Remembering 3.11

March 11th will mark 1 year since the Great Tohoku Earthquake 9.0 (M_w) struck the coast of Northeast Japan and the powerful and destructive tsunami that followed.

Although I was in Tokyo at the time and fortunately, all of my family members and relatives were unaffected, I still vividly remember the earthquake we experienced in Tokyo. I remember how the buildings were swaying violently than I have ever seen, how it made me sick to the stomach.

After the initial shock of the earthquake and the chaos that followed, and realizing what I/we experienced in Tokyo was NOTHING compared to what was going on all over the coast of Northeast Japan, people began to ask themselves, "What can I do to help???"

And one of the first actions I took was, starting this blog. Although I was too shy to share it at first (and I guess I still am), I began the blog in hopes that I, myself would keep caring for Tohoku.
But I also hoped that if people started to read or glanced at my blog for even a brief moment of time...that maybe...I could expand the network of support for Tohoku and Japan.

In the very beginning, I am pretty confident it was only my friend-who I met from volunteering who read my blog :) But gradually, I saw more people were looking- or at least, that was what blogger indicated, to me.
To my pleasant surprise, this blog has been visited by people from...
Japan, U.S.A., Hong Kong, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Malaysia, South Korea, Portugal, Phillippines, Canada, Venezuela, and Australia!
Which makes me happy :)

So, I'd like to just take a moment- as March 11th approaches, to send a huge THANK YOU out to all the people out there who have joined the network of support!

THANK YOU, for the initial outreach you provided to Tohoku and Japan.
and THANK YOU!!! for your continuing support and love.

Back in April ~ July when I had the opportunitiy to volunteer up North a couple of times, I met many victims- from children to the elderly, who deeply expressed their gratitude for the love and support that was coming in from not just all over Japan-  but from all over the world.
I was especially amazed that even words of comfort, love and support has the power to reach those in the evacuation shelters.

And if I can ask you just one favor...

On March 11th 2:46pm (Japanese time...), please join me as I pray for the lives that were lost, still missing, and for those who are still suffering, in pain, and in need of support...
For the many who lead busy lives, if you could keep Tohoku close to heart and in your thoughts on March 11th, that would mean something very special to me.

And finally, just some hopeful and positive images...

絆 (pronounced kizuna), the kanji (chinese character) meaning "bonds between people", was voted Kanji of the Year by the Japanese people in 2011. In the top photo, Seihan Mori, chief priest at Kiyomizudera temple (Kyoto) writes 絆 in its calligraphic form. The bottom photo shows embodiment of Kizuna :)

Photo taken on April 3, 2011- Higashi-matsushima, Miyagi-Prefecture. A mother finds her daughter's diploma in the midst of debris and rubble. Even in situations like this, hope and love exist...

The "lone pine tree" in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, became a symbol of hope after the Great East Japan Earthquake. The photograph shows the tree on Jan. 1, 2012.

Since March 8th was International Women's Day, I have to give a personal shout out to Nadeshiko Japan- the Japanese Women's Soccer Team.  They gave energy and hope to the people of Japan as they clenched the gold medal in the Women's World Cup 2011.