Must Read Article About Japanese Earthquake, Heroism, and Suffering - English translation in text

Original article, with photo, can be found here:
http://sankei.jp.msn.com/politics/news/110329/lcl11032913240000-n1.htm

English Translation:

East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami:
Female Worker Gives Life Broadcasting Emergency Information Until the Last Second
- Mother of the young woman, who was making preparations for her upcoming wedding ceremony: “She gave everything for us.”-

March 29, 2011   13:19

She single-mindedly continued to broadcast evacuation information, telling people to evacuate to higher ground and escape the incoming tsunami wave that followed the massive quake that shook the town.  Miki Endo (24) was the civil servant in charge of Disaster Information Broadcasting in Miyagi Prefecture’s Minami Sanriku, one of the towns devastated by the tsunami that followed the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011.  Her whereabouts are still unknown.  “She always gave her all, in whatever she was doing.  But to give her life like this...,” her mother’s voice trembles with sorrow and regret.  Ms. Endo had been making preparations for her wedding ceremony this autumn.

Kagawa Prefecture's 6th Henro Pilgrimage Experience

On Sunday November 14, 2010, Kagawa's International Affairs Division held the 6th Henro Experience for International Residents and Visitors.  We returned to the route of the inaugural experience from three years earlier - the beautiful Goshikidai Plateau in Sakaide.

Three years ago, we traveled through the plateau's lush greenery on a suprisingly hot late spring day.  This time, we enjoyed the cool weather of late fall and the stunning foliage of the autumn leaves surrounding us.  Though we walked the exact same path on each experience, the change in the atmosphere between the two was truly a testament to the power of nature and the beauty of its seasonal changes.

Sakaide Fall Matsuri

                                  (Photo courtesy of Justin Bussies)

Continuing the proud Sakaide Festival Tradition, we set out on October 17th (in a large group of two!!) to haul a two-ton o-mikoshi (portable festival shrine) around town again with a friendly team of locals.  This time, the main event was a massive gathering in front of the Hachiman Shrine.  There was something quite powerful and cultural about lifting the o-mikoshi here.  Beer and karage (fried chicken) helped fuel the festivities!

                                  (Photo courtesy of Justin Bussies)

Teshima Island Art Trip

As we set out to enjoy the Setouchi International Art Festival at its halfway point, the perfect weather on this day was both a blessing and a curse: it brought a nice comfortable day of exploration around Teshima, but it also brought a slew of other people to the island with us.  However, the waiting in line for boats, busses, food, etc. was all well worth it.  The art and the surrounding nature on Teshima were gorgeous!

                                  (Photo courtesy of Julia Mace)

Our group of 13 foreign and local residents hopped the boat from Takamatsu to Teshima and arrived at the teeming port of Ieura.  We enjoyed the art at the port and then managed to get our whole group on the bus and to the Kou Area on the island's south side.  Over the course of the day, we made our way around the whole island, and conquered a majority of Teshima's artwork..

Among the highlights of the day were:

Cameron Robbins's "Sea-Songs of the Subconscious" in which the sea's waves were mysteriously transmitted through an overturned boat to become a sadly beautiful F-minor chord wafting through the air.

                                  (Photo courtesy of Kurt Nepogoda)

Sakaide Summer Matsuri

Our intrepid band of foreign residents ventured to Sakaide, where we donned happi coats and hachimaki headbands and then proceeded to heft two tons worth of o-mikoshi (a portable festival shrine) for the better part of the evening.

The highlight of the night was when we gathered at Sakaide Station for the festival finale.  People thronged from all over, spilling out of the shopping arcade, the nearby SATY, and the neighboring houses.  The train platform was full of lookers-on as well.

At around 8 p.m., all 11 teams gathered in the station plaza and hoisted their massive o-mikoshi together.  It was spectacular to watch the other teams literally throw their two-ton shrines up in the air...and it was terrifying when our own team did the same! However, everyone emerged from the nigh uscathed, and after we toted our shrine back to the gathering spot, we were treated with some delicious food and some much appreciated libations!.

The 5th Henro Pilgrimage Experience Blessed with Gorgeous Weather!

On Saturday April 24, 2010, the cloudy skies, with their threat of rain, opened up on us as we reached the summit of our trek and the day's main destination, Iyadaniji Temple.  On the 5th Henro Pilgrimage Experience for Foreign Residents and Visitors, we hiked from our initial point of Motoyamaji Temple through 11 km of the low, rolling hills of Mitoyo City, all the way up to the top of Mt. Kengozan (in whose folds Iyadaniji Temple is secretly tucked away), and then  7 more km to the coast and Kaiganji Station.  The walk was invigorating, the weather was beautiful, and the experience as Shikoku henro pilgrims was as spiritual as ever.

Purifying our hearts, minds, and bodies before entering the temple.

See more great photos of the trek after the jump!

Bond Night Party a Big Success!

On March 27th, this year's first Bond Night Party was held at the 007 Muesum on Naoshima Island, with the Ishii Brothers, Jeremy Lanig, and Danny and Lindsay Boots performing a terrific live set.  International visitors and local island residents alike enjoyed the festivities while soaking in the 007 atmosphere.  All the energy created by the party will certainly help the prefecture in its bid to get the next James Bond movie to be filmed on Naoshima Island!

A packed house cheers on the musical groups.