Wintessing the Tohoku Earthquake on the 11th of March 2011
 Luke Happle, a UKJET Programme
participant, works as a Coordinator for International
Relations/Prefectural Advisor in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, and
was working at the Prefectural Office when the Great East Japan
Earthquake struck on the 11th March.
At 14:46, a
massive earthquake of magnitude 9.0 struck the Tohoku region of Japan.
The earthquake in turn caused a tsunami of epic proportions that
ravaged the Tohoku coast. The current death toll is estimated at more
than 13,000 with roughly the same amount still unaccounted for. This
was only the beginning. The quake lasted for around 6 minutes, but the
effects will be felt for years to come.
I was coming back to
my office from the toilet, shaking the water off my hands when I heard
the shrill earthquake early warning alarm sound from my office. I just
had time to get back to my desk and get ready for the inevitable
shaking to begin. I have lived in Japan for a total of 3 years and am
used to earthquakes. Nothing could have prepared me for what was to
come next. In all honesty, my memories of the quake actually hitting
are hazy at best. I put this down to a massive surge of adrenalin and
fear. The room started to rumble and shake. Slowly at first, but then
getting faster and more pronounced. Initially the shaking was going up
and down but when we began moving round in a circular motion at the
same time I knew this time was different. By this point I was down on
my knees; I watched and listened as the sound of my colleague’s
frightened voices mixed with the noise of things falling off shelves
and glass shattering around me. The shaking grew worse and the
desks and cabinets started to slide around. The entire office was now
moving like a roller-coaster. I got under my desk and held tightly to
my chair. Then the secondary alarm sounded. This sounded more like a
school bell or fire alarm. Somebody on the intercom was shouting at
everyone to be calm in a voice that was decidedly not calm. At this
point I remember thinking that now could very well be the end. My
office is on the 13th floor and the strongest, lasting memory I have is
waiting for the ground to suddenly fall from underneath my backside as
I crouched under my desk. Despite the adrenalin it was a scary thought;
I found myself earnestly begging, to whom I do not know, that this not
be the end and for the shaking to stop. Eventually it did stop. We all
gingerly got up and surveyed the extensive damage. There was a ringing
in my ears.
As a JET Programme Coordinator for International
Relations and Prefectural Advisor, my main responsibility was to start
trying to make contact with my JET colleagues to confirm their safety.
As we were doing just this, somebody put the television on. A visibly
shaken but outwardly calm presenter announced that a tsunami of over 10
metres would be approaching the coastal areas of Tohoku any minute. The
bemused look of horror on the faces of my colleagues as they processed
this new information will stay with me for a long time to come. In the
panic I was not able to fully grasp what this meant and simply got back
to my work contacting JETs. The mobile phone networks were down within
10 minutes and repeated attempts to reach people were met with beeps or
an apologetic recorded voice. It was only when the first footage of the
tsunami started coming in that we all started to realise the
seriousness of the situation. There were scenes of entire towns being
engulfed by waves of biblical proportions and cars and houses being
casually washed away like they were toys. It was then that we realised
we were in this for the long haul. The ensuing days are a blur in my
mind now. Mine and my colleagues’ endurance was pushed to the limit. I
lived at my office for the first 5 days working long shifts trying to
get in touch with our ALTs, dealing with phone calls from worried
relatives, coordinating with the Embassy teams as they started arriving
to confirm the safety of their citizens, talking to the overseas media
and whatever else was necessary. Even though we were sleeping on the
floor of the office and washing with wet-wipes, we were all too keenly
aware that while tough, how we were living was luxury compared to the
thousands of people displaced and living at the mercy of the elements.
After
the first week I was able to get back to my apartment to survey the
damage and clean up. After I started living at home again, my workload
slowly began to return to normal levels and I became increasingly
restless constantly sitting at my desk. I began to yearn for the
opportunity to get out there and not only see the damage for myself but
help in a more direct way. Luckily I had this opportunity. On the 19th
I went with my supervisor to one of the worst hit towns, Ishinomaki, to
search for a JET that we were unable to make contact with. I was
apprehensive about aftershocks and the possibility of another tsunami,
but my desire to get out in the field overshadowed any fear I had. We
were dropped off by colleagues early Saturday morning. I have never
seen anything like it. We trekked around what was left of the town from
early morning until evening checking every evacuation shelter on the
way, trying to find any word of our missing JET. The sheer scale of the
destruction was appalling. Overturned and smashed cars littered the
streets everywhere. Boats catapulted from the sea by the tsunami lay
incongruously on the roads or protruding from buildings. The main
bridge leading to the south part of the city was blocked by a boat and
covered in rubble, including a nearly intact house that had been torn
from its foundations and hurled onto the bridge. The smell sticks in my
mind. Sometimes fairly innocuous; rubble, mud, and wood mixed together,
resembling that of a building site. Sometimes it was repulsive, a
mixture of mud, raw sewage, rotten fish and meat and decay amongst
other things. We did not find word of our missing JET colleague that
day. She was confirmed as deceased a number of days later. My thoughts
are still with her family during this profoundly difficult time.
To
say that this is a terrible situation is a gross understatement. It is
estimated that it will take over ten years to restore Miyagi to its
former glory. However, the response by those affected, the Japanese
population in general and the rest of the world has been profoundly
moving, humbling and heartening to say the least. After the quake and
tsunami the Japanese Self Defense Force sprang into action and started
the important work of search and rescue and road clearing. Search and
rescue teams from all over the world started pouring into Miyagi and
Tohoku as well as donations of provisions and financial aid. There are
countless stories of acts of selfless bravery and generosity that
really reminds one of what it is to be a human being. Even now
thousands of people across Tohoku are living, taking each day as it
comes in makeshift evacuation shelters in school sports halls and other
buildings. Gas and electricity is still far away for many and hot water
a long forgotten luxury. Despite this, people are remaining positive
and making every effort to recover and move on with their lives. It is
nothing short of inspiring.
The future of Miyagi prefecture
and the Tohoku region may look bleak now. So many people have
experienced such profound loss that it is difficult, if not impossible
for me to put it into words. My experience, though trying, pales into
insignificance compared to what a lot of people are going through. In
spite of all this, from what I have seen of the people here’s strength,
humanity and resolve, I personally have no doubt whatsoever that Miyagi
and Tohoku will recover and be brilliant once more.
This
piece was written in April 2011. Since then astounding progress has
been made across the Tohoku region. Prefectural governments are and
local citizens are working hard, long hours to clear the rubble, bring
back gas and electricity, build temporary housing for those who lost
their homes and support those still living in evacuation centres.
However, there is still a long way to go. While the world media has
long forgotten about us here, I ask you to please keep Miyagi and
Tohoku in your hearts and minds.
Luke Happle can be contacted in regard to information about donations, relief efforts etc. at this email address
cir2@pref.miyagi.jp
International Affairs Division, Miyagi Prefectural Government
etails about the JET Prtogramme can be seen here
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