It seemed surreal as I disembarked at Narita Airport. Nothing looked different. I had done this before. The buses were on time, the trains were running, everyone was polite and smiling. It was as if, here in Ibaraki, the earthquake had never happened.
The next morning the sun's rays highlighted the differences. Stairs were barricaded because they were unstable, sidewalks were still shifted and cracked, debris and sand were everywhere, and Hirono still had no power or water. It has been two months since the quake and the coast barely looks like anything has been done. Driving down the highway along the ocean you can see all the trees are bent over from the weight of the tsunami's water. A lone car is almost hidden, crushed amonst the forest. We stopped in Yotsukura to take pictures of the wreckage. There was broken glass, twisted metal, and garbage everywhere. The supermarket with giant holes through the walls where the tsunami pushed through. Roofs with no walls to support them surrounded by childrens' toys. Soaked futons left in empty shells of homes. It was heart breaking.
But there were volunteers forming lines to clear the rubble and construction workers using machinery to move the debris into organized piles to be sorted. Hirono hardly looked any different on my side of town. Even more amazing was that there are still people working there. Maybe less than 200 of the 5000 people that used to live in Hirono. It is easy to feel safe there. I know the town, my apartment looks the same, it's spring and the flowers are in bloom. But the Japanese are afraid. When I get out of the car with only a t-shirt and shorts they balk. No mask?! No long sleeves and pants?! They quickly ushered me indoors.
I was surprised how little time it took to pack up my belongings. I thought it would take days! I had lived here for 7 months and felt like it would take ages to pack all those experiences. But instead I finished in a day and still didn't feel like leaving. I was leaving my home. And to return to what? A cheap hotel in Iwaki where it is supposedly safe? I'd rather have stayed in Hirono if they would have let me.
No comments:
Post a Comment