11.11.11

What did November 11th 2011 represent to you?

Corduroy Day, ポッキー＆プリッツDay (Pocky and Pretz Day-Japanese snacks that are stick-shaped), Singles Day :( ...

These are only some of the unique and creative ones I heard.

But to me, November 11th 2011 simply marked 8 months since the earthquake and tsunami struck the Northeast coast of Japan. Swiping away thousands of lives, homes, towns, communities...

Not a day goes by when I do not think about the people effected by the earthquake, the powerful tsunami, and the ongoing radiation problem in Japan.
Every month, on the 11th- my emotions are stronger and more powerful than the other days.
Remembering and thinking back to the day.
Recalling my volunteer experiences up North...

As human beings, our memory is ambiguous- we tend to forget tragic things, we tend to erase them from our memories.
But March 11th, 2011 is a day I (we) can not forget.
For the day is engraved in my (our) heart (hearts).
(From Senrinomichi)

One of the volunteer leaders I worked with over the summer had always told us-to the people leaving the devastated regions,
"The important thing for you now is to share and to pass on your experiences, to tell others how you felt, what you felt during the time you spent volunteering here."

Sadly, ever since I had come to the U.S., I hadn't been able to do so...
It was not that I stopped caring.
I wanted to share.
I wanted to show how severe conditions still were in Northeast Japan.
Yet, I just felt like no one cared here...
Japan was a country miles away from here.
And to the people here, the earthquake and tsunami was something that happened months ago...

But on November 10th, just a day before it marked 8 months since the natural disaster struck, I was given an opportunity to present about my volunteer experiences up in Northeast Japan.
It was only an informal presentation at a Japanese coffee hour at my institution.
However, to be completely honest, I cared for this presentation more than any of my academic assignments.
Even for me, it was painful to think back but this was the one thing I could do to show my support for the people in Tohoku.

And in giving this presentation, I contacted the volunteer leader who is still in Rikuzen-Takata city.
Not only did I want to let him know that I will be sharing my experiences from Tohoku but I also wanted to ask him for any current messages from the devastated regions.

He told me,

"Soon, it marks 8 months since the natural disaster. To an outsider, it may seem like already 8 months has passed by. However, to the victims and those affected, it is still...8 months. And for some, time is still on pause since March 11th. There are those who still can not look at the ocean. And others who still can't step foot on the land their houses once stood...

Compared to when you were here (in early July), the piles of rubble and debris have been cleared. Everyday, the town is becoming surprisingly cleaner but at the same time, people are losing their memories. Many are saying they cannot remember what the town used to look like, the town(home) they grew up in...

But just recently, on October 22nd, there was a joint service for the dead (合同慰霊祭）. Although the victims will never heal or recover from March 11th, it was a way for them to express their determination- that from here on, they will hold back their tears and sadness.

The people in Tohoku are trying so hard to move forward one by one. So I want people to keep caring. And to keep watching over the devastated regions."

And to add to his message-

If anything, I want people to be happy for the everyday life that one already has.
I think we all have a tendency to yearn and desire more...but I truly feel it is the everyday life that is important. So I wish for people to be more grateful for the families, friends, houses, communities that are the foundations of one's life.
And to take a moment to appreciate this beautiful core of your life...

http://tenthousandthingsfromkyoto.blogspot.com/2011/11/eight-months-after-disaster-tsunami.html