Message from Consul-General Eiji Yamamoto
on the One-Year Anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake
March 11, 2012
Casualties, the dead and missing, number about 19,000. Immense damage was caused to the economy, society, industry and infrastructure. It is now a year since the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011, but the terrifying images resulting from it and the subsequent tsunami are still etched deeply in our hearts.
The global community, including Canada, immediately extended support to the Japanese who fell victim to this unprecedented disaster. This reaffirmed in our minds the importance of international fellowship and kizuna (bond).
Our Consulate-General immediately began receiving messages of sympathy, well wishes and encouragement from ordinary citizens as well as dignitaries such as Lieutenant Governor of Ontario The Honourable David Onley. In addition, countless agencies, businesses, educational institutions and organizations held a wide variety of fundraising activities in support of relief efforts. Some still continue today. On behalf of all staff here at the Consulate-General of Japan, I would like to extend to everyone our heartfelt gratitude.
On this anniversary, the Government of Japan and the Consulate-General would like once again to extend our sympathies and condolences to the victims of the earthquake, to those who lost family and friends and to those whose homes and livelihoods were taken. At the same time, we commend and pay respect to their unwavering courage and resilience as we witness the progress of Japan’s recovery.
To reciprocate for the support we received from the international community, the Government of Japan is determined to realize human security, as well as to participate actively in international cooperation in order to solve the various issues facing the world today. Japan will share the lessons learned from the earthquake and subsequent nuclear accident, and will aggressively pursue recovery, disaster prevention, ways of shifting to a green economy, solutions to the shrinking birth rate and aging society, as well as economic cooperation at the highest levels.
There are still many things that must be done in the disaster affected areas. However, life in most parts of Japan has returned to normal. I hope Canadians will not hesitate to visit Japan for business, tourism or studies.
I hope we can count on everyone’s continued support of Japan.
Eiji Yamamoto
Consul-General of Japan