In memorium to the people of Japan!

OchoReales

In my opinion, one of the most beautiful modern coins (of the last 50 years)!

Stork

It's been mind boggling. We just lost phone/internet for awhile. I kid you not, I was logging onto facebook with my Kindle (apparently it has a different 3G network than my phone) to make sure work could find me once I went home. I was on the 5th floor at work and the shaking and rattling was quite unnerving as it lasted so long. The hospital is right on the water, and later I really was unnerved as I looked at a picture of a 5 story hospital in/near Sendai where only the 5th floor hadn't been underwater. Just a couple hundred miles away, if that...

I am really in fear of what the final death toll will be--entire towns were wiped out and there just wasn't much time between the quake and the tsunami for some. The only thing is, the Japanese are very disaster minded and most people who live on coasts know to get away from the water when there has been a big quake. There is a town of about 20,000 and half the people are unaccounted for. I hope it's only they ran for the hills and are out of communication range.

I was reading a story about a Tokyo schoolteacher leading her 4-5 year olds out of a building and they had their bookbags on their heads to protect from falling debris--from a young age they are taught to react properly. Even in my neighborhood there have been loudspeaker warnings (in Japanese and English!) and I know the local junior high is the local disaster shelter. Narita Airport and Disney both ended up as camping grounds and had food/blankets on the ready. Hotels opened lobby floors (one of my friend's husband stayed there when he got stranded in Tokyo overnight). Commercial flights were landing at the military bases. Also amazing to see is how calm and rational people are staying in the aftermath--no looting etc.

Earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown ("partial" whatever that means)....geez.


Cathy

HTubbs

<< <i> Also amazing to see is how calm and rational people are staying in the aftermath--no looting etc.

>>



That is quite impressive...I'd hate to see how people would react if something of this scale happened in the US.

JamesMurray

A terrible thing , just awful. I can't help thinking there's been an awful lot of earthquakes and tsunamis lately , i don't recall such a time before. I was reading the last time such occurances happened like this was due to WWll bombing , makes ya wonder what's causing these.

SaorAlba

When I was there a few years ago I was impressed with how clean the country was, but most of all how friendly and helpful people were. I love that country, it is just truly a beautiful country with amazing people.

Here is my daughters "Bu" from the 1850's:

questor54

With my prayers for the passed on, the injured, the lost, and their friends and families.

With my best wishes and admiration for those with the strength to rebuild and move forward.

Zohar

A unique people and culture which are currently being tested under such extreme circumstances. As we can see the Japanese people stand out in their handling the situation. No looting, mass panic and fingerpointing. Problem solving first, improvement of infrastructure to follow.

As a potential positive coming out of this situation, this may actually be a trigger for economic activity to rebuild which hopefully will revive the economy after many years of being stagnant.