No doubt the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit the Tohoku area of Japan is a national tragedy. And the nuclear power plant crisis in Fukushima has shaken the whole country. (It also created many self-proclaimed “nuclear experts” overnight!)
But why is it reported overseas as though the entire country of Japan is sinking, on fire or contaminated? Why have the tours from overseas to Kyushu and even to Okinawa been canceled?! Why are some countries refusing to buy towels from Shikoku?
I pondered. Ha, maybe most people overseas are looking at this map aired by Fox News!
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That may explain why an American living in Nagasaki got a frantic message from his mom back home begging him to leave: “It’s so close to Sendai!”
(Nagasaki is in Kyushu, 1100 km or 680 miles from Fukushima.)
My suspicion is that Germany has its own version of a whacked Japan map because my friend in Kobe (580 km or 360 miles southwest of Fukushima) got an e-mail from his friend in Germany: “I’ve prepared a room for you in my house. You should get out of Japan now!” A German resident of Hiroshima left Japan after her parents begged her to leave. (Hiroshima is 810 km or 500 miles from Fukushima.) She has returned since.
So for those who don’t know where Tohoku is or, what the heck, for those who still believe Japan is in China, here is an official map.
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The areas hardest hit by the tsunami are coastal areas of Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima Prefectures followed by Ibaraki Prefecture.
Check out Google Interactive Maps.
Now you can see that Fukushima ≠ Japan. There’s much more to Japan!
(BTW, before the quake, the common perception was Tokyo = Japan, which infuriates many non-Tokyoites, especially Osakans!)
Whenever Tokyoites scream, “Another aftershock!”, Western Japanese scratch their heads, “What aftershock?”
In fact, people in Western Japan are just like you—watching the events on TV or Internet. (We admit that most of us in Western Japan had to review Tohoku Geography 101 ourselves...)
Take this as an opportunity to explore Japan, an often beautiful and intriguing place.
There are places north, south and west of Fukushima that are indisputably safe.
People need to know that. (Even in Fukushima, it’s only a small area that has been affected.)
Check out Google Interactive Maps.
Now you can see that Fukushima ≠ Japan. There’s much more to Japan!
(BTW, before the quake, the common perception was Tokyo = Japan, which infuriates many non-Tokyoites, especially Osakans!)
Whenever Tokyoites scream, “Another aftershock!”, Western Japanese scratch their heads, “What aftershock?”
In fact, people in Western Japan are just like you—watching the events on TV or Internet. (We admit that most of us in Western Japan had to review Tohoku Geography 101 ourselves...)
Take this as an opportunity to explore Japan, an often beautiful and intriguing place.
There are places north, south and west of Fukushima that are indisputably safe.
People need to know that. (Even in Fukushima, it’s only a small area that has been affected.)