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The 1948 Fukui Earthquake

2017.06.28

Occurrences

69 years ago of today, the 1948 Fukui earthquake occurred.

 

I would like to share a video of 8282typhoon.

*Only Japanese version available.

The magnitude 7.1 struck Fukui city and towns / villages around the city at 4:14 pm (5:14pm for summer time at that time) on June 28th, 1948. Almost every house was destroyed. 36,184 houses were destroyed completely, half parts of 11,816 houses were remained, 3,851 houses were burned down and 3,769 peopled died from the earthquake.

Reference from Kotobank (only available in Japanese)

( https://kotobank.jp/word/%E7%A6%8F%E4%BA%95%E5%9C%B0%E9%9C%87-123885)

 

My grandmother’s sister experienced the 1948 Fukui earthquake. According to her, she saw some people under the movie theatre which was destroyed and they were stuck. And she also many buildings were on fire.

 

I can never imagine how bad it was but I’m sure that everyone was scared and panicked.
The residents of Fukui and the places in Fukui were seriously damaged, but somehow they reconstructed everything. I am sure that it was not easy at all for everyone after losing their family and friends, and houses. They were strong and I would like to follow their strength.

 

Therefore, the symbol for Fukui City and the citizens is the phoenix.

 

~Reference from Fukui City’s website.~

(http://www.city.fukui.lg.jp/d620/syougai/kensyo/index.html)

* Only available in Japanese

 

The origin of Fukui’s symbol (phoenix)

 

Phoenix looks like an eagle and it has red or gold wings. When a phoenix is ready to die, it flies into fire, it burns itself and it regenerates itself from the ash.

 

Like phoenix, Fukui was greatly damaged from the war and earthquake but Fukui was reconstructed. The effort that the citizens of Fukui City made to reconstruct everything is similar to how strong and beautiful phoenix. Therefore, the symbol for Fukui City and the citizens became the phoenix.

 

People put so much effort and time to make Fukui City this beautiful and comfortable to live.

I would like to continue spreading the charms of Fukui City as much as possible.

 

T.F

World Trade Center / 15 years since the 911

2016.09.12

Occurrences

On September 11th, 2001, there were terrorist attacks in the United States which shocked

the US and the world.

 

The terrorists attacked New York, Washington, D.C. and Shanksville, Pennsylvania and killed nearly 3,000 people, injured thousands more. The attacks left the entire country in mourning.

 

I used to live in New York and my apartment was a little distant from the World Trade Center which were attacked and collapsed by terrorists. I still remember that morning clearly.

 

Even from a distance, I could see so much smoke coming out from the World Trade Center which made me stunned and speechless. I kept hearing sirens of ambulances and police cars all day long. The connections for home phones, public phones and cellphones became poor and all the transportation system was dead. The whole city was in chaos. The road was filled with no means of returning home and those people were walking sadly.

 

A week had passed by since the World Trade Center collapsed, I visited the World Trade Center area. There were many police officers, emergency workers and volunteers looking for missing people from under the destroyed buildings. The smoke was still coming out.

Because there were still hopes that people might be still alive under the buildings and possibilities of explosions or fires, the atmosphere of the area was tense.

 

There were American flags and many photographs of people who were still missing everywhere.

 

There were also tanks and soldiers from New York National Guard standing

on the corner of busy areas in the city.

 

Smiles were gone completely in the city for a while.

 

15 years has been passes by since that terrorist attacks, and there is new building built called “One World Trade Center (also known as the Freedom Tower)” on the same area where the World Trade Center buildings used to be. The construction was started on April 27th, 2006, completed on July 2013, and opened on November 3rd, 2014. The name of the building was changed from “Freedom Tower” to “One World Trade Center” because to remember the original name and what happened to the old buildings.

 

In May, 2014, “911 Memorial Museum” was opened.

 

And since March 11th, 2002, “Tribute in Light” was started by Municipal Art Society and it has been lighting up the sky of New York from where the World Trade Center used to be.

