Hi David,

To tell the truth, I still can’t believe this situation. Even I have been watching the news on the TV, I feel like having a bad dream, like you said. I know it’s a serious matter but it’s hard to believe for me that it’s really happening. So I need more time to take this serious.

Take care,
amo

•  amo
• 2011年3月15日 23:52

Hi David
When I saw the pictures of disaster area and read its articles, I can't believe it. It's like a nightmare.
About the accidents of nuclear power plants, I just hope that things will not get worse.
As you mentioned, people were using Twitter, Facebook and the other sort of social networking well. There was not such a situation in 阪神大震災. It is amazing.
Same as Nagoya, life in Kyoto is going on as normal. What people who were not suffered earthquake is doing as normal, working, consuming and moving Japan.
I donated some money to Japan Red Cross.

It gets cold tonight. I hope it will not damage victims.

trmr

•  trmr
• 2011年3月16日 02:19

It's me again.
訂正です。
誤：What people who were not suffered earthquake is doing as normal,
正：What people who were not suffered earthquake can do is doing as normal,

trmr

•  trmr
• 2011年3月16日 06:26

Hi David and everyone,
I had been refraining from writing comments for a few days. Because the life in Osaka is going on completely as normal also, but lots of people are having unconvenient life. Some of you are living in Kanto area and have to have power cut. I feel so bad that we are having normal life (under comfortable atmosphere, eat properly, sleep enough) although some people might be still waiting for being rescued under the wreckage at this moment. I hope that more people would be found alive. All I can do now is pray for everyone's safety and make a donation.
I still can't believe what had happened. This earthquake and Tsunami are the worst we had experienced. The scenes in Tohoku areas are like those of disaster movies.
Please be extra careful about aftermaths.

Fumie

•  Fumie
• 2011年3月16日 06:42

I’m in Tokyo. Things are as normal as they could be under the circumstances. I’m at home now because my company has instructed employees outside business-critical sections to stay home for the week, so I don’t even need to worry about going to work. So I understand how Fumie feels. I can’t help feeling a little guilty too. But you guys are the ones to keep the economy going in Japan and maintain some normality in the society. And that helps everyone. Keep it up!

•  Lily
• 2011年3月16日 13:50

I learned a new English expression today. I was reading some of the foreign media coverage of the disaster, and a number of people had written comments saying that the articles were just spreading "FUD." I didn't know what that meant, so I Googled it. Apparently, it is a term that was first used in marketing, and it means "Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt." Actually, it is true that the foreign media are making the situation sound even worse than it is, so I've decided to stop reading those articles.

One thing that has amazed people in other countries is how calm and organized Japanese people have stayed in the face of this disaster. I suppose that Japanese people are trained to be ready for this kind of thing from a very young age, but it is still very impressive to see how even people in badly affected towns are getting organized and helping themselves. In many other countries, panic and fear would have made the situation much, much worse, but the reaction here has been amazing. The world is watching Japan at the moment, and it seems that most people are very impressed. Keep up the good work!

•  David
• 2011年3月16日 14:56

I just read a really interesting article by a professor from MIT. He says that there is no danger to human health from the Fukushima plant even if it goes into meltdown. He heavily criticized the media for trying to scare people, and he said that every article he has read has contained mistakes about the nature of nuclear power generation. He also says that any radiation leaked into the atmosphere will be of a kind that disappears in just a few seconds, so it will only be a problem for people who are actually at the plant.

The language is quite difficult, and the article is really long, but here are the opening paragraphs:

"I repeat, there was and will not be any significant release of radioactivity from the damaged Japanese reactors.

"By "significant" I mean a level of radiation more than what you would receive on - say - a long distance flight, or drinking a glass of beer that comes from certain areas with high levels of natural background radiation."

•  David
• 2011年3月17日 07:51

Hi everyone,

An English poet Frederick Langbridge says;

Two men look out through the same bars:
One sees the mud, and one the stars.

- in "A Cluster of Quiet Thoughts"

Why don’t we see the stars?

•  Jazmín
• 2011年3月17日 10:30

Hi David and everyone,

How're you doing? A week has passed already since the nightmare, but lots and lots of people are still suffering from saddness, coldness, fear and inconveniences. Some of regular members must be in trouble to buy daily foods and items. During one week, lots of foreign people have sent their messages and money to Japan. Yesterday, I was surprised to hear that a 24-year-old Singaporean lady donated S$1,000,000(60,000,000yen) to the ambassador at the Embassy, and also S$235,000 was sent to the Red Cross by lots and lots of Singaporean for the first two days. Thank all of you in the world.

