"Strange and mysterious things, though, aren't they - earthquakes? We take it for granted that the earth beneath our feet is solid and stationary... But suddenly one day we see that it isn't true." after the quake: Thailand - Haruki Murakami
In the aftermath of the tragedy that struck Japan recently, I remembered this colletion of shorts Haruki Murakami wrote in reference to a similar event that happened to the country in 1995. This is an aerial shot of a Tokyo intersection from my Murakami journal.
I have a fascination with Japanese culture. Blame it to a childhood heavily influenced by Japanese media and whatnot. So, the news of the tsunami struck a bit of a fierce chord. Seeing the video of the water running across a field carrying houses and boats with it brought several thoughts to mind. One, the earth is bigger than us, and it's beautiful and violent at the same time. Two, water is life. Water, also, can take life. The third thought is probably the most fascinating one. This did not even come to mind until I have read the outpour of comments from various channels in the last few days. There is solidarity in adversity, and the Japanese people could not have epitomized it better.
Despite the despair and the pain of loss, there seems to be no hatred. This is a country who is trained on how to react to these tragedies. They could have all gone amok after and be justified. If given that they've lost lives and property, they could have, but they didn't. Instead, they find ways to make it easier for each other. No one looted. Drivers gave way to each other. They shared their food. Even gave strangers what they had. When you're on a crossroad where you're made to choose between your own security against that of others, it's so much easier to make a selfish choice. An entire nation, though, has managed to show that it isn't too difficult to give away. It makes me wonder how selfless I could be if faced with the same consequences.
I pray for the people of Japan. I pray for the country itself. I have learned more from you within the last few days than I have in the years of exploring your culture.
