Musings from Northern Japan

Meanwhile, back at home, the kids and I continue to conserve energy, enjoy non-electronic activities and experiment with new eating options (new recipe coming). LOL 

It snowed again today....

We were able to sit and visit with a Japanese friend tonight. We compared quake stories. She was glad I'd made it home from Tokyo. I was glad to hear her family was all safe. We showed her "Nuclear Boy".  We talked about shortages, natural resources and such. 

Japan has no natural energy sources. If they want electricity to power their modern culture, they must build nuclear plants. Many are now shut down. She has a friend who is one of the workers at Fukushima.  Anyway, this power shortage is going to go on until they can reopen other sites and build new ones. In America we have MANY natural options for energy - we choose not to use them. Another story, another day....but in Japan this is it.  Things ARE going to be short for now and some time to come. Locally, pachinko parlors are closed or running with 1/2 power, convenience stores are closed, other businesses are closing early, and theaters etc are not up.  Japanese understand and accept this. Americans not so much. 

I've heard a lot in the past week about how families should go home to conserve Japan's resources. These comments have come from families who have chosen to take advantage of the State Department's Voluntary Departure option.  It is not my intent to criticize those who have left...frankly there are MANY valid factors which led some to decide to leave, it's not my place to have an opinion on other's decisions....medical issues, ages of children, personal fear levels of family members...all contributed to some leave. However, the wide spread comments and complaints make me sad...from those who have left and those who have stayed. This is something I do have an opinion on. ::snort::

I decided to ask my Japanese friend what SHE thought, does she and her friends (30 year olds) think that Americans should go home to conserve  Japan's resources? My question opened an unexpected flood gate of comments. I share some of the thoughts here as I think it is good for us to consider how we appear to others. We've been spoiled here. Americans don't have to sort their garbage (the company does it for them, Japanese do this on their own), the city supplies electricity for a very nice standard of living on base, we've been welcomed by most Japanese with open arms, they make allowances for our lack of cultural awareness.  She and a friend had been at one of the town hall meetings. They were sad, angered, perplexed by the questions and comments so freely shared.... Of course the boisterous give and take of an American discussion is a bit out of the Japanese communication mode too. 

 "Why do we have to sort our garbage?" 

"When will you open the THEATER?" 

"Why do we have to light only two rooms?"

"When you will pick up bulk garbage again?"

"When will the bowling ally and library open?" 

"When will Burger King, Popeyes etc be open?"

"When will the gym open?" (I can understand this as many have PT tests upcoming and so I guess could be worried as results affect careers.)

Honestly, none of these are LIFE THREATENING inconveniences. Consider all Japan has been through and all they are struggling to overcome. I would bet there is not a person in Japan who has not been affected by events on the 11th. At the very least the whole country has lost a  percentage of it's electricity.  It's a time when Japan is looking to get  ESSENTIAL things up and running.....and we're complaining  our garbage pick up will be once a week, we have to sort our own garbage and  don't have a theater and bowling ally? Really? 

She shared of teachers caught in the Sendai quake and tsunami....who didn't like the evacuation center and came up north. Then talked to the foreign press and complained about "no walls, only rice balls to eat, no heat or privacy" and said, "They don't understand our culture. They should go home."  Privacy is simply not an issue in Japan. Community rules.  Rice balls are actually a staple. All pull together to endure.....these teachers, well-meaning and some of them considering themselves to be missionaries, lost credibility with their comments to the press. Note this is her perspective and the teachers may have feared for their safety and not simply been unhappy with Japanese evacuation centers...but again...THIS is the perception. 

She told us with sadness, "When we have it to offer, we will gladly do it. If we could supply all the families want, we would. We can't. They should go home." What she was saying is, if you can't adapt, if you can't accept the inconveniences of the situation, if you want to be a guest only when all your needs are being met, it is best to leave.  Japan considers it an honor to take care of guests....and I sensed hearing the complaints and knowing they were not meeting the expectations of Americans was painful. 

My heart has been begging for CHRISTIANS (Americans and others) to SHINE in the LIGHT OF HIS GLORY....many Japanese equate American with Christian....and we've left a bad impression with our petty complaints and lack of willingness to pull together.  It breaks my heart. 

