Community Corner

Memories of Sendai Won't be Washed Away

Novato Patch editor recalls a 1989 visit to the city that was hit hardest by the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

I spent one day 22 years ago sitting around a conference table talking with executives at a power plant in the Japanese city of Sendai. I was there to help a college friend who was teaching English to businessmen, and my volunteer role was to just have simple conversations with the smiling men in suits and ties.

I can’t image that power plant is there anymore based on the video I’ve seen the past few days on the devastation from the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on Friday.

I have lots of memories from my August 1989 visit to Sendai, a coastal city about two hours north of Tokyo. After riding the shinkansen (bullet train) up north, I stayed in the tiny apartment rented by my friend Paul, who had been a dorm mate of mine at San Jose State a few years earlier. Paul taught English all over Sendai and was spending two years living there, so I took a 10-day vacation and crash landed at his place, absorbing the culture at the speed of that bullet train.

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The shopping district of Sendai was bustling during the annual Ubon Festival, and there were decorations everywhere. Paul and I stuffed ourselves with noodles, sashimi and Kirin beer. We met up with fellow gaijin — in this case other folks from the U.S., Canada and Australia who were there teaching English — and pushed Sendai’s nightlife offerings to the limit.

The national high school baseball tournament was going on, and I watched many games on TV. Later I’d get to a professional game between the Hanshin Tigers and the Yokohama Taiyo Whales; I recall seeing Cecil Fielder hit a ball out of the park. Paul and I rode bikes around the hills and visited Shinto shrines despite the gawd-awful humidity that reminded me of my childhood in suburban Chicago.

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I remember the basic geography of the city because I’m one of those map-studying geeks. Seeing the overhead views of the devastation now assures me that the tiny apartment where Paul lived was way too close to the river to have survived. Same goes for the English school’s office, the nightclubs we frequented, the newspaper office where I received a tour (the keyboards with kanji characters were amazing) and the department store where I spent too much money on decorative fans and Japanese baseball caps.

With those memories in mind, I’m sharing with you some information about how to help the people of Japan. Consider making a donation, even a small one, to fund their rebuilding efforts. Thanks.

CHECK BEFORE YOU GIVE

Unfortunately, natural disasters bring out all kinds of requests for donations. Many are legitimate, but not all. Here’s a list of nonprofit organizations with handy online tools for checking the reputation of charitable organizations. If you’re unsure of a group asking for your help, these are ways you may be able to learn more.

Another easy way to help is to check with your local church to see if folks are gathering funds to make a lump-sum donation to a charity.


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