Friday - One week after the quake.

Thank you to Ryo for this picture, though I don't know where he got it.


Good news and bad news:

Good news first: The nuclear crisis in Fukushima finally seems to be within the realm of "under control." Not entirely, and I don't think anyone should stand on a battle ship and declare mission accomplished just yet. But I do now firmly believe that we (here in Osaka) are "safe." Knock on wood. TEPCO has been laying cable to reconnect a steady power source to the pumps to keep cooling the reactors. More help is on the way from the South (firetrucks, rescue workers, doctors).
I have so much admiration and respect for the honorable workers at the nuclear plant who have stayed and fought to keep their country and the world safe from an even greater disaster.


Bad news: The refugee crisis is getting worse. Northeastern Japan is a cold place in March. No heat, no electricity and no fuel means that people who are now homeless or displaced are facing the hardships of cold, snow, and hunger. Japan is a "first world" country. There are systems in place to take care of the elderly, to distribute gasoline and food to shops even in remote areas. Those systems are all broken right now. Refugee centers (school gyms, public halls, and even game centers and malls) are full to capacity, mostly with seniors who need medical attention. Doctors from the North and from the south who have gone to help are swamped and fatigued. It is my sincere hope, as the news reporters leave and run off to the next story, that people both in Japan and around the world will not forget about the refugees in Tohoku (Northeast Japan). They need blankets, fuel, vehicles, and most of all medical supplies and food. I recommend donating to the Red Cross, but I know that's not for everyone. I know that just donating money to relief organizations does not immediately help the problem, but please do whatever you are comfortable with. Find a local group that is doing something tangible to help.

Clearing the rubble and debris and rebuilding will take time. Healing will take time.

Also remember that there are other places in the world that these groups are helping recover from disaster and places that need help on a regular basis.

Links to where you can donate:

Doctors Without Borders
Japan Red Cross Society (You can also donate through the iTunes Store)
Google Crisis Response Site
Save The Children

For a couple years now, I have been using the 1% system to donate to charities. I read about it in an English magazine here in Japan and thought it seemed like a decent idea. Every month I put aside 1% of my salary. 1% is next to nothing, so it is "painless" to put that aside. It is the price of a nice dinner or a few drinks. It is no real sacrifice at all. But over a year, that 1% adds up. Then I donate that 1% to a charity / relief group. Unfortunately, It feels like the last few years have been fraught with disaster after disaster, and so I have yet to actually get to the end of a year without donating to one relief effort or another. 1% is so little effort and so easy. Why not try it?