I questioned further, for a family like ours, one who is willing to stay, accept the shortages and help - should we go home? Are we using valuable Japanese resources? Would they be happier if we left?  She said our shopping helps the economy. The base employs many people. She also shared that Japanese culture doesn't "just act" - but "Americans just go volunteer...like Jared san at the pig farm....we need your help."  I'm at peace...it is good for some to leave...but as a whole Japan doesn't wish all Americans would leave to conserve resources. They are very grateful for all the help we've "just volunteered" to do.  Will Japan eventually need to cut back the number of dependents on bases? I hope not.  Will the situation be better in a month - maybe slightly - but honestly the conservation will go on for a long time...and really.....we should have probably been more aware of our energy consumption...isn't that true of most people in most countries? 

I'm discouraged some Americans have left a bad impression on the Japanese people. I'm encouraged other Americans have endeared themselves to the Japanese with their "Can do, let's get it done, NOW" attitude.  I will be very careful not to complain about inconveniences, it's not the Japanese way.  I've been personally motivated to "buck up".  I think it is important for all of us to think of how our reactions are perceived...for His glory. 

I continue to believe God can and will use this for good...in His time and in His way. 

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Buta Hama 2 to Momoishi (Pig Farm & Beach)

Does Jared know how to find the fun or what???? He spent another long day with the work teams (btw all but one of these photos were taken on an earlier drive to base). We are proud of him. He's proud that most assume he's active duty, he's pulling his weight.

Today they went back to the Buta Hama for a bit of time. Then they drove up to Momoishi Beach. This is the spot we've photographed often as our "hiding spot," the spot I most often go to find sea glass and pray. This is the spot we took Carol when she was here.  This is the spot where Jared and Jamin like to go run.  It is just over a mile from our home.

 Today the team  helped a fisherman get his nets and floats out of TREES.  They also worked more at picking up rubbish - other teams have been here. There were 60 volunteers today! I think as the "voluntary departures" are over and more have time to focus on the local area we will see bigger teams of volunteers in the community.

 This sea wall is usually covered with concrete blocks and asphalt....I naively thought a tsunami would stop at this seawall and not come over into the parking lot, forests and homes on the other side of it. 

This boat is over the sea wall, over the parking lot and in the trees.

 I think the kids and I can go to places like this with garbage bags and do our own "clean up" efforts even if they're too young for the hard core clean up and recovery work. 

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Buta Hama - Pig Farm

Michael, Jared and I signed up to be on one of the clean up/relief teams today. Two teams leave the base daily. As we discussed our plan for the day it became obvious Arielle was not comfortable being left home with the children all day so soon after the quake. I think her uneasiness was helped along by the many aftershocks we had last night. 


Bright and early Jared and Michael drove into the base. They discovered their mission today was to help clear wreckage from a local pig farmer.  As they drove towards the sight they realized it is less than 2 miles from our home. Wow...this brings home anew how close that wave actually came.  

THIS will make for Father/Son bonding (say ham sandwich)

This man had had 2,000 pigs before 11 March. He is lucky to have 400 left. 

To the left is his one standing building. He'll rebuild. (See that pretty house in the right corner? It's one of my local favorites and we drive by it often. I KNOW just where this is.)

Jared had the notoriety of finding the largest dead pig today.  Michael found, among other things, a Cannon EOS with a 70/210 lens....obviously it had seen better days.  We were told this was the hardest trip yet...it was smelly and hard work. They also had icy winds, rain, sun and snow - all in one day's work. They were met back at the base by a doctor and mental health. 

Below is the team! Go Team Misawa!

We've not been able to get out and about as we've been asked NOT to be American Tourists....so it was a bit of a shock to realize how close to our home the destruction had come. The ground rises and we are across the highway. BTW  I heard HWY 338 mentioned on news coverage. Mom, this is the hwy and we are about a mile UP the road (to the right).....Here's a photo I found on the Internet.....

One last discovery of the day. Sometimes the air around our subdivision is so rank we've often thought it was worse that baby diapers....mega diapers...now we know....when the wind hits just right we had the stench of 2,000 pigs blowing across our yard.  A friend is taking Jared out tomorrow. All thought he was active duty - but since he is only 17, he has to have an adult with him.  We appreciate all the friends that have volunteered to "watch Jared" so that he can get out and help. Red Cross insists a parent or guardian be with 16 - 18 yo...and since they are dealing with all sorts of waste and destruction it makes sense.

(If Michael or Jared have some thoughts to share, they'll update this later).

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Misawa Damage

While in Tokyo, I had heard the tsunami did not reach Misawa. That is not accurate. It did reach Misawa - in fact there is significant damage less than a mile and a half  from our home  - it just didn't reach Misawa AIR BASE.  Come to think of it, we live in Oirase and Misawa Port is right up the road so maybe it is in Oirase too. In any event this is much closer to home than I first imagined. Probably good I didn't realize how close until I got home. 

