What's Shakin'

My apologies for another long wait. As I'm sure anybody reading this is aware, Japan was struck recently with a magnitude 8.9 earthquake off the eastern seaboard, followed by a devastating tsunami. In case anybody reads this that I haven't contacted yet, I am fine; Hokkaido in general was not very strongly affected, and Monbetsu suffered no ill effects at all. Apparently the actual earthquake was vaguely noticeable in town; I didn't notice, as I was busy working on my computer, so that tells you how strong it was. Some towns on the southern coast suffered tsunami waves, but nothing of the level of areas further south. At present, I believe Hokkaido has had a total of one death.

There are a few other things I'd like to say about this disaster. This may sound bad, but bear with me: a disaster of this magnitude could not have picked a better country to happen to than Japan. It is my firm belief that while the damage here is terrible, the cost in human lives and suffering would have been many times worse in any other country.

Japan is a nation well-equipped for disasters. Earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions are not a possibility here, they are an accepted part of life - it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. Japan has extensive procedures, infrastructure, and training put in place for the purpose of disaster warning, evacuation, and recovery. All of these factors, I believe, have helped and will continue to help ensure that Japan passes through this challenge with a minimum of suffering.

Additionally, while Japan may be in an economic low point, it is still a wealthy country. Those who have lost everything to the tsunami - and they are many - will have a much greater chance of recovering a semblance of normalcy faster than they might in a poorer country. Japan also has a relatively functional social safety net, so people who have lost everything are not truly as screwed as they might be elsewhere (not pointing any fingers).

Finally, the Western media seems to be focusing a great deal of attention on Japan's so-called "Nuclear Disaster". Because nuclear power generators were threatened by the tsunami, they have become part of the struggle, but there is no chance of a Chernobyl-style meltdown and the loss of power is far more devastating to Japan than any released radiation might be. There are many sources that can explain the technicalities of why the nuclear shutdown is not the disaster that nuclear-phobic sources want it to be; here is one. Please read this and other sources if you are concerned about the nuclear situation.

Life will recover and go on as normal in Japan. This disaster should be a lesson to us all; disasters do happen, and when they do it pays to be prepared.