Tune in to CBC TV on Thursday night at 8 p.m. for The Nature of Things: Journey to the Disaster Zone: Japan 3/11. Watch David Suzuki as he explores the devastating impacts of the tsunami along the Tohoku coast while searching for innovative perspectives on alternatives to nuclear energy.
So much about the Japanese spirit can be expressed by a single word. In the aftermath of the devastating tsunami in March 2011, Japan fittingly chose 絆 (kizuna), meaning "the bonds that tie people together," as its character of the year. Facing enormous loss and destruction, the country's people came together and worked hand in hand to start rebuilding their lives.
Sign up for our newsletter
Volunteers, from both Japan and abroad, came by the hundreds to offer help. Drawing inspiration from one another, the Japanese survivors found the courage to move forward. However, the bonds that brought people together weren't the only ones that were formed. The bonds that connect people to nature were just as significant. It was a catastrophic force of nature that destroyed thousands of lives, but nature itself can also be the driving strength on the road to recovery.
I have lived in Japan for just over four years, and because the country has given so much to me, I wanted to find a way to give back. In August 2011, I had the privilege of volunteering with a Kyoto-based organization called IDRO (International Disaster Relief Organization), doing relief work on the Oshika Peninsula in Miyagi Prefecture. This peninsula, made up of small fishing hamlets, was one of the most severely hit areas by the tsunami. The scene in Oshika was tragic- only the houses up on the hills were standing; everything else had been washed away. Mountains of debris lined the road on one side and mounds of fishing buoys on the other. Fishing boats were washed onto the land and children's toys were half-buried in mud. The earthquake caused the land elevation to decrease and now the edge of the town closest to the sea floods every day when the tide comes in. It was overwhelming to think of all the things that needed to be done, but we did our best to help the local people in any way that we could.
One afternoon during a break, we sat on top of large coils of rope in Mr. Sazaki's flooded warehouse and listened to him reminisce about what the village looked like before the tsunami. The conversation then drifted to the terrible flooding from Hurricane Irene, which hit Vermont at that time. Mr. Sazaki said he hadn't heard about it, so a fellow volunteer took out his iPhone to show him some news photos posted earlier that day. Surrounded by the catastrophic events of his own life, Mr. Sazaki stared at the photos for the longest time and finally said, "Look at all that water. It's unbelievable. I feel so bad for them."
That evening we went to watch the sunset. The striking fire-orange sky was a stark contrast to the dark wreckage at our feet. I was still thinking about what Mr. Sazaki said back in his warehouse and how he must have felt a strong connection to the residents of Vermont going through a somewhat similar tragedy. As the sun sunk lower in the sky it illuminated the scraps of metal, the fishing buoys, and the scattered rubble on the ground. It was startling how such a ravished place could at the same time be so profoundly beautiful. Mr. Sazaki said that sights like this inspire the people of Tohoku to appreciate the beauty around them and to work hard to rebuild their lives.
Two months later in Fukushima Prefecture, I had the pleasure of meeting a special dog named Sam- a handsome and spirited akita-shiba mix, whose world was turned upside down when radiation started leaking from the nearby Di-Ichi nuclear plant, contaminating his backyard. The heart-breaking decision to leave your dog behind is one that all pet owners pray they never have to make. But what other choice was there? The humans had to leave, but the evacuation centre didn't allow dogs. As radiation levels quickly rose, Sam was left to face the eerie silence alone.
Much to the relief of Sam's family, the devoted volunteers at JEARS (Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support) were eventually able to pick him up from inside the 30- kilometre exclusion zone and bring him to an animal shelter on the western side of the prefecture. When I arrived to work at the shelter, Sam immediately climbed onto my lap and showered me with slobbery kisses.
Naturally, he became my favourite of the bunch. On our daily walks, I always took him to an open field at the base of Mt. Bandai so that he could release some of his boundless energy. As he pranced across the grass, I thought about how he was one of the lucky ones that got out of the 30-kilometre zone, and how there were hundreds more- dogs, cats, cows, chickens, etc.- still there.
As humans, it is our responsibility to provide a safe natural environment for the animals around us. We are bonded to nature through our pets, livestock, and the wildlife in our backyards. The nuclear meltdown was a horrible accident resulting from two successive natural disasters, but it can be seen as an incentive to find better and safer sources of energy, ensuring that this never happens again.
The bonds that tie us together and those that tie us to nature have never been stronger than they are today in Japan. Although they still face a long road to recovery, the residents of Tohoku have made incredible progress during the past year to pick up the pieces and rebuild their lives. Last spring, in the midst of tragic suffering and loss, the beloved cherry blossoms bloomed and surprised everyone with their tenacity and survival. The blossoms provided a glimmer of hope amid a grim reality and proved that if they can endure, then so too can the Japanese people.
Don't forget to tune in to CBC TV on Thursday night at 8 p.m. for a captivating episode of The Nature of Things: Journey to the Disaster Zone: Japan 3/11. Watch David Suzuki as he explores the devastating impacts of the tsunami along the Tohoku coast while searching for innovative perspectives about alternatives to nuclear energy.
Post a comment
The David Suzuki Foundation does not necessarily endorse the comments or views posted within this forum. All contributors acknowledge DSF's right to refuse publication of comments deemed to be offensive or that contravene our operating principles as a charitable organization. Please note that all comments are pre-moderated. Privacy Policy »