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A Message from Kiyokazu Ota, Consul General of Japan in Seattle, Regarding the 2011 Tohoku district - off the Pacific Ocean Earthquake (Mar.16, 2011)
My friends in Seattle and Washington State,
I would like to take this opportunity to express my profound appreciation of the messages of sympathy we have received so far in response to the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the northeastern region of Japan on Friday, March 11th. Your compassion is deeply touching for us.
1. Japan is an island state prone to earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes, so we make preparation for natural disasters a national priority. We have invested in a very high level of earthquake-resistant architectural engineering. In 2007, we implemented a nation-wide “Earthquake Early Warning” system that monitors seismic activity and sends warning messages out via television, radio, and cellular phones. These achieve aims such as to give people a few seconds to prepare themselves before the shaking starts and to automatically start the breaking procedure for shinkansen bullet trains.
2. This earthquake was, at magnitude 9.0, the largest in Japan’s recorded history, and the 4th strongest in the world. And yet, not a single high-rise building has collapsed and bullet trains that were running at 200 miles per hour in the affected areas suffered no casualties among thousands of passengers.
The resulting tsunami, however, was much larger than we ever could have imagined. Although we had tsunami warning systems in place, the waves that came one after another were taller than our instruments were designed to measure. Many cities and towns were completely washed away.
3. The government and people of Japan are grieving for the loss of over ten thousand people who have lost their lives or are missing. We share this grief with our family and friends including you in the United States.
The government of Japan, led by Prime Minister Naoto Kan, is determined to do their best to rescue and care for the survivors of the disaster, and cool down the nuclear reactors in Fukushima. Our 128 million citizens are more united than ever in the spirit of helping each other and maintaining peaceful and orderly conduct. Everyone is eager to overcome this three-fold disaster and rebuild the region.
4. Many governments are extending offers of help to Japan, particularly the United States. We have already received disaster relief and rescue teams from the United States, and the USS Ronald Reagan along with a dozen other ships from the 7th fleet are assisting relief efforts along the tsunami-stricken coast. We are extremely grateful for this aid from the United States.
I would like to reiterate my gratitude to the people and government of Washington State for your sympathy and your readiness to help the victims in Japan. We are overwhelmed by your compassion.
A friend in need is a true friend indeed.
Arigatou gozaimashita!
March 16, 2011
Kiyokazu Ota
Consul General of Japan in Seattle