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AsahinaKimi

(20,776 posts)
Mon Mar 11, 2013, 05:25 AM Mar 2013

"Please, do NOT pray for Japan.." [View all]

Last edited Tue Mar 12, 2013, 09:11 PM - Edit history (1)



Today of course is the anniversary of 3/11 the Tsunami and Earthquake in Japan. I was trying to think about something to write about, and so I want to relate a story about what happened shortly after 3/11.

Some of you may know that I do hang out in some chat rooms, that are open to international traffic. Because of this I have made many close friends in Asia. Places like Taiwan, Beijing, The Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea and of course Japan.

After the Earthquake and Tsunami, one of my close friends told me he had lost some close friends there. I, of course asked him what I might do and the first thing he said, surprised me.

"Well first of all, do not tell me you want to Pray for Japan! I am sick to death of hearing this. Prayers will not provide people with blankets, food, and shelter. Japanese are mostly atheists anyway. They do follow Shinto and Buddhism but not to the point that they believe that there will be divine intervention. That some God will swoop down and save people from the on rushing waters of the ocean. What you can do is donate if you wish. Any amount will help."

He thanked me and said he was really too upset to talk any further about what had happened. He was correct, people were saying on twitter and other places on the internet that they would like to offer their prayers to Japan. To the people who lived in areas, that had ended up looking like this..



Prayers were not what they needed. In my experience, Japanese were ALL profoundly moved by all the help and good wishes they received. By and large, most Japanese have no idea that their small country is important to Americans at all. They do not feel they are important to the US in the same way they feel the US is important to them -and they were all moved by the aid they received.

I rallied many of my friends on line to dig in and donate. Over a span of four months I had donated 800 US dollars to Japan's relief effort. Many of my friends did what they could. Some only because they loved Anime, or loved to watch Japanese Drama, or loved listening to Jpop, Jrock and Visuel Kei. Many of us were concerned about our friends who seemed to go missing during that time period. Fortunately they all returned to the website and checked in with us to tell us they were okay, and had to help out locally.

It was during this time period I had started on DU a photo of the day posting, trying to keep peoples mind on how this disaster were affecting the people in Japan. There were photos of mass burials, of Buddhist priests saying their quiet prayers over the bodies of those who were gone. (I should note that, for Japanese, Buddhism comes for those who are departing this life, while Shinto and its ideas are for the living.) There were photos from the make shift shelters and mostly photos of the ruined towns taken out by the Tsunami. Of course there was also the news from Fukushima, and how children were given devices like a Geiger counter to use on their way to school to avoid hot spots.

The information was constantly coming from Japan about all that had happened and of those who preformed heroically during this bad situation. Stories of an American Teacher who died saving their students, and the horrific videos of cars being swept away as those inside were helpless to escape. The stories of brave older men, wanting to go into the plant, knowing that radiation might end their long lived lives, only to help save the area from further contamination.

DU was very supportive during that time period. I want to thank many who did donate their hard earned money to help the people of Japan. Americans have always found a way to reach out and send money to those who are in need. Our country has done this again and again in the past and for that I am grateful to all of you who did, and to have been a part in a small way for the relief effort.

