TOKYO …quot; It was a good experience being in Japan after the disastrous earthquake and tsunami. On March 11, the country was hit by one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded. The magnitude-9.0 quake spawned a deadly tsunami that slammed into the small island nation, leaving a huge swath of devastation in its wake. During my 10-day trip to the country, I was impressed by discipline and morale of the Japanese people in their hour of need. They have never given up hope and they're working hard to protect the less privileged and fortunate. “My parents-in-law who live in Iwate Prefecture are still lost,” said Hajime Kishimori, a principal deputy director in the public diplomacy planning division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, speaking five days after the tragedy. “Many relatives of my wife are fishermen in Ofunato, one of the areas most affected by the tsunami. I have visited one of them, whose home was located facing the bayside of Ofunato. On TV, I saw his home in runs,” he told The Egyptian Gazette, in a worried tone of voice. Kishimori, who lives with his wife in Tokyo, couldn't find his sister-in-law, but a few days later she turned up. Telephones, both landline and mobile, are not working, so the only way to get possible news, whether good or bad, about his parents-in-law is by watching TV and reading newspapers. The confirmed death toll stood at more than 9,301 with 13,786 missing, according to the National Police Agency. “My wife feels worried about her parents and relatives who are still missing. The fact that no-one has confirmed their death yet, however, provides us with hope that they are still alive somewhere. Hope is the last resort. “There is massive rescue operation underway, involving specialists and experts from foreign countries. That is encouraging and another cause for hope,” added Kishimori. Junichi Yano, an office worker in Tokyo, hasn't, thankfully, lost any relatives in the disastrous tsunami, but, like other Japanese, he is worried about the effect of this calamity on his country. “I've been learning about the situation in the disaster-stricken area from the TV. Long before the supermarkets open every morning, there are huge queues of people waiting quietly outside. “When they open, people don't get into a panic or rush in, but they buy up large quantities of bottled water and pot noodles. You should judge people by how they deal with this unexpected misfortune,” he said. On March 11, Japanese workers couldn't be home, because there were no transportation due to the tsunami. “I stayed all night at my office. There was no transportation at all. Given this tragic and unprecedented circumstances, we cannot complain,” said Yano, who hails from Kagawa Prefecture, southwest Japan. Japan is also facing a nuclear crisis that some experts warn may be much worse than the 1979 Three Mile Island disaster. Japan has often donated when other countries have experienced disasters, such as when Hurricane Katrina hit the United States. Japanese people have suffered a lot since the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the only two cities in the world to have been destroyed by nuclear weapons. During the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States dropped atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the first on August 6 and the second on August 9. Within the first two to four months of the bombings, the acute effects killed 90,000…quot;166,000 people in Hiroshima and 60,000…quot;80,000 in Nagasaki, with roughly half of the deaths in each city occurring on the first day. “All Japanese students learn in school about the atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and some of them visit these cities on school trips. “Most of the Japanese have a strong aversion to nuclear arms, although not only other countries but also their own have such weapons. “Generally speaking, however, Japanese people understand the necessity of the peaceful use of nuclear power, since Japan has very few natural energy resources,” Yano continued. “Every time a big disaster hits Japan, people are shocked and saddened, but the most recent quake has caused damage on a scale beyond our imagination,” said Miyako Yoshida, a Japanese interpreter. “We have to help one another at a time like this by doing whatever we can. Staying calm and disciplined is important. Panicking or being selfish will not help the situation, society, the country, or even ourselves,” Miyako, from Tokyo, added. “Every day, there are new developments in Japan. What is important, I think, is to remain calm and not to panic. Your kind thoughts will help us.”
