3 Weeks After the Quake

April 4. 2011

Three weeks or so have passed since the quake hit. 
Some 12,000 people are confirmed dead and 15,000 or so are still missing.
The highest tsunami was 37.9 meters. 124 feet! In Miyakoshi.

Local governments are starting to get back on their feet and are offering other services besides just relief activities. People are being encouraged to apply for relief from real estate taxes, for example.

Leaders are starting to appear here and there. In one small village, the owner of 4 fishing ships is overseeing the care of 30 people in his area. He got them to safety and found them food, created bathing facilities and has now found them a new place to stay. More an more of these local leaders are starting to stand on their feet and to take charge of their lives and their communities lives again.

On a happier note, the president of Softbank (a big internet/telephone company), Masayoshi Son,  will give 10 billion yen of his personal money to the quake victims. And he will also give all his earnings till retirement to support orphans, including those who lost their parents in the earthquake and tsunami. (Read the Japan Times story here.) His company has also given 1 billion yen. Now, remember, the Red Cross has collected 115 billion yen for earthquake relief so far and you can see the extent of his generosity. Other men like the president of Uniqlo are giving 1 billion each from their personal funds.

Three days after the quake hit, Kajiwara san started looking for the 7 members of his family that were missing. He walked though the broken houses and cars and ships with a stick to help his 73 year old legs to stay upright. His  son, his son's wife, her parents and the 3 grandchildren.  Two weeks later, when we see him again, he has found his son and 2 of his grandchildren. It seems his son's wife, her parents and the little 5 year old grandchild were missing till they found the little boy dead in the fields. They can not find the car that they were all fleeing in or the other three members of the family. Everyday they go to the make-shift morgue to search with no luck.

A few days ago, they went back to their house to find it still standing like a shell with nothing but dirt in it. They looked thought the house and found in the upstairs closet a package that had not been harmed. The carp / fish flags flown in May to celebrate boys day. They were so happy to find this that they got it out and set the pole up in the debris and flew the carp flags. It seemed like a gift.

Carp 'flags'  flown to celebrate Boys Day - this is a generic photo.