My husband went to Tokyo from March 14 and came back 6 days later on the 20th, Sunday. He went there to help his office as a part of the crisis management team. It was the time when a majority of foreigners in Tokyo were fleeing from the city. He went against the current and landed in Tokyo. As his partner and friend, I was proud of his courage and as a Japanese national, I was grateful for his willingness to go there to help out in Japan in any way he could. I wish I could do the same.
While our daughters and I are happy to have him back in Jakarta, I am still worried about my family, relatives and friends who are still in Tokyo. They can’t pack up and leave their life behind. I hope that the situation will improve soon.
There is not a day that goes by without thinking about my home country and the people who were affected by the earthquake and tsunami. My heart is crushed with sorrow for those who lost everything.
At the Nuclear Power Plant in Fukushima, workers have been risking their lives to save the worst case scenario. They all are on a suicide mission. I cannot begin to imagine what their family members are feeling about their family members risking their lives to save the country from another disaster.
The shocking scenes from Japan are now in the past. There are more news coming out from other parts of the world such as crisis in Libya, movement in Syria and Yemen and battle in Côte d’Ivoire. Just like any other events, people started to talk less about the earthquake in Japan. However, the people in the disaster zone continue to battle with the challenges they face everyday and survive the difficult time.
As of the 21st, 8805 people are confirmed dead and 12,664 people are still missing. Seeing many people look for their missing family members is heart breaking. It is said that it could take up to 5 years to rebuild from the disastrous earthquake and tsunami.
I am keeping my home country close to my heart. I hope Japan and the people of Japan will remain strong. I am thinking of Japan and loving my home country more than ever.
The images are from my trip in Kamakura in summer 2010. More photos on Kamakura ☆ Daibutsu & Hasedera and on Kamakura ☆ Sites Near Kamakura Station.
I found this song on a beautiful blog, Lyrical Journey (thanks to my daily digest Village. This song by Shakira was apparently recorded as part of the fundraiser for Haiti, but as Jaime says it is gorgeous and appropriate for the situation in Japan.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lc2Vj3ka5BU&w=600&h=380]
Thinking about you…
Japan is out of the news, but not out of our hearts.
The people in Japan are in my thoughts and prayers.
Thanks, Jaime!
Oh Kaho, I’m with you and my heart is with all the people in Japan. I’m so glad I got the chance to visit Japan last autumn, I loved it. My husband grew up there was it was his back to the roots trip. The song is just perfect!
Thanks, Anna! Your husband grew up there! I’m also glad you made a trip there last autumn!! Great timing! Thanks for dropping by!
Wow, you must be really proud of your husband for doing this and I applaud his courage.
Having lived in Japan for a while, I have grown to love the country and the people. I do not have family there but we have friends who have been affected by this disaster with their homes have been destroyed.
Japan will always remain close to my heart and I will continue to keep Japan in my prayers.
Thanks, Lady J! I’m sorry to hear that your friends have been affected by this disaster with their homes being destroyed. That is terrible. I hope your friends will have new home soon. You lived in Japan! Where in Japan did you live?
I lived in Tokyo for about 10 months while my husband lived there for about 3 years. We had a wonderful time in Japan and are so drawn to the beauty of the country, the people and the culture. We are truly saddened by this incident and hope that the sun will shine brightly on your home country soon.
My NHK channel is on most of the time. I hope and pray that those who are most in pain will receive all the support and love.
what a beautifully written post. thanks for your honesty and for sharing your story.
I’ve always admired people who devote their lives to helping others, like your husband did.
When the last tsunami occurred, my sister was a part of a crisis team as well, but in Sweden. There were a lot of Swedes who lost their loved ones back then.
Thanks for stopping by me, i’ll surely be dropping by your site again soon
WIsh you well
Take care
xx
Kaho your husband is so brave and even if I have not met him I admire him already! I got misty-eyed and goosebumps reading this post of yours. The people of Japan have an incredible sense of duty and honor and every time I see pictures of the power plant my heart contracts knowing that there are brave Japanese workers on a suicide mission there. It really is in these toughest times that you see what people are made of. Know that I am with you and Japan is still in my thoughts and prayers.
You take gorgeous pictures btw!