Resilience Amidst Ruins: A Personal Tale of the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake
There are countless tales about the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, but this is mine.
Even today, I distinctly remember that fateful day. I was at a customer’s place in Shizuoka for a meeting. Typically, my Japanese colleagues remain calm during earthquakes, but as the shaking persisted far longer than usual, we all began to panic. Later, I learned that this was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japan and the fourth most powerful in the world since modern seismographs began in 1900.
Living near my customer’s location, I managed to return home without much trouble. However, many people in Tokyo had to walk several kilometers to reach their homes. Over the next two days, two remarkable events demonstrated the resilience of this country.
I had ordered a Kindle on Amazon two days prior, and it was delivered the very next day after the earthquake. Despite the chaos, the system held firm.
On my street, a house was under construction. Remarkably, the work continued unabated, even as over 900 aftershocks rocked the region daily.
These experiences taught me the resilience and determination ingrained in the heart of Japan.