Tokyo Station is a symbol of the restoration of Japan !?

As I mentioned in my previous post, Tokyo Station, which was designed by Tatsuno Kingo, has been fascinating people since it was built in 1914 because its appearance is unique and impressive. However, some parts of the station were burned down during World War Ⅱ, and were rebuilt in different forms. Not only to make the station more earthquake resistant but also to restore its appearance to its original state, the station had been under construction since 2007. On the 1st of October, the renovation was finally completed. The station is expected to attract more people.

The other day, I happened to see a TV program about this renovation of Tokyo Station on NHK, the Japan's national public broadcast station. An episode which was introduced on the program was very impressive, so I'll talk about it here. First of all, could you see the last picture of Link #1 below or the attached picture? This is the central part of Tokyo Station which was restored to its original state. The black roof is made of slate tiles (click here).

When the station was built in 1914, the roof was made of the slate tiles from Ogatsu town, Ishinomaki city, Miyagi prefecture (宮城県石巻市雄勝町）. Because of this, it was decided that the rood would be restored and renovated by using slate tiles from this town. The town accepted the order, mined slate and manufactured slate tiles. On March, 2011, packed slate tiles were stored in a warehouse. The town was waiting for them to be shipped.

On the 11th of March, 2011, as you may know, a massive earthquake hit Japan. The town was washed away by a huge tsunami (Please see the fifth picture from the last in Link #1). When the people involved found that the warehouse had been washed away, they were sure that the slate tiles had been also washed away or smashed. Contrary to their expectation, many of the packed slate tiles remained there and seemed undamaged. They strongly hoped to use the slate tiles for the roof restoration of Tokyo Station if these tiles were OK. They wanted to make it a symbol of the restoration of the town seriously damaged by the tsunami.

About twenty-thousand slate tiles were picked out from the rubble. The people involved and many volunteers carefully washed mud off the tiles one by one in the tsunami-stricken area (Please see the third picture from the last in Link #1). After that, the tiles were checked to see whether or not they had cracks and if they were usable. Then, the ones that were fine were used for the roof restoration of Tokyo Station as planned. I didn't know this until I saw the TV show. When I pass by the station, I want to look up at the roof while thinking of their thoughts.

By the way, the station withstood a massive earthquake which hit Tokyo in 1923. As I mentioned above, during World War Ⅱ, some parts of its exterior and many parts of its interior were burned down. Right after the end of the war, the damaged parts of the station were rebuilt in different forms. I've heard that, at the time, the station became a symbol of the postwar reconstruction and encouraged people.

Last year, the station could withstand that massive earthquake again during the renovation. Then, the entire renovation was finally completed yesterday. The station has regained its original appearance and has become more attractive. I do hope that the station will become a symbol of the restoration from the catastrophic disaster which happened on the 11th of March, 2011.

Link #1

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/web_tokushu/0928.html

The Japan of one year after the disaster.

It's been one year since the devastating earthquake and tsunami hit Japan. To pray for the twenty thousand victims, including the missing, there were many ceremonies held throughout Japan on the 11th of March. At 14:46 on the day, many people, even those walking on the street, stopped to pray for them. While praying for them, many people, including myself, felt gratitude for all your support worldwide and for being alive. The disaster has made us realize how fragile life is, which has made us determined to lead meaningful lives.

On the other hand, we have been struggling to find ways to deal with the harsh reality. Partly because of a wide range of damaged areas and partly because of slow action by our government, it has been taking more time than we expected for the survivors to get their lives back on track and make their new life plans. As the time goes by, differences in progress among the survivors have become significant. Some have already restarted their businesses, whereas some are still at a loss as to what to do. Everybody has their own idea of how to rebuild his/her life, so it's difficult for folks involved to find common ground on how to rebuild their local areas and where to rebuild their houses. It seems that these things have resulted in creating some gaps and awkward atmospheres among the survivors.

On top of that, the nuclear disaster has complicated the situation. The issue of how to and where to deal with rubble piled up in the tsunami-stricken areas other than Fukushima demonstrates it. To promote the rebuilding of the areas, the rubble need to be dealt/incinerated with throughout Japan. However, since the rubble is slightly contaminated by radiation, this issue has been very controversial. The central government has been insisting that rubble below a certain contamination level will hardly harm the environment, but many people frown on accepting the rubble to be dealt with//incinerated  in their local areas, wondering if the information is reliable. They are also worried about the further spreading of radioactive contamination. Those living on agriculture or fishing in non-contaminated areas say that if the rubble is dealt with/incinerated in their local areas, their brands will be surely damaged even if the rubble is harmless. I think that unless the government gives us enough information and clear policies, the issue won't be resolved.

Since the 3/11 earthquake, Japan has been more subject to earthquake than before. There have been a huge number of aftershocks and earthquakes in Japan since then. The day before yesterday, we had two large quakes. One caused the survivors in the tsunami-stricken areas to evacuate since tsunami was expected to hit there. Some towns in the Tokyo area were damaged by the other one. As for the Fukushima plant, nobody knows exactly what is going on there and what will happen there. Nobody knows exactly how harmful the radioactive contamination is. Because of that, this ongoing accident and the radioactive contamination are of concern to us.

I hope that we can transform the disaster to an opportunity for change and improvement.

The 70% chance of a powerful earthquake in the next four years.

Living in Japan means living with natural disasters, especially earthquakes. Because of this, elementary schools often conduct emergency drills. Japanese people, even small children, know what to do when earthquakes happen. However, different preparations for earthquakes are carried out in different areas of the country.

