Where were you at
5:46 a.m. on January 17th, 1995? I was suddenly woken up by long, violent tremors, the biggest one I had experienced in my life, at my home in Nara City about 80km from my home town Kobe City. Until then, I had
never imagined such a catastrophic earthquake would strike Kobe and Hanshin
area and how devastating the result was. Kobe people were totally unprepared.
Little by little the horrible, shocking scenes appeared on TV screen –
collapsed buildings and highways, derailed trains, and fires. Fires were like
inferno uncontrolled due to the broken water pipes. I was watching at the burning Kobe under the hazy shade of
winter on the TV screen with the feeling of helplessness.
One of the
heart-warming things was people's attitude to help one another, to try their
best to move forward, and to stand together to restore the shattered community while tolerating
inconveniences. The destroyed Meriken wharf was restored in less than 2 years.
In nearly 10 years, Kobe revitalized like a phoenix from the ashes.
One part of Meriken warf has been preserved as Kobe Earthquake Memorial Park.
With many lessons learned from all the past big earthquakes since 1995, we've been preparing for safety in a Nankai Megathrust Earthquake forecasted in about 30 years.
I ask myself if I'm not just letting the days go by. Our lives could change next day. Isn’t it a miracle when we can live rather in peace amid all the heart-breaking incidents all over this planet?
Now I’m thinking of those who are affected by the LA fires, firefighters working hard frantically risking their lives, and many other people deeply committed to help.
“Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are
the morning yawn.”
- At the
Native Plants Garden of Kyoto Prefecture Botanical Garden -
"Setsubun-so", or Shibat eranthis pinnatifida Maxim, was named so
because they bloom around “setsubun”, the day before the beginning
of spring in lunar calendar.
Hepatica Noble's
var. japonica f. magna（オオミスミソウ), generally called Hepatica
In nature, life's coming and going is inevitable.
The translucent films resembling the butterfly wing had been made since the last summer.
They show a warm
patina with age.
The sprightly crocus blossoms always make me sure spring is on the way.
In the
water-colored wood, Daurian redstar sings merrily before flying back north Siberia
for breeding
in early spring.
"Jobitaki", or Daurian redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus)
Doves would hardly be able to wait for the springtime.
Repeating cold days and warm days in turn, the land is awakening with spring around the corner.
"Ume", or Japanese apricot; floral harbinger of spring
Five
years have passed since The Great East Japan earthquake (3.11, 2011) which devastated
coastal Tohoku region. As far as I learn from the media, the condition of
victims' lives doesn’t seem to be so much improving. Many people still live in temporary housing and their city close to the nuclear power plants is still gray zone for living without clear
answer from the government. No matter how harsh the conditions, spring for sure has visited
the region to cheer up the people but not the spring in real life yet.
Pray for the Tohoku people the real spring sooner, when laughter passes over that land with flood of
joy after long, long perseverance.
About one month has passed since the latest powerful earthquake in Nepal. The scenes from Nepal look total devastation. It must be an unbelievably tough test of courage and perseverance for Nepalese. Nepal and its people are in my prayers and thoughts.
Great
Hanshin Earthquake of 1995, Japan, of which epicenter was northern Awaji-shima Island
showed how devastating when a powerful earthquake hit a large city. Kobe
people were totally unprepared believing big earthquake wouldn't strike Kobe.
Photos are from my latest overnight trip to Awaji-shima Island. When my husband and I travel together, we tend to invite rain against weather forecast.
The layers of mountains and shore of Shikoku seen from the south of the island.
Awaji-shima is linked with Tokushima Pref., Shikoku, by Onaruto Bridge
and is linked with Kobe by Akashi Ohashi Bridge, the world's longest suspension bridge.
Main industries are dairy
farming(dairy cattle and beef cow for Kobe Beef), growing flowers...
.... agriculture (rice, onions, lettuce, and other vegetables)...
... fisheries (sea bream, abalone, turban shell, sand eel, wakame see weed, and “Torafugu”,
a kind of globefish, farming)
.... tourism for Naruto Whirlpools, Awaji Puppet Theater Company, natural beauties, and many others.
Southern port of Fukura
Preserved Nojima Fault at Hokutan-cho Earthquake Memorial Park
shows how the movement in the ground cuts across roads, hedges and other installations.
