Tanka poems against the war

Two years have passed since the Great Tsunami and the severe accident of Fukushima-daiichi nuclear power plant. I still can't believe that tens of thousands of people are induced to live in the area radioactively contaminated, and that vast areas of Tohoku are still empty only with some roads and debris. Japanese government and economic powers are acting as if there were no serious problems, especially in Fukushima, and trying to make us believe the same by using mass-media.



My home town Kobe was severely destroyed by the great earthquake in 1995. And I still remember how sad I felt while people outside Kobe started forgetting about our straggle and sorrow.



On March 11th in 2013, two years after the tragedy, we held a small gathering to commemorate the day and share the straggle and sorrow of people in Tohoku. On the main street of Kobe, many people stopped to light candles and sing a song for people in the devastated areas.


A poet who wrote a poem only for this event describes the bond between Tohoku and Kobe: "It is the one between those who are trying to stand up on their own feet and those who have tried to do so."

Just like the candle lights, all we can do is just a small thing, but we will always remember, and pray for the people in Tohoku.