It has been predicted for perhaps about 40 years that Shizuoka prefecture/静岡県 has the highest chance of　being struck by a powerful earthquake. Because of this, the area has been paying the greatest attention to earthquake preparation. I've heard that many schools there require their students to wear helmets on the way to and from school. The residents have been making great efforts to make their houses more earthquake resistant.

Many years ago, when some friends of mine who were raised in Osaka moved to Tokyo, all of them told me that the frequency of earthquakes in Tokyo was much higher than in Osaka. They said that they were surprised to see that people in Tokyo were used to earthquakes. At the time, people in Tokyo paid more attention to preparing themselves for earthquakes than in Osaka.

I've been living in the Tokyo area recently, but I was raised mainly in Osaka. I don't remember feeling any earthquake during my childhood. I'm sure I experienced them, but I don't think they were strong and frequently enough for me to remember. In contrast, my friend who was raised in the Tokyo area says that even when he was a child, he already considered earthquakes to be an inevitable part of life.

Contrary to the aforementioned prediction, which was first made many years ago, a powerful earthquake has yet to hit Shizuoka (I'm not sure exactly when the first announcement was made. Maybe 40 or 50 years ago). Instead, at least ten massive earthquakes, including the 3/11 one, have struck other areas in the past three decades. If I include high magnitude earthquakes which didn't cause significant damage, the number will soar. The Great Hanshin Earthquake in Kobe, next to Osaka, in 1997, which killed about 6500 people, caught people off guard since the frequency of earthquakes in that area had been low and no powerful earthquake had been expected there. Under these circumstances, I have always assumed that a massive earthquakes could happen anywhere in Japan and one is sure to hit my area sooner or later.

A few days ago, the earthquake research institute at Tokyo University announced that the chance of a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7 or more striking the southern part of metropolitan Tokyo in the next four years is as high as 70%. The institute said that the possibility of a massive earthquake hitting Tokyo in the near future has become higher in the wake of the 3/11 earthquake. Although the Japanese government already announced last year that Tokyo has a 70 % chance of being hit by a powerful earthquake in the next 30 years, it seems that the phrase, "in the next four years," is shocking to people. To be honest, I was a little shocked when I first read the news, but a few minutes later, I realized that it was nothing new. However, this announcement warns that the Tokyo area is due for a powerful earthquake, so we are strongly urged to pay more attention to preparing ourselves for it.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/23/tokyo-powerful-earthquake-four-years

Japan had a similar circumstance about 1100 years ago.

Yesterday, the 17th of January, marked the 17th anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake/  阪神大震災 (which hit the Kobe area in 1995. Please click here and see the video). Since it wasn't predicted that the area would be hit by such a strong earthquake, people felt like they were caught off guard. At the same time, they realized that massive earthquakes could happen anywhere in Japan. Although the earthquake-stricken areas were relatively limited, since they were populated and the earthquake was an inland one, the damage was huge. The death toll rose to about 6500.The survivors were at a loss as to what to do. Some, including my friends, suffered from posttraumatic stress disorder for a few years. Some became alcoholics due to their great difficulties. Some took quite some time to stand on their own feet. Last May, the Kobe local government finally accomplished urban town projects related to the earthquake.

Since another massive earthquake happened on the 11th of March, last year, many people who experienced the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995 have been helping the victims of the 3/11 earthquake. On the other hand, some of them honestly say that they don't want to see the tsunami-stricken areas because the devastated areas remind them of their hard times and it is still too much to bear for them.

Anyway, it's been said that a massive earthquake similar to the 3/11 one could hit Japan only once in a thousand years. When I first heard that, I wondered what the premise of once in a thousand years was. After a while, I learned that an earthquake similar in size and location to the 3/11 one happened 1100 years ago. At the time, a massive tsunami also hit the Tohoku area which was severely damaged by the 3/11 tsunami. The earthquake and tsunami are referred to as the Jougan Earthquake and Tsunami/貞観地震・津波. Jougan/貞観 is an era name (859-874).

According to an article in Nikkei, a major Japanese newspaper, now looking back to that time, there are many similarities between that era and recent years. In that era, eruption and big earthquakes frequently happened. When Michizane Sugawara/菅原道真, a historical figure, took the examination for high-level officials in 870, the question "describe earthquakes" was on the examination. It's been said that this fact shows how frequently earthquakes happened in that era. On top of that, politics was in disarray. Power struggles complicated the political climate. Shinto appeared or became popular (I'm not sure which one. Buddhism was already popular). According to a historian, the frequent eruption and earthquakes made people rediscover forces of nature, and it resulted in the appearance or popularity of Shinto. The Gion festival in Kyoto, one of the three largest festivals in Japan, started in that era in order to remove disasters and drive away evil spirits (Please see the video).

Admittedly, the circumstances for the past few decades in Japan are similar to ones during that era.

My previous blog articles related to the Great Hanshin Earthquake
I found out about that disaster while I was in Sydney
http://japan-through-my-eyes.blogspot.com/2010/01/i-found-out-about-that-disaster-while-i.html
The disaster revealed people's true nature??
http://japan-through-my-eyes.blogspot.com/2010/01/disaster-revealed-peoples-true-nature.html

People willing to get married. People willing to get divorced.