I can't donate much money, but I also have something to do. If you live in/near Hyogo pref. and you have extra coats, jackets or warm clothes(the newer, the better), please send the following place. They will collect them and send to the victims directly. コート、ジャンパーなどの上着か上下セット（新品か新古品を希望してます）があったら、２４日の午前９時～午後５時までに兵庫県立三木総合防災公園陸上競技場に持っていくか郵送すれば、県が被災地に持っていってくれるそうです。
【三木市志染町三津田１７０８】【県災害対策支援本部事務局０７８・３６２・９８２１】

Ken Watanabe, a Japanese actor, is reading out a poem 雨ニモマケズ in the site 'kizuna311.com' to cheer up the victims and also he is sending a message to the world in English.

Foreign people already started to return their own countries. I can imagine how they are worrying right now in the circumstances, especially if they can't get enough information in their languages.

David, how about you? Hope you are OK.

Good luck, everyone.

•  匿名
• 2011年3月18日 16:14

↑　from Tsuneko

•  匿名
• 2011年3月18日 16:15

Hi everyone in the world,

Here's the site where you can listen to the same poem "I will not give in to the rain " 雨ニモマケズ " - Ame ni mo makezu from Gorsch the cellist 1979 mpi" in English. I'd appreciate it if you have a time to listen to it. Please add 'h' to the beginning.

ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do_DgUxY48M

•  tsuneko
• 2011年3月18日 19:06

Hi Tsuneko,

Nice to hear from you. As you say, it has been a very strange and confusing week even for people like me who are a long way from the disaster. It is impossible to imagine what life must be like for people living in the affected areas and those who have lost friends and family.

As you may have heard, the British and American embassies have recommended that their citizens move out of Tokyo. However, everyone I know has decided to stay where they are. I was just speaking to an American friend, and we both felt the same. It's a bit difficult to explain, but we are not visitors in Japan - we live here. I would feel as if I was running away if I left now. Japan is my home, and I am not going to leave it just because things are a bit difficult at the moment. President Obama said that he is sure the strength and spirit of Japan and its people will be enough to overcome this disaster and rebuild what has been destroyed. I know politicians usually talk rubbish at times like this, but in this case, I think he is absolutely right. I feel proud to be part of a society like that. I suppose that is easy for me to say because I have not been affected by the disaster yet, but I do not think my feelings will change regardless of what happens next.

Anyway, I hope things get easier for people in and aroundTokyo who are having trouble finding food. I think the next few days are going to see big changes, and I am sure that Japan's highly organized systems will be back to almost normal by this time next week.

This weekend, I am driving down to Kyushu again. The trip has been planned for about a month, so it is nothing to do with the earthquake. My new books will be ready this evening, so I'm taking them down in my van to save money on the shipping. Last time I went to Kyushu, a volcano erupted a week later, so I hope there are no more disasters!

Anyway, as I said in a previous comment, the world has been amazed by the strength and spirit of the Japanese people. Let's do everything we can to get this great country back on her feet again.

•  David
• 2011年3月18日 21:27

Tsuneko asked me to post this on her behalf. (Her comment was blocked.)

Sorry, the above site cannot be seen any more for some reason. If you had kindly tried already, very sorry for that. Please replace last part "=do_DgUxY48M by "=AieSqkpawG4". I'd really like you to visit there. Thank you for your time in advance.

•  David
• 2011年3月18日 21:28

Another comment from Tsuneko:

Hi everyone,


I found out two nice sites where they are reading a very very famous poem both in Japanese and in English. It was written by a famous poet who was born and raised in Tohoku, the affected area. The English version is published for teaching English to Japanese children. The company decided to donate all the money from the book to the victims yesterday. I'd really like everyone on David's blog to know that buying this book can be one of choice to help them, because I guess many of you are thinking what you can do.

•  David
• 2011年3月19日 11:48

みなさんへ

昨日から、ばらばらとたくさんコメントしてすみません。David、ご協力ありがとうございます。もう一度まとめて日本語で送らせてください。

朝、渡辺謙が仲間と立ち上げた「絆311」というサイトを見つけました。YouTubeで「kizuna311雨ニモマケズ」で検索すれば見られます。彼が英語で世界の人にメッセージを送りつつ、東北の被災者を応援するために「雨ニモマケズ」を朗読していました。心のこもった温かい朗読です。これを聴いたとき、思い当たる英語版の「雨ニモマケズ」がありました。宮沢賢治学会2005年イーハトーブ賞奨励賞を受賞した絵本で、子どもの英語教育の教材でもあります。

夜、何とその英語版がYouTubeにアップされたことを知りました。「I will not give in to the rain. -雨ニモマケズ」で検索すれば見られます。さらに、もし4月30日までにその本を購入すれば、全額を東北に寄付してくれることも知りました。

