7 The Tohoku (East Japan) Earthquake

Japan Matters in 2013/14

Fukushima

Tuesday 11 March 2014 from 6.30 pm
‘The third anniversary of the Tohoku (East Japan) Earthquake: A short film screening’
Wellington Church, 77 Southpark Avenue, Glasgow G12 8LE

This special Japan Matters event was co-organised by Japan Desk Scotland, with grant from the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation, and Japanese Matsuri for Glasgow, a recognised Scottish charity (SC 034172), to mark the third anniversary of the earthquake together.  It was supported by Wellington Church.

There was the screening of JDS’s ‘Our friends in Fukushima in 2013’ (which is now called ‘100 Bq/Kg, 0.23 μSv/h: The standard of living in Fukushima’), a sequel to its ‘Our friends in Fukushima‘ shown at the Japan Matters in March 2013 to mark the second anniversary, the talk by Paul Hannigan, a JMG member, of his voluntary work last summer in Noda Village affected by the tsunami, the singing of a hymn ‘Tsunami Memorial‘ written by Rev David Sinclair, Wellington Church, and prayer offered by David for those affected by the earthquake (reprinted below).  A donation of £220.25 was raised, which has been sent by JMG to Noda and Fudai Village Offices through Kunohe Village Office, Iwate Prefecture, with which JMG has developed exchanges over the years.

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Prayer for the Third Anniversary of the North Japan Earthquake: 11th March 2014

David Sinclair

We remember today, Lord God.

We remember the movement of the earth
the shaking of lives, as well as buildings
the trembling of hearts, as well as tower blocks
the cracking open of fears, as well as road

We remember the surging of the seas
the inexorable flood of destruction
the unstoppable wave of death
the inescapable wall of water

We remember Fukushima
the exposure
the explosion
the exhalation

We remember those who survived all this
survived with their lives but little else
survived without their homes
or their towns
or their possessions
survived without their loved ones

We remember those who continue to work to rebuild
to rebuild defences
to rebuild communities
to rebuild lives
to rebuild confidence
to rebuild hope

We remember those who have worked
to make Fukushima safe
while putting their own health
and well being
at risk

All this we remember, Lord God
All this we hold before you
in our thoughts and in our prayers
in our hopes and in our fears
in our today and in our tomorrows
And we pray
for your strength and your hope
for your courage and your grace
that we may all contribute

to a tomorrow
that is better than yesterday
to a life
which will not give death dominion
to a faith
that can say with the psalmist:

God is our refuge and strength
a very present help in trouble
Therefore we will not fear
though  the earth should change
though the mountains shake
in the heart of the sea
though its waters roar and foam
though the mountains tremble
with its tumult

Amen