The 3/11 earthquake has made people realize that they need to have somebody around. People who used to enjoy living alone have started feeling insecure. In downtown Tokyo, some traditional style, casual restaurants where you can feel the warmth were very crowded for a few months after the massive earthquake (please click here). Many people have been encouraged to get married. Travel plans for three generations (the extended family) have become more popular. The Japanese word "絆/Kizuna (bonds or ties)" was selected as the word to describe the Japan of 2011. All in all, people have become more concerned about others, despite a clear tendency before the earthquake for people to be less concerned about or indifferent to others.

On the 11th day of every month, more news related to the 3/11 earthquake is reported. According to recent news, in the tsunami-stricken areas, people who are thinking about divorce have been sharply increasing. The differences in opinion on how to cope with their enormous difficulties and move on have caused rifts between couples. Some insist that due to the disaster, some critical gaps which they were never aware of have emerged. It seems that sticking to what they believe or what they want is the only way to overcome the difficulties for some victims. Come to think about it, when you are stretched thin, it would be very hard for you to listen to others and discuss issues.

Speaking of divorce, I've heard that gaps in the perception of the radioactive contamination have pushed some couples to think about divorce. Mothers tend to think about what to do based on the worst case scenario because they always give first priority to protecting their children. However, some fathers don't try to understand what their wives are worried about, saying that the worst case scenarios that their wives have assumed are unlikely to happen. As time goes by, more people have become able to think about and discuss what to do rationally, but there still seems to be many couples who are struggling to bridge the gaps in each other's perceptions.

It's been already ten months since the earthquake. However, there hasn't been significant progress yet. Yesterday, Prime Minister Noda reshuffled his cabinet in order to make his big policy push. Although I hope that he'll never give in, I've been recently feeling that whoever becomes a leader, he/she will take quite some time to implement policy under the current political system and climate. I've been really tired of the situation where politicians criticize a policy without suggesting an alternative idea.

It's been nine months since that day. Are people becoming desensitized to the serious situation?

I'm determined to remember what I thought about in March on the eleventh of every month, although I know that human beings have an ability to forget in order to overcome difficulties. I feel that I should remember how I felt on the 11th of March since the word "death" first went through my mind and I realized something I hardly realize under ordinary circumstances (At the time, I was in Chiba far from the epicenter. Still, I felt several massive earthquakes). Immediately after the earthquakes, I very much thanked the shop staff at a super market near my house who worked as usual. Their anxiety and fear were written on their faces. They seemed to ease their fear by focusing on their jobs. All in all, I found happiness in small things which I generally don't care about.

Anyway, it's been nine months since the disaster happened. It's been reported that progress is slower than expected at tsunami-stricken areas in Miyagi and Iwate prefectures where many towns were completely washed away. Although there are many reasons pointed out, the main one is clear. The Fukushima disaster has complicated matters further.

I often hear people say that they are not surprised by whatever reports come out on the crippled power plant and radioactive contamination. I've also realized that I'm becoming desensitized to our serious situation, although I've been paying great attention to the plant and radioactive contamination. I often feel that people are getting used to the serious situation like this way. Needless to say, there are many reports on new findings showing that the crippled plant is likely to be more critical than expected or that radioactive contamination is more serious than expected.

Only after the Fukushima accident, I realized that many nuclear-related TV programs had been already aired especially on NHK, the public broadcasting network in Japan. Recently, I saw some of them when they were rerun. These programs show how a lot of people worldwide have been struggling against diseases which were most likely caused by radiation exposure (For example: The victims of the atomic bombs dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. The victims of the Chernobyl accident in Ukraine and Belarus. The victims of nuclear testing in Marshall Islands. Some residents near the plutonium production reactor in Hanford site in the US).

Recently, there have been many reports on decontamination plans. It seems that our central government gives priority to decontamination work. On the other hand, some specialists have been skeptical about how well decontamination work will go. They have insisted that the government and some people expect too much of decontamination work. They have pointed out that since there are many mountains near contaminated areas, unless the mountains are decontaminated, decontamination work won't go well. Like the outlook proves right, it has turned out that rice crops in fields near the contaminated mountains tend to be more highly contaminated than ones in other fields, even though both fields have the same level of soil contamination. It's been said that water coming from the contaminated mountains likely causes it. I've heard America, Ukraine and Belarus have been having great difficulties decontaminating soil. I think that both the government and Japanese people need to change the way of thinking.

Decontamination work
http://www.jiji.com/jc/d4?d=d4_quake&p=jyo114-jlp11852850
http://www.jiji.com/jc/movie?p=top404-movie02&s=424&rel=y

Contamination map

http://radioactivity.mext.go.jp/en/1270/2011/10/1270_1012.pdf
http://radioactivity.mext.go.jp/ja/1910/2011/11/1910_1125_2.pdf

The top 10 words describing the Japan of 2011--Part 3: Everybody knows that phrase.

Today, I'll continue to talk about the top 10 winners of the buzzwords and new words of the 2011 contest. I'll explain about one of them. If you are interested in what I talked about them before, please see the links below.

Part 2
http://japan-through-my-eyes.blogspot.com/2011/12/top-10-words-describing-japan-of-2011_05.html
Part1
http://japan-through-my-eyes.blogspot.com/2011/12/top-10-words-describing-japan-of-2011.html


★こだまでしょうか/kodamade syouka

Immediately after the devastating earthquake hit Japan on the 11th of March, all the regular TV programs were cancelled. Instead, special programs to report on what was going on in Japan were broadcast for the next two weeks. Even after this, regular TV commercials remained disappeared because their contents were seen inappropriate to the terrible situation. However, it seemed that commercial breaks were necessary in commercial broadcasting services, so several TV commercials created by Japan Advertising Council in 2010 were aired. These commercials were created to promote morality or enlighten the public about things they should know.

