謹賀新年~Greetings for the New Year~

The year 2011 has come to an end...

With the March 11th Great Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, as well as the nuclear radiation problems that followed, it has been a difficult and tragic year for Tohoku and Japan.

The people of Tohoku have come a long way since March 11th.
Instead of devastating news, there is now uplifting news as well.
Like the public bathhouse hit by the tsunami reopening in Ishinomaki, salmon returning to the tsunami-affected rivers in Tohoku, and news of people making gradual steps-one by one.

Yet, there is still a long recovery process that lies ahead.
The lives lost, and the sorrow people felt due to the events following March 11th cannot be forgotten.
The radiation problem in Fukushima is an ongoing issue- one we cannot ignore and something we must all be proactive about.

Despite all of the heartbreaking sights and stories I heard in Tohoku and through the media,
March 11th made me realize the strengths and resilience of the Japanese people.

Living in Tokyo, I always sensed this coolness of people in Japan (especially Tokyo).
From the outside, everybody seems so immersed in their own personal lives- always busy and always rushing to get to places.
But volunteering with people in Tokyo and all over Japan, let me know that I had been wrong.
I met many many kind-hearted and passionate people.
People who cared, and people who wanted to give.
Although my time with these volunteers was brief, they have all impacted me in positive ways.
And I am truly thankful to have met them all.

I also hold deep respect and gratitude to the people in Tohoku.
I volunteered to support in any way I could but always, I found that I was the one receiving energy.
Despite the fact that I was a complete stranger to the people there, the people in Tohoku always offered me a warm welcome- treating me as a friend, rather than a stranger.
And they thanked us (volunteers) again and again, when we were the ones that wanted to thank them.
To the people there, I am just a volunteer out of many.  But to me, each and every person I met up North hold special places in my heart.

Finally, the year 2011 made me realize the importance of 絆 (kizuna) -bonds, especially between people.
Because I have moved many times,  I am not great at keeping in touch with my friends. But I am very thankful for meeting so many wonderful and amazing people in 2011, and also throughout my entire life.
So, although I am far away from many of my friends, I hope we can always be connected through kizuna.

All my prayers to the year 2011!
My wishes and hope to 2012!
- Let's all keep up our suppport for those in Tohoku!