A month has passed since the unprecedented huge earthquake and tsunami devastated the eastern part of Japan. I wrote about the resilience of Japan in the past entry; I'm writing about the current picture of Japan in my eyes this time.
The affected people are showing undaunted exertion. Each and every person does what he/she can/should do. The tsunami deprived them of their loved ones, houses, possessions and bread and butter. Fishermen lost their boats, farms for sea products and seafood processing factories. Various kinds of rubble on the bottom of the coast curb the use of the ports. 78% of the rice fields along the coast were damaged by seawater. What's more, in some areas, seawater is still on the fields, because of the ground sinking. Little kids lost their books and stationery. Most of their kindergardens and schools were also damaged. In such helpless conditions, the assistance of the U.S. was really, really, helpful and I'm grateful. I will never forget their friendship and Tomodachi Operation. I'll hand it down in posterity.
Next, I'd like to talk about the nuclear crisis in Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Station. I read several reports written in English, German and Korean. I was very disappointed with them. It's not the nuclear power generation but the unbelievably terrible tsunami that is responsible for this accident. Lots of European people apparently insist on abandoning the nuclear plant, not improving the security of the plant. The nuclear explosion occurred in Chernobyl, but the nuclear fission reaction was shut off a second after the earthquake in Fukushima. I'm not sure, but this looks like a way higher technique. Additionally, no one died in this crisis.
There's an amazing fact that wasn't broadcast overseas. Just when the earthquake broke out, 27 Shinkansen bullet trains were in service in the affected area. Several of them were at their top speed, over 300km/h. Guess what became of those trains. None of them derailed. No passengers were injured. Can you believe it? The earthquake state, California's Governor, Mr. Schwarzenegger, would have to choose Japanese technology for California's super-express train project.
Now, I'll write about the aid from overseas. Lots of countries operated warm-hearted relief efforts for Japan. I'd like to pick four countries, such as Israel, Taiwan, China and South Korea in this entry.
Several Japanese media, like NHK, Asahi Newspaper and Mainichi Newspaper are known for their biased coverage. They didn't want to cover the aid by Israel and Taiwan on one hand, and willingly report the aid by China and Korea. Why?
In the Greater East Asian War, Japan had a military pact with Germany which persecuted the Jews, but Japan rescued lots of Jews and helped them to move to the U.S. against the policy of Nazi Germany. It is a historical fact. The central figure of this plan was Mr. Hideki Tojo, who was accused and hanged as one of the war criminals in the Tokyo Tribunal of War Criminals. This fact is very inconvenient for some liberal groups. Though the Israel team stayed in the affected area and continued its efforts even after the nuclear crisis, the above-mentioned media didn't report them. However, lots of Japanese could know of their devotion via the internet.
In Taiwan, ordinary people raised relief funds and the total of the fund got over that of the U.S. This fund was raised by not the company, or some welfare groups, but private ordinary people! I was moved. However, this fact wasn't reported in Japan and Prime Minister Kan didn't show any gratitude to Taiwan, so voluntary people raised money for advertisement in the Taiwanese newspaper. Their target was 2,400,000 yen, but the donation reached 20,000,000 yen. I'd like Taiwanese to know our feelings of gratitude.
The second largest GDP country, China, sent only 13 people for rescue, but apparently they only took lots of pictures and didn't work so hard. They were thought to be kind of spies or they would sell pictures to the Chinese media privately.
When Japanese authorities announced a Japanese textbook of history, the South Korean people stopped raising money against it. They were the people which I had expected. No matter what textbook Japan adopts, it is an internal affair. I realized their narrow-mindedness.
In such difficult times, Japan was being threatening by some countries. Russia frequently dispatched scout planes and fighter jets along the border and Japan had to scramble fighter jets while the Japan Self Defence Force was performing rescue tasks. China is also threatening the coast guards around the Senkaku Islands. South Korea is building a new military facility on Takeshima Island which is Japanese territory.
The Japanese genetically hate disputes. The Japanese tend to prefer an apology and concessions rather than a dispute, but there are limits. The above-mentioned stupid three countries seem to be trying our patience. They should know that they are playing a tragic adventure.
Even though the media are foolish, people can get the exact information from the net. I think Japan will change by getting rid of the influence of the GHQ and McArthur.
(Vocabulary)
picture 《常に単数形で》 状況, 情勢
the big/bigger/wider picture 全体像, 大局
It's important not to lose sight of the big picture. 全体像を見失わないことが大切である．
Give me the picture of Japan in your eyes. あなたが見た日本の様子を教えてください。
undaunted (困難などに対して) くじけない, ひるまない
exertion a lot of physical or mental effort
bread and butter 生活の糧
be damaged by seawater 塩害を受ける
ground sinking 地盤沈下
nuclear fission reaction 核分裂反応
biased coverage 偏向報道
internal affair / matter of internal politics 内政問題
narrow-minded 心の狭い, 偏狭な, 狭量な
narrow-mindedness 偏狭, 狭量
scout plane 偵察機
give way 譲歩する
concession 譲歩
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