At the time, a lot of people left the TV on to get detailed information on what they cared about. Every time the commercial breaks came, people saw the substitute TV commercials. Since there were only several TV commercials created by the council, they were on the air in turns over and over. Even if people didn't intend to see them, they inevitably caught what was being talked about in the commercials. On top of that, some phrases used there were so catchy that many people blurted out the catchy phrases.

"こだまでしょうか/kodamade syouka" is one phrase used in one of these commercials. こだまでしょうか means that is this the echo to repeat anyone's words? Actually, in the commercial, a poem written by Misuzu kaneko (金子みすゞ）is used. I mean that all the phrases in the commercial are from her poem titled "こだまでしょうか/kodamade syouka". Misuzu Kaneko is a poet who was born more than 100 years ago. I've heard that the poem was written about 85 years ago. The frequent broadcasting of the commercial made her very popular. Then, her poetry book hit the bestseller list. Admittedly, the poem used in the commercial is thought-provoking.

Another phrase ”ぽぽぽぽ～ん/popopopo～n” has also become very popular although it wasn't selected as the top 10 winners. The phrase is from another TV commercial which was also created by the council and was frequently broadcast. The phrase doesn't have any meaning. I don't know why it has become very popular.

The top 10 words describing the Japan of 2011--Part 2: We cannot describe the Japan of 2011 without that event.

A few days ago, the top 10 winners of the buzzwords and new words of the 2011 contest was announced. In the last post, I talked about なでしこジャパン/Nadeshiko-Japan, the word which won first prize. Today, I'll talk about some of the rest.


★3.11/san ten ichi ichi

In Japan, the September 11 attacks are referred to as 9.11 ( kyu ten ichi ichi). Everybody knows what 9.11 indicates. Coincidentally, just nine and half years after the September 11 attacks, terrible events happened in Japan and had a great impact on our nation. Because of this, the 3/11 earthquake, tsunami and the subsequent nuclear disaster are referred to as 3.11. Although I don't remember who first used the word, according to the announcement, the then chief cabinet secretary Yukio Edano first used it in his official statement.


★帰宅難民/Kitaku-nanmin

帰宅/Kitaku means to go home. 難民/nanmin means refugees. On the 11th of March, even in the Tokyo area, we felt the massive earthquake too, despite the area being far from the epicenter. I thought that I was going to die in Chiba next to Tokyo. All the train services were suspended immediately after the massive earthquake happened at about quarter to three in the afternoon. Some services were resumed about six hours later, but many of them remained suspended until the next morning.

In the Tokyo area, there are many train and subway services (even Tokyo people often carry a train map with them). People generally commute by train. Over an hour's journey to work by train is very common. The daytime population of the downtown Tokyo is huge. Because of this, a large number of people wandered around the streets due to this long suspension. We refer to these people as 帰宅難民/Kitaku-nanmin. Before the earthquake, it was predicted that Kitaku-nanmin could be a big problem if a massive earthquake hit the Tokyo area. On top of that, the issue of how to deal with Kitaku-nanmin was often discussed and some measures were already taken. However, it was the first time to see how Kitaku nanamin were doing and created problems. We've learned a lot.

http://www.asahi.com/national/update/0311/TKY201103110519.html
http://www.asahi.com/special/10005/kitakunanmin.pdf


★絆/Kizuna

The disaster which happened on the 11th of March has made us realize how many people have supported us and we cannot live without others. We have been very much encouraged by huge support from people worldwide since then. We appreciate for the support very much.

Before the earthquake, there was a tendency that people had been becoming indifferent to others especially in large cities. However, the disaster changed the situation. It's been reported that the 3/11 earthquake made many couples decide to get married. As a matter of fact, wedding businesses have been recently enjoying good sales.

All in all, people have realized how important ties to others are. 絆/Kizuna means ties among human beings.


★風評被害/Huhyo-higai

風評/huhyo means rumors. 被害/Higai means damages. Huhyo higai means damages which rumors without reasonable grounds caused.

Partly because a lot of people didn't know about radiation, partly because the issue of how much radiation exposure will be harmful in the future is always controversial, and partly because the lack of clear information about radioactive contamination, there have been a lot of rumors and information spread since the Fukushima accident. I've found it very difficult that you distinguish reliable information from rumors without reasonable grounds.

Under these circumstances, some people from Fukushima prefecture were or have been mistreated based on the wrong information or just because of the great fear of radiation. Crops from some areas tend to linger on the market. Some insist that this is 風評被害/huhyo-higai because people believe rumors and the wrong information. On the other hand, some insist that this is not 風評被害/huhyo-higai because some specialists question provisional radioactive safety limits on food set by the government, so they want to protect themselves based on their own standards. Some insist that the government and the mass media use the word " 風評被害/huhyo-higai" to blame people who try to buy crops free from as much radioactive substances as possible in order to protect their children. Anyway, the word has become very popular since the Fukushima accident.

Japanese people live with natural disasters based on the rooted concept "諸行無常/ shogyo-mujyo"

After the 3/11 earthquake, many people in Japan offer a silent prayer for the victims on the eleventh day of every month. In tsunami-stricken areas, people usually face the sea which took many lives and washed everything away, and then pray for the victims. When a well-known American who has been living in Japan for many years saw this, he said that if they were Americans, they wouldn't face the sea because they would think of the sea as being dreadful and hateful. Although I was not sure if his view was common in America, I found it very interesting.

