Admiring the Japanese - one month after the Devastating Earthquake on 11 March 2011

Four weeks back Japan suffered the worst living nightmare in its recorded  earthquake history. The videos only generalise the enormity of the disastrous earthquake which is  10 on the Richter scale. More than 10,000 people are dead and twice more recorded as missing. The calamity multiplies in severity with the resultant tsunami and the radiation fear from badly damaged nuclear plants in the areas worst affected.

A picture is worth a thousand words and a Video multiplies those words. I have re-posted three selected videos from youtube to just indicate the extent of the calamity.

Words cannot describe the extensive annihilation that follows and the radiation fear that hugs the people of Japan.  Heart-rending videos flooded our TV lounges. Our heart goes out to them. Despite the complete loss of possessions and lives the Japanese people have shown to the world what a disciplined and dignified people they are. There is hardly a loss of social order, opportunistic profiteering, looting and fighting. People quickly get organised and infrastructures are speedily repaired.  Indeed they are just an amazing people.

Japan is wealthy and its people  are hard working. They thrive socially and economically in a resource-poor environment. The disaster has set back Japan economically in many ways but I believe the Japanese will rise to the occasion and rebuild in no time.

It seems to me the Japanese are resourceful because of the geographical make up of their country and the potential threats of earthquake as their islands are surrounded by active volcanoes termed as the "Pacific Ring of Fire". Nature and natural disasters bring out the best in the peoples' characteristics when they learn to act and feel as one people in the spirit of interdependence.

SAKURA- Lovely Japanese cherry blossoms

In Malaysia while we are grateful that we do not suffer from devastating natural disaster, we find that we are lacking some positive attributes of a great people. If only we could learn from the Japanese.... no, not only in manufacturing cars.

Japan is one of our world's productive members. They have given so much to the world such as cars, walkman (precursor of iPod), Sony, Mitsubishi, National-Panasonic, slippers, sumo wrestling, Ninja, shushi, Kaizen, 5S you name it, they are all from Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun. So in their hour of need the world should come together to support them.The earlier Japan recovers, the better it is for the world.

When I drive my Toyota Camry, I think of Japan fondly. I am also a hardcore fan of Kose, Shiseido and Noritake porcelain and would have loved to learn karate!