みなさん、東北のために何をしようかいろいろ考えてらっしゃると思います。この本も、その一つの選択になることを喜びと共にお知らせいたします。1冊持っていても、決して後悔することのない本であることを保証いたします。

•  tsuneko
• 2011年3月19日 14:04

Hi David,

"Japan is my home, and I am not going to leave it just because things are a bit difficult at the moment." When I read it, I was moved. Yes, Japan is our home, and we believe that Japan certainly get out of this difficult situation and revive. I donated to the Red Cross, and I save electricity everyday. 私にはこれくらいのことしか出来ませんが、一人でも多くの被災者の方たちに必要な物資が届きますことを祈っています。

Amica

•  Amica
• 2011年3月20日 00:18

Hi David and everybody,

I'm thinking what I can do ,how I can help , apart from making a donation,saving electricity,not rushing to the supermarket to buy unnecessary foods and goods now.
My daily hasn't changed at all as David said, and it feels strange and makes me feel guilty.

Pray for people in Toholu.

>tsuneko, thanks for the information.

>David, have a safe drive!

Anne

•  Anne
• 2011年3月20日 07:45

Hi everyone,

This is a very good news: A 80-year-old lady and a 16-year-old boy were just rescued in Ishinomaki in Miyagi pref. They are taking into the hospital by a helicopter right now. A TV reporter said they are very weak but they are conscious and answered to some questions. That's amazing and great!

•  tsuneko
• 2011年3月20日 17:16

→They are being taken into the hospital by a helicopter right now.

•  tsuneko
• 2011年3月20日 17:18

I'm in Miyazaki. It feels like summer down here. I'm just getting the oil changed in my van, and then I'll be turning around and heading back to Seto. 1000 km done 1000 km to go!

•  David
• 2011年3月21日 10:22

Hi David,

Glad to hear from you;-)
Where are you now? Are you already heading back to Seto? Please drive safely.

Hi tsuneko,

I've heard the news, too. At first, I was very surprised, though. Yes, that's a good news.

Hi everyone,

How's your weekend?
I worked Yesterday. I was very tired, so I went to bed before 10pm last night.
I am glad that today is holiday:-)

Speak to you soon,
amo

•  amo
• 2011年3月21日 14:34

Just got back to Seto. 1100 km in one day is a lot even for me!

•  David
• 2011年3月22日 03:36

Hi David,
Glad to hear you came back safely. You came back in the middle of the night. You must be exhausted. Sleep well!

Hi Tsuneko,
That's, at least, one good news! I hope more miracle would happen. People can live for awhile with some food, right?

Hi everyone,
How is the life in Kanto area? Can't you get some food, goods yet? Aren't some companies doing their regular businesses?
I'm thinking a lot what I can, should do now, recently.
この20、30年でそれまでは考えられなかったほどの、天災が世界中で起こっていると思います。何が原因なのか？福島原発の問題も人間が自ら作り出した物が、私たちの力で制御できないほどの猛威をふるっている。人間は便利な暮らしを求めてあらゆる技術が進化した半面、自然に逆らって、自然を破壊して、地球が悲鳴をあげているのでは？地球が人間に警告しているのでは？と思わずにはいられません。私たちはこのように天災が繰り返されることから、もっと地球を大事にすることを考えなければいけないのでしょうか？このコメントを書きながら、私の頭の中ではMichael Jackson のHeal the world が流れています。
Whew,.. expressing my thought about difficult matters is difficult even if I do it in Japanese.

Fumie

•  Fumie
• 2011年3月22日 07:19

David, that was the long day, wasn't that?
Anyway, glad to hear you got back safely.

•  Anne
• 2011年3月22日 07:41

Hi David and everyone,

I'm not sure if it's proper to share this with you or not,but anyway...You can listen to one of the performances by BBC philharmonic on Radio 3,BBC, and an interview with one the musicians.
Members were in Japan when this time devastating earthquake hit Tohoku, and some of the concerts were cancelled. This performance was recorded in Osaka a week before the earthquake.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zm2rn(add 'http://' at the top)
*BBC philharmonic
*conductor--Yutaka Sado
*piano---Nobuyuki Tsujii
Mr.Sado is going to have a charity concert in Germany for people in Tohoku.
He mentioned that he wanted to encourage people and to give the courage and energy to face these situations.

•  Anne
• 2011年3月22日 15:23

Hi David,

Good to hear that you are back to Seto already.

Hi Fumie,

Agree with you thoughts on the earth.

Hi Anne,

Thanks for sharing the site. I like both Mr. Sado and Mr. Tsujii, so I'll go and listen to it tonight.

•  tsuneko
• 2011年3月22日 15:36

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