Actually, living in Japan means living with natural disasters. Traditionally, Japanese people live knowing that earthquakes and typhoons will very likely hit where they live. We try to protect ourselves from natural disasters, but we don't try to fight against them. On the contrary, for a long long time, we have been subconsciously thinking about how to get along with natural disasters and deal with them well. For us, natural disasters are an inevitable part of life. Needless to say, if we suffer losses due to natural disasters, we'll surely be filled with great sadness and it will take some time for us to get back on our feet again. Still, we try to live harmoniously with nature without thinking of it as being dreadful. We do know that nature has enriched and will continue to enrich our lives, and natural disasters are a necessary part of nature. As a matter of fact, many fishermen who lost everything due to the 3/11 tsunami smile and say that when their businesses go back to normal in a few years, the sea will become more bountiful than ever.

We have been living with natural disasters forever. Partly because of this, it is traditionally thought that everything is always changing and nothing will exist forever. This concept is reflected in the Buddhist teaching of "諸行無常/shogyo-mujyo" (Everything is evanescent).

Since the 3/11earthquake, it's been said that powerful earthquakes could happen anywhere across Japan because the plates moved a lot on that day. As a matter of fact, there have been a lot of earthquakes including strong ones in the past six and half months. The frequency has grown dramatically. To make matters worse, this summer, powerful typhoons have damaged Japan more seriously than usual. Under these circumstances, the concept of "諸行無常/ shogyo-mujyo" often comes to mind. At the same time, I'm wondering if we can overcome the current crisis based on that concept the same way we had in the past. This is largely because we've been struggling agaisnt the man-made nuclear disaster in Fukushima, which will cost a lot to overcome.

A legal restriction on the use of electricity has been just imposed in eastern Japan

Yesterday, on the 1st of July, the government imposed a legal restriction on the use of electricity in eastern Japan where almost all the power plants were seriously damaged by the 3/11earthquake and tsunami. The legal restriction was the first since the 1973 oil shock. Because these power plants haven't fully recovered yet, companies which use more than a certain amount of electricity are officially required to reduce electricity consumption by 15%. If they fail to meet the requirement, they will have to pay a fine. Other than those companies, no obligations have been imposed but everyone is strongly advised to cut electricity consumption by 15%. Since small companies and households consume about two-thirds of the total electricity used in the area, their efforts are also a key to avoiding sudden blackouts due to over capacity.

In eastern Japan, great efforts to cut electricity consumption have been constantly made since the 3/11 earthquake. Because of this, the restriction requires everybody to make further efforts in order to get through summer. In shopping malls, more lights than ever are off to keep air conditioning on. Although I'm already used to the dimness, to be honest, I was a little surprised by the darkness when I stopped by a shopping mall today.

Actually, to avoid sudden major power outages, it's also important to level electricity consumption. From this viewpoint, operations in some factories have been shifted mainly to night. Automobile industry announced about a month ago that their days off would be shifted form Saturdays and Sundays to Thursdays and Fridays, and then the shift was implemented the day before yesterday. The industry is so huge and has such a great influence on a lot of companies that it's expected that the shift will be effective in the leveling of electricity usage. On the other hand, a lot of workers who have days off on weekends and have to do with the industry can be forced to work during their days off. Some of my friends who are managers say in a resigned voice that the shift will surely deprive them of their days off. Since managers are usually not labor union members, they are often required to cover extra duties on special occasions. My friends complain that when they were young, they were forced to work long hours without fully getting overtime payment because of the Japanese working culture. Now that they are managers, they are required to work harder to cover duties of younger workers who are protected by their labor unions since companies are required to comply with the law more strictly than when they were young. Although they find it unreasonable, they tend to bow to the inevitable since it's very difficult for them to find a better working environment.

Anyway, in both April and May, I succeeded in reducing electricity consumption at home by 33% compared to the same month last year. I've realized how much I'd waste electricity.

Posters -Saving power-http://setsuden.tumblr.com/

This is the TEPCO electricity forecast, which I check:

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/forecast/html/index-e.html

Can Japanese people transform the disaster into an opportunity to change?

Miyagi and Iwate prefectures were the most seriously damaged by the massive tsunamis on the 11th of March because the epicenter of the 3/11 earthquake was near to these prefectures. Since the ocean area around the epicenter is one of the three largest fishing grounds in the world, there were many major fishing ports in these prefectures. Sadly, almost all of them were completely washed away. When this serious situation in the tsunami-struck areas was revealed, I would often heard on TV that some fishermen were saying that they expected the fishing industry to take advantage of the disaster by using this time and to reform itself. They also said that they wanted to change things that they had never changed despite the realization that they had to. They expected both the central and local governments to take leadership in reforming the fishing industry based on a blueprint for it. I don't know much about the fishing industry. Still, I can see the necessity of the reform because it's been said that the primary industries of Japan need to be reformed, otherwise they won't have a future.

About a week ago, it was reported that a project was controversial. The project was launched by the governor of Miyagi prefecture to reform the fishing industry and rebuild major fishing ports in Miyagi. Although I don't intend to elaborate on it, the new plan seems to introduce some new ideas and could be damaging the interests of those who prefer to or want to stick to traditional systems. I don't know if the new ideas will help the fishing industry in the area come back and flourish. Still, I want the governor to introduce something new because changing things in itself is meaningful.

