A year ago today, the fourth-largest earthquake in recorded history hit Japan, followed by a series of tsunami and nuclear meltdowns.
I vividly remember watching the disaster unfold over a live video stream, hardly able to believe what I was seeing. It felt like I was watching footage from a disaster movie.
A lot has changed in the year since the devastation in Japan, but it’s sometimes hard to follow what’s really going on in the country. It seems like nobody can agree on what exactly is the situation in Japan.
On this one year anniversary of the 3/11 disaster, I’d like to try to collect my thoughts about the tragedy, recap what’s happened, and the direction the country is taking.
The Aftermath
When all was said and done, close to 20,000 people died or went missing from the Tohoku region. Foreigners fled the country; some out of fear, some out of orders from their governments.
Tourism dropped as people became afraid of the dangers in the country, and the economy slumped as the businesses of the Tohoku region were all but wiped out.
And there’s no sugar-coating it: the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is still a dangerous place, even to this day. The nuclear reactors still aren’t fully under control, and a big area around Fukushima isn’t accessible to the public.
In all honesty, the aftermath of 3/11 was pretty bleak; it’s undeniable that the death and destruction of the 3/11 disaster was horrific. But a year later, the lessons learned from the devastation have helped the Japanese prepare for the future.
Lessons Learned
The meltdown at Fukushima has gotten people around the world thinking about nuclear power in a different way. Whether or not that means moving away from nuclear power is still unseen; but if nothing else, people have become much more conscious about where their electricity comes from.
Governments and scientists around the country have no doubt put in plenty of thought about what they can do to prevent a disaster like this from ever happening again.
Already, new walls are being raised and trees are being planted to protect towns from future tsunami. Towns are being reconstructed to place people out of harm’s way.
But probably the most important lesson learned during all of this is the importance of community. People came together like never before during the disaster, not only in local Japanese communities, but around the world.
In fact, contrary to popular belief, things are actually looking up for Japan in a lot of ways.
I’ve Got To Admit It’s Getting Better
Looking at before/after pictures of the disaster (like on The Big Picture), it’s really amazing the progress that’s been made in a year. Towns that were an unrecognizable mess after the earthquake and tsunami are now tidied up.
At the time of the tsunami, it was hard to imagine that a clean up was even possible. But now, many towns are clean and ready for reconstruction.
Before and after pictures courtesy of The Big Picture
The Japanese economy has started to pick up recently too. The Nikkei stock index bottomed out near the end of last year, but has since made a strong rebound and is on its way back up. (And you could argue that the Nikkei’s poor performance lately was because of the European debt crisis, not the 3/11 disaster.)
Tourism has been steadily improving too. People have flocked back to Japan for lunar new year and cherry blossom celebrations, seeing past the destruction to the Japan they once knew and loved.
Looking Ahead
There’s no question that what happened on 3/11 disaster was a watershed event in Japanese history. Its devastation was unprecedented and there’s still a long way to go; but, with any luck, was a level of destruction that won’t be seen again for a very long time.
But it was also a moment when Japan came together and showed its strength. It’s not everyday that we see the kind of humanity, selflessness, and unity that the Japanese showed in the days after 3/11. It just goes to show that underneath the highly-polished veneer of Japanese politeness and civility, there lies a goodwill that rivals any other in the world.