Many lessons were learned from the Great Hanshin Earthquake. A
reassessment of the building regulations for both private residences and public offices as well as transport infrastructure were enforced. The newly built constructions are earthquake proof. The damages to newly constructed
buildings would be slight thanks to the
latest technology, massive
shock absorber or another method which allows the base of a building to move
semi-independently to its superstructure, reducing the shaking caused by quakes. For those
trapped, almost all the local governments have blankets and earthquake emergency
kits, including dry rations, drinking water, basic medical supplies. At
schools, children go through earthquake drills regularly. It’s much better than
having air-raid drills, anyway.
It’s
almost impossible to perfectly predict and avoid earthquakes but possible to
minimize damages if you prepare well and are determined to protect yourself. So, what will
you do when you feel a big tremor? Go
head-first under the table or desk. Most of injuries are from falling objects.
The first thing to do is to look to your own safety. Stay calm and act steadily.
When
you’re at home, try to turn off gas just after the quakes calm down. Don’t rush
outdoors, but secure the exit in case. A pair of slippers in the house is a help when
you walk in the mess of the rooms.
When you
have to go out, bring your emergency provisions with minimum belongings. Don’t
use elevators. Pay attention to broken or dangling
electric wires and be alert for aftershocks. Stay off from buildings and walls to
avoid falling debris like roof tiles, signboards, or broken windowpanes.
These are
what to do beforehand: Check
your home and improve anti-earthquake measures: Apply
plastic films to windowpanes and cupboards to keep broken glass from falling: Don’t
place large pieces of furniture in bedrooms or evacuation route: Store
emergency provisions such as food, bottled water, for at least a week as well
as flashlights, portable radios, a first-aid kit, and so on.
Flowers flow like the Milky Way at Awaji Hanasajiki overlooking the sea and meadows.
Situated on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", Japan is one of the most seismically active nations. Deadly earthquakes have shuttered the community periodically since the ancient
times. I’m not over-worried like many other Japanese people but can’t help but have quiet despair or feel resignation to the will of Nature. My heart aches and is warmed up at the same time to see the people who are fragile in the powerful force of nature but resolute with light within when immersed in the darkness.
Lyrics：覚和歌子/Wakako Kaku
English lyrics: Julie Rogers
Composer： 木村弓/Yumi Kimura
The first dusting of snow this winter, last December
呼んでいる 胸のどこか奥で
いつも心躍る 夢を見たい
かなしみは 数えきれないけれど
その向こうできっと あなたに会える
Somewhere, a voice calls in the depths of my heart
May I always be dreaming, the dreams that move my heart
So many tears of sadness, uncountable through and through
I know on the other side, of them, I’ll find you
(Click on the photo to enlarge.)
The Yoshiki River, summer
繰り返すあやまちの そのたび ひとは
ただ青い空の 青さを知る
果てしなく 道は続いて見えるけれど
この両手は 光を抱ける
Every time we fall down to the ground, we look up to the blue sky above
We wake to its blueness, as for, the first time
Though the road is long and lonely and the end far away, out of sight
I can with these two arms, embrace the light
the view of Nara City from Mt. Wakakusa, early autumn
さよならのときの 静かな胸
ゼロになるからだが 耳をすませる
生きている不思議 死んでいく不思議
花も風も街も みんなおなじ
As I bid farewell, my heart stops, in tenderness I feel
My silent empty body begins to listen to what is real
The wonder of living, the wonder of dying
The wind, town and flowers, we all dance one unity
Tobihino Field, autumn
呼んでいる 胸のどこか奥で
いつも何度でも 夢を描こう
かなしみの数を 言い尽くすより
同じくちびるで そっとうたおう
Somewhere, a voice calls, in the depths of heart
Keep dreaming your dreams, don’t ever them part
Why speak of all your sadness or of life’s painful woes
Instead let the same lips sing a gentle song for you
Magnolia kobus at Sagi-ike Pond, spring
閉じていく思い出の そのなかにいつも
忘れたくない ささやきを聞く
こなごなに砕かれた 鏡の上にも
新しい景色が 映される
The whispering voice, we never want to forget, in each memory
Always there to guide you
When a mirror has been broken, shattered pieces scattered on the ground
Glimpses of new lie, reflected all around
Chogaku-ji Temple, early summer
はじまりの朝の 静かな窓
ゼロになるからだ 充たされてゆけ
海の彼方には もう探さない
輝くものは いつもここに
わたしのなかに
見つけられたから
Window of beginnings, stillness, new light of the dawn
Let my silent empty body be filled and reborn
No need to search outside, nor sail across the sea
‘Cause here shining inside me, it’s right here inside me
I’ve found a brightness, it’s always with me
Sagi-ike Pond & Ukimi-do Pavilion
Since I heard “Always with me” for the first time at the end of the film “Spirited Away” at the theater, the song has been always with me. I simply like it and my view of universe and that of life are reflected in the lyrics. Here are some of my random thoughts associated with the song.