The need to be reformed is not particular to the fishing industry. As you may know, Japan has been struggling to get out of its sluggish economy for two decades. A lot of business leaders and big names in politics have reiterated that Japan needs to change its social structure and establish new business models to meet social demands. Despite their realization, many of them weren't able to take leadership in doing so. On the contrary, some intended to block or blocked attempts to develop new business models or to start new things. It seems to me that they didn't try to understand the attempts partly because the new ideas were far from their business tradition and culture, and partly because they don't like those who are still young but are willing to challenge vested interests.

I think that many Japanese people, especially younger generations, really want to change things that nobody was able to change because of the disaster. In my opinion, every single person is required to seriously think about what Japan should be like and to change themselves.

It's been three months since the 3/11 earthquake--Part 3: The disaster happened at the worst time

The 3/11 earthquake hit Japan when there was were a signs that the Japanese economy was finally turning up. Upon looking at the world situation, I would say that the disaster happened at the worst time. About two weeks ago, US president Obama officially stated that the 3/11 catastrophe in Japan posed economic risks and had partly aggravated a domestic recovery that was showing signs of slowing down. Some countries in the Middle east and Africa have been unstable due to revolutions and riots, which has been affecting the crude oil price. Europe has destabilizing factors like Greece's financial crisis. In Athens, there was a massive demonstration against new fiscal austerity measures a few days ago, and the protest became violent. In China, which has been recently playing a leading role in the economy, the government has been having difficulty dealing with a surge in inflation. It seems that a lot of ordinary people are frustrated to the point where it is becoming a destabilizing factor.

Anyway, a few days ago, it was announced that in March, the number of people on welfare in Japan had reached two millions for the first time in the past half century. Although the number includes some victims who lost their jobs due to the 3/11 disaster, this is mainly because a lot of temporary workers were fired due to the so-called Lehman shock and many of them haven't found a job yet. It's been pointed out that since some of them had difficulty finding a stable job, they have stopped looking for work despite still being young , and then they ended up relying on welfare. As for the victims, it's been projected that many others have already applied for welfare benefits in the past few months, and those who are currently living on unemployment insurance benefits will apply for welfare benefits in autumn if they can't get a job before the insurance benefits are over. Some companies in disaster-struck areas have been making great efforts to get their businesses back to normal as soon as possible without firing or laying off their employees, but they are facing a harsh reality.

Other than that, Japan is under pressure from IMF to increase in tax in order to avert a financial crisis. Today, the tax reform bill was announced as if our government responds to the IMF requirement. If the bill passes Parliament, taxes on consumption, income and inheritance will be raised. Moreover, I often hear that since the catastrophe has economically affected many other countries, they really hope that Japan will recover as soon as possible. In a major high-tech electronics factory whose products occupy a high global market share, a lot of engineers from other companies worldwide have been working hard to help the factory get back to normal as soon as possible.

It's been three months since the 3/11 earthquake---Part 2: The terrible smell is becoming a big problem

Needles to say, the Fukushima disaster has complicated the situation. As you may know, the disaster is still going on and there is still no sign that the plant is getting back under control. In this post, I'll talk about disaster-struck areas in Miyagi and Iwate prefectures which were the most seriously damaged by the 3/11earthquake and tsunami. Some towns there were completely washed away by the massive tsunami.

According to the news, mountains of rubble are here and there. Although local governments involved have been struggling to find sites for temporary moving them out of sight, the victims are forced to live near piles of rubble. The locale governments have announced that they will do their best to remove them from sight in the next few months. On the other hand, it's been projected that it will take about three years until the rubble removal activity is done and it will take another two years until all the removed rubble is disposed of.

http://www.asahi.com/special
/10005/TKY201106040151.html

As summer is approaching, the terrible smell is becoming a big problem. The rubble is giving off various kinds of odors. Specifically, the foul smell of rotten fish is afflicting people in the disaster-struck areas. Since the ocean area around the epicenter of the 3/11 earthquake is one of the three largest fishing grounds in the world, there are many major fishing ports in Miyagi and Iwate. Sadly, almost all of them were devastated, and a large amount of fish which were stored in refrigerated warehouses were scattered all over the tsunami-struck areas. So, it's not easy to get rid of them. Many of them have been inevitably left behind. Some agencies are doing pest control for epidemic prevention.

There are still many missing people. Their families have been struggling to find a way to move on. Some of them are trying to give up finding their loved ones' body/bodies and try to accept their death because it's been three months since that day. Rescue workers collected mementos, like albums, while rummaging amid piles of rubble for bodies. After they drew off, volunteers and local people continuously collect them. For the victims whose personal belongings were totally washed away, finding things which remind them of their lost common but happy lives is an important step to move on. Piles of rubble are being removed with the greatest care.

Some victims have already moved on and want to rebuild their businesses as soon as possible. Some are still struggling to find a way to move on. This difference seems to complicate matters, as well.

It's been three months since the 3/11 earthquake---Part 1: We face more critical situations than ever.

I have experienced being involved in an urban town project that includes urban land readjustment. Can you imagine the project? For example, there are many small houses and shops in an urban area in front of a major train station. All the streets there are narrow, and it often causes traffic jams. When the area needs to be redeveloped to meet social demands, the project is promoted. Generally, it takes a long time like a decade to accomplish the project since it takes some time for the local government to negotiate relocation, compensation, equivalent exchange and what have you with residences, landlords and other stakeholders.

Anyway, right after the 3/11 earthquake,  it was reported that the Kobe local government had finally accomplished urban town projects related to another massive earthquake which hit mainly Kobe in 1995. The earthquake devastated some old towns. To rebuild better towns, Kobe launched the urban towns projects. Since at the time, the Kobe local government was known for having a lot more flexibility to negotiate than other local governments, I expected that it wouldn't take ten years for Kobe to accomplish the projects (When I worked with Kobe, I was surprised to see that Kobe wasn't like a local government).

