Japan Earthquake

General discussion (non-Usagi Yojimbo related) about all things Japan -- Feudal Japan, Samurai, Ninjas, Anime & Manga, Chambara films, Japanese Pop Culture, Otaku, martial arts, history, sushi, giant robots, Godzilla... anything Japan-related!

Moderators: Mayhem, Steve Hubbell, Moderators

User avatar
Maka
Daimyo <High-Ranking Lord>
Posts: 3498
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2003 20:10 -0700
Location: California

Japan Earthquake

Post by Maka »

Hello UYDers,

As you all probably know there was a massive earthquake in Japan that cause tsunamis and warnings. Please keep Japan, the Pac Rim, Hawaii and other areas affected in your thoughts and prayers.

Matt Alt was quoted on cnn:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/0 ... 1&iref=BN1

And Matt's twitter feed: http://twitter.com/#!/Matt_Alt

Peace, maka
User avatar
coolray85
Shugyosha<Student Warrior>
Posts: 800
Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2009 15:49 -0700
Location: munich

Post by coolray85 »

wanted to post in about the same thing....
good luck to all those who have to suffer from the catastrophies!
may peace be with you!
User avatar
Ben
Shugyosha<Student Warrior>
Posts: 441
Joined: Wed Dec 07, 2005 22:30 -0700

Post by Ben »

Good grief. This earthquake is already being recorded as the most powerful in Japan's history. Seeing how this is Japan we're talking about, you know it's serious.

Best of karma - and luck - to everyone over there.
User avatar
khyron82
Shugyosha<Student Warrior>
Posts: 112
Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2008 21:12 -0700
Location: Pacific Northwest

Post by khyron82 »

Was able to contact my friend in Tatebayashi on Friday via email (the only reliable communication system at the time). Got rattled at work pretty hard, but is okay. She and her coworkers are busy putting the HobbyLink Japan warehouse back into order this weekend.
User avatar
coolray85
Shugyosha<Student Warrior>
Posts: 800
Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2009 15:49 -0700
Location: munich

Post by coolray85 »

glad to hear your friends are okay.
I just read about the danger of a nuclear catastrophy luring in the air right now....it is an absurdly unfortunate situation over there..imagine the damage the earthquake and the tsunami wave caused, so people who survived that consider themselves lucky even if that may mean that they have lost their houses and eveything at the same time...so in some places they're outwaiting icecold nights on rooftops to be singularly picked up by rescue helicopters....tragic circumstances so far, now they need food and water supplies, yet of course most of the shops are closed...(and they most likely don't have money to buy thse things I imagine....)and then they even have to fear nuclear fallout!.....I don't want to sound overly drammatic here but these are surely pretty tough times for the people of japan....
so my spirit and hopes go out to them!
User avatar
PJaensch
Shugyosha<Student Warrior>
Posts: 104
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2010 22:53 -0700

Post by PJaensch »

Just an FYI, I understand the American Red Cross and Salvation Army are assisting in relief efforts. Anyone interested in making a donation to help might want to check those sites to see if they are involved.

I finally heard from the last of my friends over there today that he, his family and his wife's family are all safe. Many others are clearly not so fortunate.
User avatar
Todd Shogun
Shogun
Posts: 1916
Joined: Fri Sep 20, 2002 12:43 -0700
Location: Orange Co., California
Contact:

Post by Todd Shogun »

I can't believe the devastation and loss of life sustained because of this earthquake. My heart goes out to all of Japan and those impacted by this terrible disaster. I was in contact with UYD-Hatamoto David Royer who lives in Japan on Friday morning and he described some pretty terrible stuff. I was actually woken up early Friday morning by my Emergency Services department at work to see if we need to open our emergency center due to a Tsunami advisory...I was like HUH???? (I work for a public utility and am the Lead for my Region's emergency operations). Then I went on Facebook and started reading up.

I have already made several donations. I know times are tough for everyone financially nowadays but if anyone has seen the devastation the earthquake caused (it's all over the internet), I think a donation in any amount would go a long way to helping get relief to the survivors of this tragedy. Please donate if you can.