 

As I will not forget what happened on September 11th, 2001 in New York and what I saw there, I strongly hope terrorism will be stopped.

 

I would like to share a video of “Cameron Michael”, “9-11 Tribute in Light”.

T.F

 

We would like to express our deepest sympathy to all those who passed away from the terrorist attacks.

Earthquake in Japan / How to support Kumamoto and Oita Area

2016.04.22

Occurrences

Magnitude 7.3 earthquake hit southern Japan, Kumamoto on April 14th, 2016

and the aftershocks are continuing even now.  

 

I would like to share the video of “earthsky102”, “Breaking: Daybreak in Japan

and Flyover of Earthquake Damage#JapanQuake#Japan” to show you what happened.

 

 

This is the video right after the earthquake occurred,

so the damages in the stricken area are getting much worse now.

More people need food, water, place to rest and everything between.

 

What can we do? How can we help? There are things which we can do to help.

We can actually go there. And if we cannot go there physically,

we can send relief goods from wherever we are.

We can also donate money to charitable organizations.

 

 

 

At Fukui City Hall, there is a temporary reception desk for acceptance of relief supplies.

( April 20th, 2016~April 23rd, 2016, from 8:30-17:15)

 

They also accept donation money as well.

( April 20th, 2016~April 23rd, 2016, from 8:30-17:15)

 

 

You can also send relief supplies and/or donation money to the stricken area

through Red Cross near you.

 

*Japanese Red Cross Society

 

*The Red Cross Society of the Republic of China (Taiwan)

 

*Korean Red Cross

 

*American Red Cross

 

*British Red Cross

 

As you can see, there are many Red Cross in the world. 

If you don’t see the one which is near you from the above,

please find the nearest one in your area from the website.

 

Of course, other groups and organizations are available.

 

We can help!

 

T.F

Rush to the scene of the Kumamoto earthquake!

2016.04.21

Occurrences

Our company’s main business is the management of coin-parking lots and
we have ones which we operate in Kumamoto Prefecture as well.
When the Kumamoto earthquake occurred, staff members of Fukuoka Branch of our company rushed to the coin-parking lots in Kumamoto City.
On arrival, they started to put the locked plates down by hands due to power outage.
Under the tense situation, they sent a photo of Kumamoto Castle partly collapsed to us.

 

Kumamoto Castle is one of the largest castles in Japan.
However, the many tiles fell down, a turret and the stone wall collapsed.
I’ve heard that it takes 20 years and costs a mind-bogglingly huge amount of money
to recover.
Our Fukuoka Branch is near the affected area,
and a staff member quickly brought toilet paper as relief supply to a designated place.
I believe that they will continue steady activities to support the disaster area. (H.S)

The Kumamoto Earthquake

2016.04.18

Occurrences

The strong earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture and other cities in the Kyushu region
from 14th to 16th April, which caused extensive damage and left 42 people dead
and over 1,000 people injured.
More than hundred thousand people have been force to live in evacuation shelters,
which makes me feel pain in my heart.
This past weekend, Fukui JC members were raising funds for the disaster areas at Fukui Station so I donated a little bit of money.

 

Fukui City, which is a friendship city of Kumamoto City, has dispatched tow officials to
Kumamoto City as an advance party.
Also, they have sent relief goods and water trucks one after another.
Kumamoto City and Fukui City conclude a cooperation agreement in case of disasters.
For example, when Fukui City was hit by heavy rain in 2004
Kumamoto City dispatched officials and delivered relief supplies to Fukui City.

Fukui City’s officials load up the truck with relief supplies (from CHUNICHI web)

 

As a matter of fact, Fukui City has had a deep relationship with Kumamoto City
because Shungaku MATSUDAIRA, the feudal lord of Fukui Domain, whose lawful wife was
from Kumamoto Domain at the end of the Edo period.
Because of such background, they formed friendship cities.

 

I can only pray that the earthquake activity ends and the affected people will be able to return to a normal life as soon as possible. (H.S)

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