Yet, another email update from my dear friend, Hana!!

Since the last email dated back on the 15th (3 days ago) from Hana, I haven't heard back from her. I assume she, her family, and her town has been deeply affected by the rolling blackout in Tokyo.


So, I just sent her a short email saying, please keep me updated if you have a chance to connect to the internet and electricity. Just let me know if you ok.


Along with worrying about Hana, my mom was telling me that people in Hong Kong and Macau have been scavenging salt from the shelves of supermarket and she has a hard time buying salt in HK. I told her that salt cannot prevent nor treat radiation, but nonetheless she paid a premium to buy packets of aftermarket salt back in in home.


HK is thousands of miles away from Japan and yet people are already panicking. People stock pile food. And the worse came along when someone spread the rumor that salt can "prevent and treat" radiation. And knowing how people blindly follow others in HK, people just went crazy and buy salt because of a silly rumor.


And looking back in the US when hurricane Katrina stroke. Hurricane victims didn't behave like the Japanese disaster victims, they simply went on riot to steal or flight for supplies, or just pull out a gun thinking violence will solve the problem. I really find the patience and the respect that Japanese disaster victims admirable. You see people helping each other in shelters, sharing what little ramen or hot meals or gas they have, looking around in rubbles to help elderly in need... and in areas away from the disaster stricken zones, you see people line up patiently in supermarkets and gas stations. And you will see office workers patiently waiting for trains to go home when transportation services had been delayed. This only happens in Japan.


And take a look at the "Fukushima Fifty." They volunteered to stay behind at the nuclear plant to try their final effort to advert the radiation accident at the nuclear plant. They sacrifice themselves to stop a potential disaster to the rest of the Japanese population. I found this move/thought extremely admirable!


If the disaster happen in the US or in China, things would have been totally different. At this moment when there isn't a confirmed radiation leak, people already panicked over salt and business owners take this as an opportunity to raise price on salt and get more profit!!


I mean, I am really ashamed of my own culture.


Enough said about humanity... now back to the main point of this post, Hana's email


This morning when I woke up, viola, her email is in my inbox!

Hi O-san☆

I'm sorry for not replying sooner.
I checked your blog.
Thank you so much for your kindness.
I'm not good at English, but if you convey my words about Japanese
situation your blog, I'm very glad.

My place Saitama scheduled rolling blackout to March 24th.
In this rolling blackout, it's grouping in the small area in a city.
The time of the blackout is different by a day.
I know that after it was past the start time for blackout, is it
canceled? or it began?
We feel stress very much.
In addition, the grouping was changed in this morning by Tokyo
Electric Power Co.
But it's not broadcasted on TV. I knew that in the homepage of my city
just before.
Nobody taught a citizen that immediately and still it's not yet announced.
The elderly who don't have a PC will be surprised very much without
knowing anything if the blackout suddenly.
I will telephone to a city office tomorrow. I feel it's not allowed.

In this morning, I read the article pf paper  the Japanese government
declined suggestion of the US government just after the explosion of
the Fukushima nuclear reactor.
Though US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton stated that the US
delivered coolant to the Fukushima nuclear reactor...
I did read that day before yesterday the blog I showed last email.
Foreign medea reported that earlier.
In the evening, at the press conference of the Chief Cabinet Secretary
Edano-san,
he said "It's not the fact that we declined" when he was asked about
this article by a reporter.
He did neither the affirmation nor the negation about there having
been suggestion from US.
After that, the Democratic Party（民主党）admitted that.
But it's not yet reported as big news.
Japanese people always think 'Don't depend on others' kindness'...
But it's EMERGENCY!!!

Japan medea has freedom of speech, like US.
But it's clear their words are controled. It's news regulation.
Foreign Medea says "maybe the Japanese government hiding something".
But when a Japanese entertainer wrote it in her blog, she become the
focus of criticism.
OMG! when you watch the video of the interview of the government or
Tokyo Electric Power Co.,
you will notices their strange face...

And I read this article.
"At last, in response to strong request from US, the Self-Defense
Force drained water off by a helicopter" .
I understood that the Japanese government can't accelerate big
judgment though it's the emergency of the own country.
I'm very very sad.
I hope them to follow the people of a stricken area doing their best
without forgetting the feeling of thanks, and accept the goodwill of
other countries.

Wow, panic happens in Hong Kong!?
That's the first I've heard of it.
In Japan, gasoline is short.
Because there is not gasoline, anybody not sent relief goods to the
stricken area.
Because there is not gasoline, relief activity doesn't advance at a
stricken area.
Nobody goes to the refuge area by the explosion of the Fukushima
nuclear reactor even if they have gasoline.
The victims can't move from there.
And even if relief goods reached the municipality（自治体）, they can't go for it.
Because there is not gasoline.


In Japan, the damage of Tohoku region is reported greatly now. Miyagi,
Iwate, Fukushima...
But Ibaraki and Chiba took the big damage of this big earthquake and
tsunami, too.
Of course, to relief Tohoku area is the first thing to do.
But Ibaraki still has a lot of areas without electricity, gas, and water.


I'm fine. I always fine.
But little tired to watch miserable report on TV news everyday, my
heart is broken.

What can I do for the victims and all Japanese people?
I'm looking for that.

Now people of the inner city have begun to forget this misery
earthquake and a heart to help each other.
Because those people who living in Tokyo can lead a normal life even
if slightly inconvenient by the rolling blackout.
They don't have a big problem.
Of course, there are many people who are not so.
I hope many Japanese to think that "what can I do now".

I demand an offer of right information from foreign people and medea.
You know many information that the Japanese government doesn't tell to
the nation.
And please pray for Japan.
In Japan, people don't have a custom "praying".
In particular, we young generation just pray when we are troubled.
But I think the prayer to be big power.
Please tell us the power of the prayer.

And don't worry much, sleep well O-san :)
Thank you so much.


hana