ONE YEAR AFTER THE TSUNAMI DISASTER

 Everywhere in Japan, people offered a one-minute silent prayer 

to mourn the victims and wish for world peace.

I'll Be Back to My Office Tomorrow.

It took exactly one month to resume work.
General affairs division and administration division members have been restoring our offices with help of general construction companies since several days after the earthquake on March 11th.
Most of rubbles were cleared and the infrastructure such as electricity and water was almost back, according to the email from my boss. So, all engineers including me are allowed to go back to our offices tomorrow.
I feel half happy and half worried about stepping in the same building from which we barely escaped at the day of the disaster; we still have aftershocks everyday in my city.
But, sooner of later, we should confront it. That is tomorrow.

By the way, using this long days off, I went back to my hometown Shimane prefecture for a couple of days. I met my mother, my brother and my sister there. I enjoyed earthquake-free short holidays.

I show you some pictures taken near my mother’s house using a cell-phone-built-in-camera.

Damages Done by The Earthquake in Utsunomiya

Thank you for kind messages. We are receiving messages, encouragements, offers and supports from many countries. These kindness will help us and our lives. I never forget you guys.

The sign says, "DANGER: Do not come close." in Futara-yama shrine.↓

The wall of a parking lot has fallen and hit the car.↓

Gravestones have fallen over in a cemetery.↓

A Powerful Earthquake Hits My Town, Utsunomiya.

When I was working, suddenly a strong quake hit my office. My colleagues and I hid ourselves under each one’s desk.
In the meanwhile, not part but the whole ceiling in my office room collapsed and fell from the above.

White dust smoke covered our room. I heard one of women in the office was crying. After the big trembler ceased, I heard a voice asking me help. I removed a big fragment of ceiling covering his desk and rescued him who was trapped.
Then, I saw that some PC monitors fell but still kept emitting lights between broken ceiling boards on desks in the dark.
My boss, my department manager, a division manager who was holding hands of crying woman, colleagues and I barely escaped from the 4th floor of the building in a heavy white dust smoke and various piles of rubble.

On hearing a big sound of falling the ceiling and having kept my body in a small space beneath my desk, I thought a death myself as reality for the first time in my life.

I was very scared at the time but all my family members are safe.

Earthquake Strikes on Marine Day

Today, the 3rd Monday of July is Marine Day, one of the national holidays in Japan.
This consecutive three days holiday became a terrible one for many Japanese.
First, we had a typhoon on Saturday and Sunday. I booked my company's tennis court but canceled it again. I think many had to give up their well-planed schedules.

Furthermore, a big earthquake struck in Niigata area today. Many TV programs have been rescheduled to news programs reporting earthquake distressed area since this morning. I feel sorry for the victims.

How have I spent this weekend? I was doing netsurfing for long time lazily. The only good news is that one of my friends Michel living in Canada will have a baby in the end of this year. Congratulations Michel and Yoshiko!
I took these three pictures in Atami two years ago. I looked for pictures of the sea commemorating for Marine Day, but I don’t have many. Do you know why? ... Since I live in Tochigi… lol