The blue sky is where I believe simple truth exists. Why can't we look up at the same direction, the sky, instead of looking down or looking at mutual differences, to achieve our common goal? I’d like to keep awake to the bluness of the sky.
"The silent empty body" could suggest parting, or death, but it suggests living, too. We, humans, live to think and think to live. However, I remember this that “Human beings, because of their own intellect, are living in the profound darkness.” There must be things we can’t see without becoming silent and empty.
The late loved ones are always with me. The past pleasures spent with them are full grown when remembered and I feel watched over and guided.
We have light inside of us. We have light inside even when immersed in the darkness, and there are some people who keep emitting their light to warm up the surrounding people in misery. In about one month, Japan is meeting the second anniversary of Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami which shattered the most of communities in that region on March 11th, 2011.
This mansion was built in 1934 as a villa of a posh family of “zaibatsu”, or the plutocracy of a financial combine group, at the mountainside of my home town, Mikage-cho, Kobe. It was a three-storied pure Japanese style architecture. It escaped from the air raids of WWII miraculously and was bought by an overseas Chinese merchant. He opened a Chinese restaurant there. In the area of about 1600 tsubo (about 5289 meter square) with a flowing brook and views changing from season to season, he saw an ideal scenery of his homeland Soshu and named it “Soshu-en”. It was a quality restaurant where many prominent or famous people visited.
Old door plate has been put up even after the owner changed.
People see a symbol tree out of the window which looks like natural stained glass
reflecting the outside nature.
Years later after surviving the Great Hanshin Earthquake (1995), it was restored and renovated into a guest house and restaurant which has the Japanese and Eastern Asia style by the current owner. Since the wife of the first owner had a private church as a Christian, this place is also used for wedding ceremony and reception.
My son and his wife had a wedding here in 2007. When he first visited, he felt something nostalgic, a feel of an old house of his grandparents where he would visit as a young child. My maiden house was not so gorgeous as this mansion but had similarities part by part as a traditional Japanese house. Many Japanese people would feel the same way.
Pure white silk dress and a bridal bouquet
It was December 7th. Many of the colorful leaves were on the ground.
The reception room was decorated with colors and plants of the season.
Usually early December is not so cold in Kobe.
On the third anniversary of their wedding, a baby girl was born as their first child.
She is now one-year-old.
We are celebrating with great specials this month including Christmas. While I’m happy with personal things, my heart aches to hear sad news one by one. I've learned my friend was praying, watching over her mother's final battle against her disease, right at the time when I was having a good time at the birthday party.
This post is going to be long.
I went to Kobe Luminaire again with my camera this year. It has nothing to do with Christmas but was started as a memorial to the lives lost (my childhood friend is one of them) in that earthquake. Last year, some of the victims of the earthquake were talking about their experiences to the visitors in the booths set up by the Kobe City to keep the memory alive. While walking under the bright arches to citadels, how could I imagine such a record catastrophic earthquake and tsunami would hit Tohoku region on March 11th the next year? Rudely awakened this year again, more people visited and funds were raised to donate to the stricken area. These incidents are too harsh to remember but the lessons must be remembered forever in the country prone to big earthquakes. What happened to one region could happen to any region.
"Citadel of Peace" seen from the 24th floor of the Kobe City Hall
The other day our government announced that reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi power station cooled to a stable state for the first time since the March 11 disaster. Although few people believe the assertion so far, I hope it be a start of any recovery in real terms for the next year. It is said “There is a light at the end of the tunnel.” However, we can’t see the light without going through the tunnel. No matter how the tunnel looks long and the reconstruction work daunting, I believe Tohoku will surely resurrect like Kobe.
"Fountain of Prayer"
Illuminations surrounding a fountain was created to wish for the reconstruction of tsunami-hit areas.
Last but not least, I really appreciate visit and comment from each of you throughout the year. May your days be filled with good health, peace, and love this holiday season and New Year.