Although the 1995 massive earthquake hit urban areas, devastated some of them and killed a lot of people, the disaster-struck areas weren't very large and were located near the helpful, fully functioning large city of Osaka, which was hardly damaged by the earthquake. Three months after the 1995 earthquake, all the infrastructure was already restored, almost all the bodies were discovered, and many of the victims were able to move on to the new stage "reconstruction".

It's been three months since the 3/11 disaster happened. We face more critical situations than ever. Many people are at a loss as to what to do.

http://www.kobe-np.co.jp/news/shakai/0003901837.shtml

Hot spring water suddenly comes out in a residential area in Japan.

Since massive earthquakes hit Japan in March, it has been reported that unusual things are going on. In some well-know hot-spring areas which are far from the epicenter of the 3/11 main shock, hot-spring water suddenly ran dry immediately after the 3/11 earthquake occurred. On the other hand, in some areas, more hot-spring water is coming out. Other than this, the quality and temperature of hot-spring water have changed in some areas. 

It's been reported that a large amount of hot-spring water started coming out of a big vent hole in a residential area in Iwaki, Fukushima after a massive aftershock hit the area in April, and there is still no sign that the water will stop coming (Fukushima is the third largest prefecture in area. The largest one is Hokkaido and the second one is Iwate). The vent hole was used for colliery ventilation before, but now it isn't used. The water temperature is over 50 degrees. People in the area have been suffering from exposure to the sulfur odor. Since there is no way to stop the hot-spring water, the water is reluctantly being run into a creek to prevent houses from being swamped by the water. Despite that, some of the water is running under some houses. Many trees around the creek are dying.

I've heard that we can strike hot springs anywhere in Japan, so there would be no surprise if water were to come out near my house someday. The earthquake was so massive that we can find something unusual anywhere throughout Japan.

Miffy VS Cathy. The solution is a donation for the 3/11 earthquake!

According to a news which was release the day before yesterday from Sanrio (which is a Japanese company and well known for creating many popular characters like Hello Kitty), the company has reached a settlement in a copyright suit launched by Mercis BV of the Netherlands (which is managing the copyright for Miffy’s creator DickBruna). Both of these two companies have agreed to jointly donate 150,000 euros for the 3/11 earthquake since they have reached the conclusion that they are with Japanese people and want to express their heartfelt condolence for the victims, so what they can do is that they will donate the estimated costs for the dispute to help Japan rebuilt and reconstruct the disaster-struct areas.

According to the news release and newspapers, the Dutch company claimed that Sanrio's rabbit character "Cathy" (which was created as a friend of Hello Kitty) appears too much like Dutch rabbit character Miffy (Please see the links below). In November, 2010, a court in Amsterdam upheld most of Mercis' claims, ordering Sanrio to halt production of goods related to Cathy on the grounds that Cathy infringes the copyright and trademark right of Miffy. In response to the order, Sanrio raised an objection to it. Then, Mercis launched a suit for cancellation of the trademark registration. The case was on trial until the two recently reached the settlement.

Although I didn't know about the dispute, since articles on the settlement drew attention, the news reached me.

Hi Japanese politicians. What do you think about the settlement? How long more will we have to wait ? When will you start working closely together? As you really know, if the special government bond bill doesn't pass Parliament in June, Japan will be likely to face a revenue shortfall. I've heard that it will pose problems for the reconstruction of the disaster-struck areas. I beg you. Please work out the solution immediately.

http://www.sanrio.co.jp/corporate/release/detail/382

http://www.asahi.com/culture/update/0326/OSK201103260148.html

Fireworks were in the sky where huge flames were on the 11th of March

I'm living on the 11th floor of a condo in a town where it takes about half an hour from Tokyo Station by train. Fortunately, in front of my condo, there is nothing to block my view from my living room. The view isn't wonderful, but I still enjoy it. The day before yesterday, I saw fireworks going off in the distant sky from my living room. As soon as I saw them, I noticed that the fireworks were rising from a baseball field. For the past few years, fireworks have sometimes been set off there when the bottom of the fifth inning was over. At the same time, the fireworks surprised me, partly because there are more baseball "day" games this season in order to cut electricity consumption, and partly because many events have been canceled in the past two months. Actually, on the 11the of March, I saw huge flames in that sky from my living room, and I was glad because the fireworks made me feel that things are getting back to normal little by little.

On that day, I felt a small shake at home around a quarter to three in the afternoon. I assumed that it would stop soon. However, I felt something unusual, and then I went to check for sure whether or not the gas main had been turned off already. Although I felt that at least a minute already went by, there was still no sign that the quake was going to stop. On the contrary, it became stronger and stronger, and then ended up becoming so strong that all I was able to do was stand in a narrow hallway while steadying myself by pushing against both sides of walls with my hands. I was thinking that the time to come was now. I was upset not only by how powerful the earthquake was but also how long it lasted. On top of that, loud clashes, clatters and noises at home fueled fear.

http://www.asahi.com/special/10005
/TKY201103110577.html

About half an hour after the massive earthquake hit my house, I felt another huge quake again. This made me realize that I had to prepare myself for any situation. The M 7.7 aftershock was smaller than the M 9 first quake, but the epicenter of the aftershock was much closer to my city than that of the first one, so I felt that the aftershock was even stronger. When it was getting dark, I noticed that my living room wasn't as dark as usual despite me not having turned on a light. Then, I discovered huge flames in the distant sky. It turned out that the massive earthquake had caused an oil refinery inferno. The refinery was far from my house. Still I was able to see the flames rising from it from my living room.