This is the Misawa port before the Quake and Tsunami.

These boats are quite a ways from the water

Teams from Misawa AB have been going out daily to help with clean up around here and other towns up and down the coast. 

Yep, there was significant damage in Misawa.  This is  less than 3 or 4 miles from our home.  (As I've not been able to drive around and snap photos, I have borrowed shots from the Internet for our family album). 


Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Life...

Two days have gone by - time to blog.

Monday Jared  went in with Michael and spent the day watching children of those who have chosen to "voluntarily depart".   The rest of us did a bit of school and then took advantage of the gorgeous day to play outside. Several neighbors came out to swap quake stories (as they hadn't seen me since I made it home) and for the children to play. I believe we may be one of the only families in our two street neighborhood not leaving.

This morning I said goodbye to neighbors who were leaving and headed for base with the girls. Soccer up here has been cancelled at least for the month of March - sad for the kids; seniors especially. Gas rations, no soccer, working out at home....but today I had PWOC and Arielle had drama. That's two events to justify the trip in. I invited a few friends to join me at an onsen and stopped by the commissary - four errands. Yes, we all drove over in one car. Gas well used.

PWOC was a blessing of normalcy today. We don't usually have a corporate prayer and worship time before  studies, but Tara and Susane organized that today. It was just what we needed. Our numbers were low, about 1/3 of us are here...not sure if that's because others are busy getting ready to leave, or conserving gas (I didn't make our Monday night study due to the gas thing)...but it was SWEET to be with everyone again, to hug, laugh, pray, worship, cry......and then dig into His word.

This little one asked me yesterday if she could PLEASE take a bath. It seems she's not been allowed a BATH since the quake on March 11th. She loves her baths but 5 min showers use less energy and water. I promised her I would take her to an onsen.....so off we went today.

The onsens up here are heated by natural hot springs. The water stays a constant temperature.....and we were using someone else's energy - for which we paid....what a luxury to take a long, hot shower, soak in hot tubs for an hour....visit with friends....the hot tubs are an incredible STRESS RELIEVER and we agreed it was a needed thing to have taken the time to do. I was glad we got to do this today.  I may add it to our Tuesdays until we can get back to longer showers and BATHS at home.

We had several quakes during dinner...6.3, 6.4, 6.6 and 5's.....I have some wind chimes INSIDE which we use as a quake indicator. ::snort::

Mike, Jared and I signed up to go help clean up Hachinohe tomorrow. Arielle got a really strange look on her face when she realized she'd be home alone all day with the kids. She may not be ready for that quite yet. She's doing WELL...but I can tell she was really spooked by her quake experience.

Can't get FB to load this evening....and my cell phone is out....guess things aren't totally back to normal.

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

The Shelves Tell a Story

As we were out and about yesterday (we won't go in much above Michael's daily trip to the base in an effort to conserve gas) we checked out the BX supply.....most the BX is fine.....but....

No Sleeping Bags

Toe warmers, flint starters, lighters and matches were depleted.

 Suitcases are now a high demand item and grace the end caps. 

Flashlights are gone

Electric heaters are gone - though the note reminds all that they are PLUG IN. ::snort:: 

The city has gone to once a week trash pick up. We needed to buy another trash can and the BX was out. We stopped by two stores on the way home. It would appear that TRASH CAN LIDS (you buy them separately here) have been in very high demand. The shelves off base tell the same story...with batteries, blankets, sleeping bags gone. We were told NOT to buy supplies of this sort off base as we can buy on base and don't want to deplete Japan's resources. 

Batteries are all gone

Whereas snack food, granola bars and canned food seem to have been the item of choice at the commissary, off base it seems that various frozen convenience foods were snatched up. 

Supply lines are opening and I don't look for these to be long term shortages.....we are far better off than those south of us. 

Yes, I realize these are rather trivial posts...Mike reminded me today that I should write my story before it grows dim...and he said he needs to do the same. Maybe it will be a family project. At this point...I'm happy to deal with surface emotions, hug on my kids and deal with the whole story aspect on another day. LOL 

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Quake Map - part 2

The Japan Quake Map I shared is really interesting to watch (at least to us). It's time lapse and so is slow at the first and then BAMMO the big one, followed by all the others at a rapid pace. Here's a screen shot of the completed map - we're up to 652 quakes since March 11th.  Observant readers will note that means there has been 31 quakes since last night - it's early afternoon here now. 


It's incredible to watch the visual and get a sense of  what it is like over here. Watch it, and then pray for Japan. We are East of Morioka...on the coast. 

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...