Tariq Saeedi
Ashgabat, 14 March 2012 (nCa) — The Japanese embassy in Turkmenistan hosted Tuesday a solemn and majestic event to mark the first anniversary of the triple disaster that struck Japan in March 2011.
Mitsuru Horiguchi, the charge d’affaires of Japan in Ashgabat, said that it was the first time in the history of mankind that three major calamities struck a nation simultaneously: earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear accident.
The purpose we are gathered here this evening, said Horiguchi, is to thank the countries and people that helped Japan selflessly and sincerely and show the way the Japanese people dealt with this monumental tragedy with courage and resolve.
Several dozen paintings by Japanese schoolchildren were at display in the hall, illustrating how the very young minds reacted to the death and destruction around them. One could see from the choice of themes and colours that Japanese are obviously a nation born to succeed.
A top master created several Ikebana compositions during the evening, using the Moribana (upright) and Moribana (slanting) styles and the contemporary freestyle. Some compositions were in Negeire (both upright and slanted) style that does not use Kenzan (needlepoint holder).
The Japanese embassy distributed some souvenirs, the traditional symbols of hope and good-luck.
The way the government and the people of Japan dealt with this unparalleled disaster and the way the Japanese embassies across the world went out of their way to show the appreciation for the help and support from all over is a phenomenon worth studying. Japan is without a doubt a role model for Central Asia:
- Look at the contrast of how the American government dealt with Hurricane Katrina and the Japanese government dealt with earthquake-tsunami-nuclear accident. The lesson here is that if a government is disconnected from its own people it cannot be expected to respond adequately when required.
- There were no cases of looting and rape in Japan as one witnessed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. This is a sobering lesson for Central Asia. —– Do we need to teach our children the rotten American values that make us selfish, ruthless animals or should we close the American Centres in Central Asia and teach our children the traditional eastern values of sticking together in times of crisis?
- Japan has shown that ultimately you need to rely on your own internal strengths to deal with whatever the nature throws in your path. This is a lesson for Central Asia quite broad in scope: Don’t buy the crap of joint border surveillance, don’t bow to intimidation from outside, don’t depend on anyone for dealing with your internal problems, don’t get lured by any dubious plans that are actually designed to punch holes in your sovereignty.
- Japan has also shown the importance of displaying gratitude to friends. This is in sharp contrast to the typical American attitude of asking you to do more and do still more with no end in sight. It is no hard choice for Central Asia to decide whether to act like Japan or USA.