It has been 8 years since the Tohoku Earthquake in East Japan.
Though there have been other major disasters since 2011, this is the major event that I will never forget. It’s a shock which was so strong, that I change myself, who had been indifferent until then, to subjects such as, where and how food and energy were produced, the environmental impact, and money flows resulting from it.
Since then I have been thinking about my way of life.
The Tohoku Earthquake is what triggered me to think about where to spend money, to become interested in self-sufficiency, and to concern about environmental issues and social problems.
When the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant melted down, I felt so scared that half of Japan would be gone. If an accident happens, it will last for decades, or maybe 100 years. I originally thought that Japan’s energy policy would change in order to not repeat the mistake. However, now the country is trying to promote nuclear power, forgetting that fear and raising the safety again. In the places where nuclear power plants are already in operation and may generate excessive power, the generation of natural energy is halted, and nuclear power and thermal power are prioritized.
Nevertheless, whatever darkness you are in, don’t forget your hope. At that time, I was indifferent, but now it is different. I will learn from my failure and try to show the answer in my future life.
I have heard a talk in between Mr. Junichiro Koizumi and Mr. Muramoto of Woman Rush Hour.
As Mr. Koizumi keeps saying “you can do it if you try”, I think I can do it too. If politics does not move, I think it is necessary that the private
sector and each person build up small forces and make changes. I stopped thinking that “someone would do it”.
Although it is just a slight power, let’s move forward properly. The story that Mr. Muramoto told was also impressive, “One time I went to a ramen restaurant which has a long waiting line in Namie-cho (Fukushima Prefecture ), when the news about the nuclear debris came up on TV, whoever was eating put their chopsticks down and all the other people in the line watched the news seriously.
When I went to Henoko (Okinawa Prefecture), there was a similar scene as the news about US Air Base in Futenma flowed.
However, the same news flows in big cities like Tokyo or Osaka, but everyone just listen indifferently like BGM (background music).”
I gazed at the clouds flowing slowly after a long time.
内山隼人
Hayato Uchiyama
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Kindly Translated by: Flo C (Thanks a lot!)
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