On the afternoon of the 11th March last year, I was in the staff room studying kanji. The staff room was completely empty because a teachers' meeting was taking place in Japanese elsewhere, so I had been left to my own devices. It was a cold day, and I remember this because the kerosene heater nearest to my desk had been left on. On top there was a large kettle of water. As the water boiled on top of the heater, the steam re-humidified the room.
When the earthquake happened, it didn't feel like an earthquake to me. Trying to focus on the squiggly characters in my exercise book, I suddenly felt very light-headed. It was a short-lived sensation, but a confusing one. It was not unlike standing up too quickly and getting headrush. Very shortly afterwards the feeling intensified and I felt as if I were on a boat on a choppy sea. This feeling lasted longer and seemed to come from nowhere. I know now that I felt seasick because the East coast of Japan was dropping into the ocean after the earthquake, the force of which knocked the Earth on its axis by about 10cm. Ten minutes later my mum called, hysterical, and the reality of what was happening far away started to dawn on me. A year ago today, 20,000 people lost their lives to the earthquake and tsunami of Tohoku.
Today I'm remembering all those who died, all the families torn apart, all the homes and livelihoods destroyed. Many areas still lie in ruins, many families are still displaced, and so many people will never be able to bury their loved ones. A year has passed, but so much still needs to be done.Please keep Japan in your thoughts and prayers. 頑張れ、日本。頑張れ、東北。
