Seven years have passed.

It has been 7 years since the big earthquake in eastern Japan occurred today. I was seeing an ophthalmologist who gave me a diagnosis of cataracts when the earthquake occurred and was rushing back to my office after that. At this time on the day, I was struck dumb at the mess in my room of the office. Everything has fallen on the floor. My precious cello has survived despite of television set was fallen on the floor very close to it.

I have been apathic for a few days. In a couple of days, when I came back on the internet, I was surprised with gratitude to find dozens of e mails from all over the world asking how I was doing were in the mail box. Jim N3JT used to give me a phone call directly. Dave W0FBI, who used to do his military service for 4 years as a doctor in Japan, told me he would return to Japan and work for those suffering from the irradiation due to the nuclear power plant accident. How much I have thanked to all of them! Whenever I remember of those people showing their good will to us, I could not help crying. It was a real disaster but was still a chance to convince me there were good people in the world.  I thought I should change a bit of my way of living after that. I am not sure if I could come on that way. However, I still recall of what I thought that time whenever this anniversary comes on.

There was a charity concert of NY PHilharmonic conducted by Alan Gilbert held in the NYC for Japanese suffers in only 7 days after the disaster. He has expressed supports to us on behalf of the orchestra members. It was Takemitsu's Requiem they performed. I have introduced on the episode and their performance as here.

There are still about 34k people evacuated from Fukushima. Many people are still with the sad memories losing their families. I should not forget them.

We should not take it granted.

The high bands were active again this morning. I have worked a number of statessides on 15m. Unfortunately, the most QSOs were so called rubber stamp type. I could hardly keep anoyone who would quit soon telling me he would do something else or he guessed I might have other callers etc.

One of the pleasant exception was a QSO with a veteran doctor, Dave, W0FBI. Last spring when we were in the terrible mess due to the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear power plant accident, I have run across with him for a few times. He used to stay in Japan as a member of the US Army years ago. He and his wife were worrying about the nuclear power problem so much that they would return to Japan  and volunteer for the sufferers. I told him not to come to Japan since he could do only little for them at that time. He also even offered me to send anything necessary for me. I was really impressed or, I should say, was touched by his serious concern and kind attitude toward us.

 This morning, his signal was not very loud. It seemed he had moved to Ariz. from W0 area. I was almost shocked to hear that he had finished the 2nd course of chemo. He told me that he had had chronic lymphocytic leukemia, which eventually complicated lymphoma recently. He had to undergo the chemo due to the latter illness. I know that type of leukemia itself could be managed by a cutting edge drug. But lymphoma is another issue. I hoped he could get through the chemo and recover from it soon. I am sure he would do it.

As a general rule, however, we should remember each QSO could be the last time ever with that particular person. Too bad losing a chance to know more of someone in a QSO. We should never take it granted as if we could see again easily.

It could be the last time.

Two guys unforgettable with their kindness

Before I forget it, I would write this small but heartwarming episode.

When the aftermath of the nuclear power plant accident was still here and the radioactive substance contamination could spread much more, we were informed

less than we needed about what went on. The US military was going to announce that the US citizens should evacuate farther than 50 miles of radius from the nuclear plants. It was withdrawn soon, though, possibly due to political reasons. They said there had been no such contamination going in the area. But the devastated power plants could have fallen down or could have lost cooling water very easily. The embassy personnels of certain western countries were once told to evacuate to the Western Japan away from the devastated nuclear plants. Being only about 80 miles south west of the nuclear plants, I was feeling that the basics of my life was being collapsed every day.

In such a situation, a ham radio friend, Dave W0FBI has told me he and his wife were ready to visit our country and to help us. He was a retired physician having served in the US army for a long time and was in Japan for 4 years. He seemed quite serious with that proposal. Even though it has not come true, his words was one of the most touching and encouraging proposals those days. Unforatunately, he went silent key due to lymphoma in a couple of years.

Here.

The other person whom I could never forget was Doug ZP6CW. He has been a great CW operator and has been very active on the air. I used to see him often on 15m in our morning hours. The path to Paraguay was always open there even in the bottom of the sun spot cycle. When this place was threatened with contamination by fallout soon after the accident, he abruptly told me to come to Paraguay. His unexpected words of invitation has surprised me a lot. Honestly, it sounded like a kidding to me at first. He was, however, quite serious with that proposal. Of course, I could not leave here throwing all my responsibilities and life itself then. But his seriousness was still unforgettable in my memory. 

In the other post regarding "old QSLs", there was his card in the photo. David N1EA has reminded me of Doug as a superb CW operator. He used to activate a lot of countries shown in the news of his passing from QCWA quoted below. It also reminded me of his kind words in 2011.

Here

So this is the story of two guys whom I could never forget. Through ham radio, I have run across with a lot of people, remarkable as well as respectable with their kindness and personality. These two guys belong to the best people among those in my memory.

The 14th anniversary of East Japan Great Earthquake and consequent nuclear power plant accident in Fukushima

 It is the 14th anniversary of East Japan Great Earthquake and consequent nuclear power plant accident in Fukushima. Almost 20,000 people were killed by the earthquake while the nuclear power accident related victims are counted up to 3800. Due to the nuclear power plant accident, 160,000 people were forced to evacuate at maximum. Still 20,000 evacuees are scattered away from their homeland. 

On this day 14 years ago, I was consulting to an ophthalmologist and was given a diagnosis of cataracts. Going out of the clinic, the earth was starting quaking so much as I have never experienced. Low pitched roaring all around, the power line poles were bending. Some damages at my office and our home but no one was injured. The radio equipments were fallen on the floor at home. In a day, the power line was restored. A lot of inquiries and encouragements have been in the mail box of the internet. Literally, from all over the world. Of course, they were friends whom I had known through ham radio. As written in another post before, an old retired physician Dick W0FBI told me he would visit here with his wife to help people. He used to stay in our country after WWII. I thanked him a lot for his proposal but told him the damaged areas had not been prepared to accept such a volunteer as him and not to visit here at that time. His words have moved me a lot. After an apathic period for 11 days or so, I came back on the air. There were a lot of old friends waiting for me. K5BGB, W6CYX, N3JT and so forth. They have encouraged me a lot. I could never forget them giving me such encouraging words then.

A few days later since the earthquake, the melt down of the fuel has started at 3 reactors of the nuclear power plant. The news of on going melt down has come here every moment. I felt the ground I stood up had been collapsing little by little. With worst scenario, my place about 120km south west of the plant could have been badly polluted by plume from exploded reactors. Fortunately, it was not realized. But, worrying about that worst scenario, I was eagerly doing farm work trying to forget it. In the area where polluted air plumed into, that is, the inland area northwest of the plant as well as along the coast area, there were a lot of people being forced to evacuate. What burden they have had at that time! They have lost the homeland and the community. I believe we should never forget them and what a disaster a nuclear power plant accident could be.  

It has been a peaceful countryside around the nuclear power plant. I have been there a few times. Once with my parents to visit their old friend almost 30 years ago. As wrote in another post, the area the person, a retired noncommissioned officer of salvation army, used to live was totally destroyed with the tsunami. There must be a lot of fallout covering the area. When several years ago I visited there alone again, nothing was left at the place her house used to be present.

Anyway, it is the day of requiem for them. I would spend it as the most others do.

In next monthe, it will be my mother's 14th anniversary. She was at a nursing facility where the life line had been off for a few days. Possibly, due to the stress she had then, she got sick and died next month.