Kizuna: Nikkei Stories from the 2011 Japan Earthquake & Tsunami
In Japanese, kizuna means strong emotional bonds.
This series shares stories about Nikkei individual and/or community reaction and perspectives on the Great Tohoku Kanto earthquake on March 11, 2011 and the resulting tsunami and other impacts—either about supporting relief efforts or how what has happened has affected them and their feeling of connection to Japan.
If you would like to share your reactions, please see the “Submit an Article” page for general submission guidelines. We welcome submissions in English, Japanese, Spanish, and/or Portuguese, and are seeking diverse stories from around the world.
We hope that these stories bring some comfort to those affected in Japan and around the world, and that this will become like a time capsule of responses and perspectives from our global Nima-kai community for the future.
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There are many organizations and relief funds established around the world providing support for Japan. Follow us on Twitter @discovernikkei for info on Nikkei relief efforts, or check the Events section. If you’re posting a Japan relief fundraising event, please add the tag “JPquake2011” to make it appear on the list of earthquake relief events.
Stories from this series
5 Months after the Disaster & So Much Yet To Do…
Oct. 11, 2011 • Norm Masaji Ibuki
After the disaster on March 11th, the narrative then takes on a life of its own. The stories are raw, shot-in-the-stomach visceral, agonizing; they ripped through the soul. We Nikkei around the world were scrambling to help in whatever way we could. The pain and suffering of the victims and the survivors was palpable and, personally, with so many friends in Sendai, which was spared the worse of it, the connection is there. There are so many stories. Tomo and …
Chef Bill Telepan and Friends Cook for Tohoku
July 15, 2011 • Nancy Matsumoto
I happened to speak with Chef Bill Telepan yesterday, who was full of news about his recent trip to Japan. He was one of eight New York chefs who traveled to Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, one of the areas most devastated by the March 11 Greater Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. The team’s mission was to cook a heartwarming Fourth of July weekend lunch for an estimated 1,000 people in this city. “It was an amazing event, and it went perfectly,” said …
Some people think Japan’s earthquake and tsunami are payback for Pearl Harbor? Really?
June 16, 2011 • Gil Asakawa
I was shocked, saddened and depressed when I learned that there are people in the United States who think that the Tohoku Kanto Earthquake and subsequent tsunami, which has caused enormous damage and casualties that will surely top 10,000, is some sort of karmic payback for Japan’s bombing of Pearl Harbor. Really? Seriously? Yes, unfortunately. Here’s just a sampling of some updates and comments from Facebookthat rant about Pearl Harbor and the tsunami, and how the U.S shouldn’t send any aid to …
An Unforgettable Experience in Japan - Part 3
June 6, 2011 • Kristin Hanaoka
Read Part 2 >>Monday, March 14thMonday morning we woke up early to get to the bus. The first bus was leaving at 9:20 a.m., but it was first come, first served. On Sunday, we saw people arriving two hours ahead of time, so we arrived early to secure our seats. I went up to the front desk to get my cell phone that they had been charging for me and a staff member handed me an article and a note. …
An Unforgettable Experience in Japan - Part 2
May 30, 2011 • Kristin Hanaoka
Read Part 1 >>Saturday, March 12thMy friends and I woke up at 6:00 AM to see if any of the buses were running and going to the airport. I had made a bus reservation for 6:45 AM that would take them directly to Narita Airport. Their flight to Chicago was scheduled to depart at 11:20 AM. However, we couldn’t get through to the bus company and the hotel staff said no buses were running and all the taxis were in …
An Unforgettable Experience in Japan - Part 1
May 23, 2011 • Kristin Hanaoka
Friday, March 11On Friday, March 11, 2011, my life was turned upside down. A 9.0 earthquake struck the northeastern coast of Japan, followed by a massive tsunami that killed more than 8,100 people, left 12,000 missing and displaced 452,000 people. Since March 11th, there have been close to 1,000 aftershocks felt all over Japan, including over six quakes around Fukushima and the northern Ibaraki area. There have been mounting fears about the Fukushima nuclear reactors and radiation as well as …