Thank you

Todd
User avatar
Jet_Jaguar
Shugyosha<Student Warrior>
Posts: 1281
Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2007 21:37 -0700
Location: TX, United States

Post by Jet_Jaguar »

I hope all UY Dojo members and their friends and family affected by this terrible disaster are ok. It's something I have a hard time even comprehending; the biggest disasters I've ever experienced firsthand are a couple of fairly minor tornadoes, so I don't feel like I even have a frame of reference to really understand what's going on in Japan right now.

I've had this is piece of music by Ryuichi Sakamoto playing in my head for the past few days when I think about how the human toll of this disaster:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwhYiHJq16c

If you want to help out financially, make sure you do a little research and make sure that your money is going toward a reputable organization. Mark Evanier advises anyone who was planning to send donations to his site to send it to Operation USA instead.

http://www.newsfromme.com/archives/2011 ... tml#020349

http://www.opusa.org/
"It doesn't matter whom you are paired against;
your opponent is always yourself."

-Nakamura (via Joe R. Lansdale's Mucho Mojo)
User avatar
Stan Sakai
Sensei
Posts: 4896
Joined: Wed Sep 18, 2002 12:21 -0700

Post by Stan Sakai »

I am in Hawaii right now for a niece's wedding, which is why I have not posted for awhile. We arrived Thursday, just in time for the tsunami alert here. It's been awhile since I had heard the tsunami sirens. There were some damage--mostly on the Big Island. I'm in Honolulu, and we evacuated Sharon's mom who lives fairly close to Waikiki Beach.

There is such a close connection between Hawaii and Japan, and so we have been getting a lot more updates than the mainland. The devastation is horrific. Japan is going to take a long time to recover. Right now, the best way you can help is to give a monetary donation. There are so many relief organizations that are already at work in the area--Red Cross, Operation USA, World Vision, etc.
Fred925
Shugyosha<Student Warrior>
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2011 17:40 -0700

Japan fund raising for the red cross

Post by Fred925 »

Hello Stan,

I am contacting several artists to print a mini art book, each page will be a drawing from a different artist.

I was wondering if you will be interested and have time to participate. Some artist gave me the right to print a art that done for a convention and releated to Japan.

you can contact me at portal_frederic@yahoo.com

thanks

Frederic
User avatar
Jet_Jaguar
Shugyosha<Student Warrior>
Posts: 1281
Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2007 21:37 -0700
Location: TX, United States

Post by Jet_Jaguar »

LA anime and art communities join in We Heart Japan benefit

http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/20 ... n-benefit/
"It doesn't matter whom you are paired against;
your opponent is always yourself."

-Nakamura (via Joe R. Lansdale's Mucho Mojo)
User avatar
coolray85
Shugyosha<Student Warrior>
Posts: 800
Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2009 15:49 -0700
Location: munich

Post by coolray85 »

great thing!!!
User avatar
Ben
Shugyosha<Student Warrior>
Posts: 441
Joined: Wed Dec 07, 2005 22:30 -0700

Post by Ben »

One of the creepiest videos I've seen from the disaster; aerial footage of the tsunami taken from a helicopter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsKf9jl8Nh4

The most frightening detail in this footage is the sight of tiny vehicles moving along roads about to be consumed by the flood with all the helplessness of ants.
User avatar
Maka
Daimyo <High-Ranking Lord>
Posts: 3498
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2003 20:10 -0700
Location: California

Post by Maka »

Hello UY Dojo,

I'm fortunate and grateful that my relatives in Japan are accounted for.

I discovered this photoblog that has a one man's perspective of what happening in Tokyo. http://shoottokyo.com/

It is amazing with the Web 2.0 (facebook, tumblr, twitter, etc) that we can discover news beyond the mass media of ABC, CNN, etc.

Peace, maka
User avatar
Maka
Daimyo <High-Ranking Lord>
Posts: 3498
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2003 20:10 -0700
Location: California

Post by Maka »

Here's a small art auction to help japan:

http://shop.thepostercauseproject.com/c ... ief-prints

Image

Peace, maka
Post Reply