A few weeks after the earthquake, it was reported that tall buildings in the Tokyo area had shaken for longer time due to sympathetic vibration despite them being very far from the epicenter.

The pictures of the big flames are in the link below.
http://www.asahi.com/special/10005/TKY201103110577.html

A Japanese tradition: Land passed down from one generation to the next

When I was involved in town planning before, I realized that Japanese people still had special feelings for their own property and houses (In Japan, we can acquire ownership of the land).　Some didn't want to sell their land and houses where they lived even if they were offered very good prices.Can you guess why?

The Japanese were originally an agricultural race.This means that they lived by agriculture.Because of this, there is still a tendency for people to stay living in their hometowns or a single town for a long time. In the past, land and houses where families lived were traditionally passed from father to son. Those who took them over were expected to protect them and hand them down to the next generation. These days, they are usually inherited by children. It's already very common to sell them especially in large cities. Still, many people feel guilty when they sell or give up their property.

Actually, some comments by the victims of the 3/11 earthquake remind me of this tradition. Some say, "I'm afraid of tsunamis since my town was washed away by the huge tsunami, but I don't want to move to a hill. I want to rebuild my house in the same place as before since my land was handed down from one generation to the next for many years" ( I've heard that houses which were washed away by the tsunami will be rebuilt on hills based on a resuscitation plan which is being made, and many of the victims involved are showing a positive response to it ).

In the disaster-hit areas, I think that there are many people who were born and raised in those towns, and have never moved to areas far from their hometowns. They love their hometowns very much. This feeling seems to help inspire them to rebuild their hometowns.

Do Japanese people want to feel the warmth more than before ?

There are some phenomena that make you realize how much Japanese people were shocked by the 3/11 earthquake. I'll talk about some of them.

The disaster seems to have inspired people to marry. Since the earthquake, the number of people who have signed up with marriage agencies has been sharply increasing. Both engagement and wedding rings have been enjoying good sales. On Mother's Day (the second Sunday of May), carnations, which are the most popular gifts in Japan, sold much better than last year. It's reported that before Mother's day, department stores and electronics stores were more crowded than last year with people who wanted to buy gifts. Goods which are useful in cutting electricity consumption or helping mothers beat the heat during summer had good sales. Expensive pressure cookers were one of them.

http://www.shibuyayokocho.com/

In downtown Tokyo, where the restaurant industry has been suffering from poor sales especially since the earthquake happened, places where many traditional style, casual restaurants gather have been attracting people, regardless of gender and age. These casual restaurants offer good food at low prices, but the tables and chairs are cheap and shabby. They don't provide enough elbow room for their customers, so frequent physical contact with others is inevitable. On top of that, they are noisy. However, the cramped space and loud noise seem to make the customers feel easy, and it even cheers them up when they feel uneasy.

As you can see, the 3/11 earthquake has reminded a lot of people of things that they are apt to forget. Some have realized how much their families are concerned about them. Those who live alone have realized how uneasy they feel when things like the earthquake happen. Some have realized that other's concerns for them encourage them.

A place where many traditional style, casual restaurants gather

http://www.shibuyayokocho.com/

Lots of events to cheer up children and a lot of carp steamers swimming in the sky

May 5th is Children's Day in Japan.In the day, families with small boys fly colorful carp streamers called Koinobori/鯉のぼり(Link #1) outside their homes to celebrate the holiday.

Yesterday, at many places throughout Japan, a large number of carp steamers were swimming in the sky in the hopes that disaster-hit areas would be rebuilt as soon as possible. At the disaster-hit areas, various events were held to cheer children up. At a shelter, many carp steamers which were made and sent by non-victims throughout Japan were flown (Link #2). Under these carps swimming in the sky, children enjoyed a sort of games. At another shelter, many children enjoyed kite-flying. Actually, children at shelters remind me when I was a child. It goes without saying that no children who are playing video games there. They are playing the same way as I did when I was a child.

At Ishinomori Manga Museum in Ishinomaki, Miyagi/ 宮城県石巻市, a manga festival was held as planned although the museum was seriously damaged by the 3/11 earthquake and Tsunami. Amid piles of rubble, many children enjoyed a show where famous superheroes like Kamen Rider/仮面ライダー appeared (Link #3). Have you heard of Kamen Rider before? The museum was established and built by Shotaro Ishinomori /石ノ森章太郎, a manga artist and the author of Kamen Rider. He was born and raised in a town near Ishinomaki. At an elementary school where many students were killed by the 3/11 tsunami, some parents were seen praying for their children. There were a lot of flowers and sweets placed

At disaster-hit areas, grown-ups often seem to be encouraged by the children. At a shelter, some children write articles and publish their newspaper everyday (Link #4). They say that a few days after they started living in the shelter, they noticed that many of the grown-ups there always lowered their eyes, so they wanted to do something to cheer them up". The editor is a seven-year-old girl. The deputy editor and reporters are also children, but older than her. It's interesting that there isn't a seniority rule which many Japanese companies have been struggling with.

LinK #1 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koinobori

Link #2

http://photo.sankei.jp.msn.com/highlight/data/2011/06/11/8carp/

Link #3

http://mangakan.weblogs.jp/manga/2011/05/index.html

Link #4

http://www.asahi.com/national/update/0415/TKY201104150190.html