Catastrophe

　　The eastern part of Japan was relentlessly rocked by an incredibly horrendous earthquake. It is said to be the most enormous one for 1000 years or the biggest natural disaster since recorded history. As you remember, a big earthquake battered Kobe City in 1995 and the death toll rose to 6000. It was really terrible, but today's earthquake is supposed to be 180 times more powerful than Kobe's earthquake. Unbelievable! The magnitude of the earthquake was beyond belief.
　　Eastern Japan, especially the Pacific coast, has been told that a big earthquake would break out in the near future, considering several earthquakes that have occurred regularly around this area in the past ten centuries. And so, people who live there were ready for earthquakes. The buildings, houses, infrastructure and other systems against disasters were well prepared. Actually, the earthquake couldn't destroy those, but the tsunami was far beyond our belief. The tsunami was 10 meters high in some areas and went over the coastal levee. Though houses could get over the earthquake, the tsunami hit and destroyed them.
　　My hometown had no damage and I live a calm daily life now. However, the influence of the earthquake will gradually emerge in my city. It will take a long time to recover, but Japan is strong enough to overcome any difficulty. I sent some money as a donation that I had saved for my next ski trip to Canada. The TV news says that the atomic power plant had a problem and the affected area is short of electric power. I decided to save electric power to supply it to them.
　　I have something that I want you to notice. It is that there's no rioting, no looting and no rumor that foments insurgency. People willingly and patiently line up to get something like food, water and other necessities. People try to be nice and look out for each other. I think that it's a kind of virtue of the Japanese people. The rescue teams from all over the world will thankfully help us rise up. They will realize our spirit of cooperation, noticing our behaviour even in an emergency.

(Vocabulary)
horrendous すごく恐ろしい, ぞっとする
beyond belief　信じられない［信じ難い］ほどの
The vastness of the universe is almost beyond belief. 宇宙の広大さはほとんど信じられないくらいだ。
assumption  [C] 仮定, 想定, 思い込み
coastal ［coast］ levee  防潮堤
foment 〈戦争・暴動など〉 をあおる, 扇動する
try to be nice 気を使う
look out for each other お互いに気を使う 

Comments

[KUMO]

Thank you for your kind comment. I linked my blog to yours.

[Shiroi Tora]

The spirit of working together...of unity...that is the spirit of Japan.

Here (USA), there is looting at the slightest excuse. It has everything to do with individuality at the expense of the group.

Japan's great strength comes from its people...the willingness to work toward group unity over that of individualism.

Japan has half the population of the USA in an area roughly the size of California. For the Japanese youth to wish to be like Americans would be the destruction of Japan. Your culture is what keeps you strong...keeps you unified. Individualism, at the expense of the group, is what is wrong with Americans...not something Japanese should wish to emulate (many of our movies and much of our music is counter culture).

America would be far stronger than it is now... would the spirit of Japan be inculcated into our culture.

The true measure of a person, or culture, is demonstrated through their actions, or inactions, in times of great stress...when autonomy of actions is ensured (as in great natural disasters)...when the only thing keeping them true to their beliefs is their integrity.

You have much reason to be proud of your countrymen.

We (Americans) have much to learn from their great integrity.