some of you may recall seeing this video


**Edited to note this video makes me cry. Like all that has happened it has touched me deeply as well.






116 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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"Please, do NOT pray for Japan.." [View all] AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 OP
I remember the earthquake and tsunami as if it were yesterday malaise Mar 2013 #1
doumo arigatou gozaimasu! AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #4
Here's my original initial thread reporting it here: Hissyspit Mar 2013 #15
How I remember malaise Mar 2013 #16
Who could forget many of those images.. AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #18
Look at posts #80 and #47. Hissyspit Mar 2013 #91
I second that. EXCELLENT post. BeHereNow Mar 2013 #2
doumo arigatou gozaimasu! AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #5
Japan kardonb Mar 2013 #41
My good friend AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #48
Wow. Awesome! lexw Mar 2013 #77
Oh dear, that made me start crying like a baby. smirkymonkey Mar 2013 #84
And..it was just AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #96
Two hands at work do a thousand clasped in prayer. sakabatou Mar 2013 #3
Excellent AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #6
..... A HERETIC I AM Mar 2013 #9
A rare example of man's Humanity to man... ReRe Mar 2013 #7
Thank you for your kind comments AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #8
Very well put davidpdx Mar 2013 #10
I was amazed to hear AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #13
Even though it's hard to say it when it comes to disasters davidpdx Mar 2013 #14
Well spoken! Katashi_itto Mar 2013 #11
Arigatou ! AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #12
I watched the 2nd anniversary memorial service on NHK-TV today Art_from_Ark Mar 2013 #17
50,000 souls perished that day. Bonobo Mar 2013 #19
This was so lovely, and appropriate AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #20
A very famous poem. Bonobo Mar 2013 #21
Respectfully RobertEarl Mar 2013 #71
Respectfully Bonobo Mar 2013 #78
50,000 deaths? Are you sure? RobertEarl Mar 2013 #80
It's 25,000. You're right. Bonobo Mar 2013 #81
Our local PBS has been running the "NOVA" episode on the tsunami. GoCubsGo Mar 2013 #22
Found this photo in AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #26
That is a frightening picture Marrah_G Mar 2013 #28
It was.. the one I remember most though AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #66
OMG Marrah_G Mar 2013 #67
Just found this one in my files. AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #115
Whoa... zappaman Mar 2013 #70
Really... AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #73
They discussed Fukushima in the NOVA episode. GoCubsGo Mar 2013 #43
I remember this... AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #49
It turns out that, ultimately, the tsunami was irrelevant to the meltdown. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #45
I am so sorry. Fire Walk With Me Mar 2013 #23
Rec. progressoid Mar 2013 #24
A well deserved K & R. davidthegnome Mar 2013 #25
Today I just got an email from GlobalGiving AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #27
I was going to ask where I might best give at this point tavalon Mar 2013 #82
You are welcome.. AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #98
Made me cry too...Thanks for posting BlueCollar Mar 2013 #29
The Light Before We Land (The Delgados) AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #112
Prayer: An excellent way to sit on your ass and still feel like you helped. [nt] Jester Messiah Mar 2013 #30
Dear AsahinaKimi tomodachi tblue Mar 2013 #31
I just posted this in Video and Multimedia AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #33
Thanks AsahinaKimi Generic Other Mar 2013 #93
I had forgotten about this one..so AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #95
Arigatou AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #34
K&R n/t whatchamacallit Mar 2013 #32
BBC News Panorama Documentary: Japan Tsunami: The Survivors' Stories AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #35
Thanks, I'll watch it this afternoon whatchamacallit Mar 2013 #37
Kick and Rec! n/t zappaman Mar 2013 #36
Japan M9.0 earthquake and tsunami: How it happened on 11 March 2011. AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #38
This was very good catchnrelease Mar 2013 #55
I have found a few other videos AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #56
EVERY nation's life involves me... for I am involved in humanity TygrBright Mar 2013 #39
Lovely, TygrBright! babylonsister Mar 2013 #88
You know what I usually tell people who will pray regardless nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #40
not only religious but AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #47
Yup, and I usually go biblical on them as well nadinbrzezinski Mar 2013 #50
Japan means the world to me. Octafish Mar 2013 #42
Prayer does fuckall. AtheistCrusader Mar 2013 #44
Thanks, I am so sick of people thinking that prayer makes any real difference. RoccoR5955 Mar 2013 #46
Two years ago AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #99
K&R midnight Mar 2013 #51
Surviving the Tsunami (NOVA) AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #52
Each story is an amazing example of not giving up..... midnight Mar 2013 #86
k&r rhett o rick Mar 2013 #53
I didn't pray for them but I 'liked' the recovery efforts on Facebook Bay Boy Mar 2013 #54
Where are the best places to donate? LongTomH Mar 2013 #57
see message #27 AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #58
OK, I missed that. I did Google up some links! LongTomH Mar 2013 #59
GREAT post, Kimi!!!! gateley Mar 2013 #60
Aw thanks.. AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #62
k&r... spanone Mar 2013 #61
thanks for the AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #63
thank you, asahinaKimi for all your wonderful bbgrunt Mar 2013 #64
Thank you for your kind AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #65
NPR today locks Mar 2013 #68
Thank you for posting that video Lifelong Protester Mar 2013 #69
Some of the AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #72
Thank you for your beautiful, commemorative post on Japan's Earthquake Cha Mar 2013 #74
That is awesome. AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #75
We did "dodge a bullet" here. We evacuated for the night from Cha Mar 2013 #76
Excellent post, Kimi... opiate69 Mar 2013 #79
Believe me I know how you feel. AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #97
Prayer RedCappedBandit Mar 2013 #83
There are none more ignorant and useless Codeine Mar 2013 #85
check this out... AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #102
I am just a mess after reading through this post. smirkymonkey Mar 2013 #87
Not only that but we AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #104
Recommend with thanks! babylonsister Mar 2013 #89
awww AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #103
"Well first of all, do not tell me you want to Pray for (insert place here)." Lady Freedom Returns Mar 2013 #90
check out my recent post.. AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #101
Sadly, I can't watch. PTSD issues. Lady Freedom Returns Mar 2013 #108
it wasn't referring to the video AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #109
Sorry, link for some reason sent me to post 52 not 99 the first time around. Lady Freedom Returns Mar 2013 #110
its okay AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #111
K&R awoke_in_2003 Mar 2013 #92
all I remember about the quake was Japan stole $50 million in donations PatrynXX Mar 2013 #94
I don't think you can blame this entirely on AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #105
"All I remember" Bonobo Mar 2013 #116
I donated Skittles Mar 2013 #100
Most Honored AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #106
awwwww Skittles Mar 2013 #107
I had never seen that video! Le Taz Hot Mar 2013 #113
You are not alone AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #114
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