TRAVEL IN JAPAN
Remembering the Unsung Heroes of the 2011.3 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami
9.1 M Earthquake — 15,894 Lives Lost
On March 11, 2011, a devastating earthquake and tsunami struck the Tohoku region of Japan. Videos, photos, and first-hand stories flooded social media and rocked the world with the extent of the personal and widespread tragedy.
My children and I cried watching a cell phone video shot from a hilltop of an old woman far below running to reach the higher ground, only to be engulfed in the quickly advancing water. The feeling of helplessness. The utter sadness.
Our hearts were touched to see the stoic fortitude, kindness, and solidarity of the Japanese people facing loss of such magnitude.
The patience of the survivors waiting in line for food, sharing close quarters in shelters, and worrying over missing loved ones, left a deep impression.
This was followed by near-universal donating and nationwide successful efforts to conserve electricity.
The lack of looting made worldwide news, especially when juxtaposed with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, still fresh in many people’s memory.
