Been meaning to post here ever since the earthquake and tsunamis on March 11th.
Let's just say it has been so overwhelming that I simply haven't been able to compose my thoughts enough to write about it. I thought it might be a good idea to post it for posterity and to keep my experience fresh, but the impact was so strong that I doubt I will ever forget it. Still trying to get my head around these past few weeks...I hope this post isn't too rambling.
It will be 2 months tomorrow since the disaster...certainly doesn't feel like it's been that long. Watching the news and related TV programs on relief efforts, you realize that the recovery is going to take a very long time...years. It is happening, but oh so slowly.
One of my worries is how it is affecting the entire country...and the economy. Traffic has been light, restaurants at night are practically empty, some store shelves have been almost empty. People have been avoiding food supplies from areas around the nuclear plant in Fukushima, even though it's been proven they have been produced away from the plant and are radiation free. Extremely sad to say, there are reports of discrimination and vandalism all around against people and cars from Fukushima...fear is a powerful emotion. And I spent a weekend in Kyoto early in April and saw few tourists...and I do mean very few.
This last week was what is known here as Golden Week...3 major holidays within one week: April 29th Showa Day (the last emperor's birthday) May 3rd Constitution Day and May 5th Children's Day. And as an extra since most people take it off anyway, May 4th became a holiday some years ago and is known as Green Day. As a result, many companies close down for the entire week. I understand many people spent their week this year volunteering in the Northeast...maybe that was why the beach in front of my house was comparatively quiet.
Today I went shopping in downtown Yokosuka...and enjoyed a quiet lunch at my favorite little cafe in a corner of the local discount store. And I was delighted to see lots of cars...there's one uphill section that I usually dread because the line of traffic goes from the bottom to the top, but today it didn't bother me at all. The cafe was busier than it has been lately...and supplies seem to be flowing freely again as store shelves everywhere are well stocked.
One topic many people are talking about is the need to spend. The government has been pushing a conservation program, and I can understand the need to conserve electricity (with the nuclear plants out of action, there's a 30% reduction in production) and gasoline. But in order to get the economy out of the doldrums it's been in (I know...long term recession is still going on, but the situation has gotten worse), the population needs to get back into spending normally again. My hope is that we do it with a different consciousness...keeping in mind how our actions will help support the people who are still suffering.
Maybe Golden Week gave people the chance to breath again...away from work and the problems there, spending time with family and reconnecting, hopefully getting out of the house and away from the television and the impact from the images still being shown. Talking to friends and neighbors and students, everyone agrees that one way to help the survivors up north is to get back to our normal lifestyles, and I saw positive signs of that happening today.
