. There’s a $10 store there (1000 yen pronounced “zen yen” and I think that they use omi-se to refer to “store.” I can’t remember anymore). This trip will likely take a whole day (get back to Kyoto city before night falls).

Nara prefecture: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2165.html

Temples, Deer and Shopping! Nara City is one of the ancient capitols of Japan and happens to be the capitol of the prefecture that I lived in for two years. Take a train from Kyoto station to Nara Station on the Kintetsu Railway line. Here are a few highlights:

1. Todaiji Temple – home of one of the largest indoor Buddhas in the country and a World Heritage site, at Todaiji Temple, you can buy treats to feed the all-too-friendly deer that are roaming free across the city. Take pictures in the sitting Buddha’s pose and try to squeeze yourself through the hole in one of the massive columns in one of the oldest wooden structures in all of Japan and perhaps the world.

Stay tuned for more details of other cities of Japan.