In the news: 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami ２０１１年東北地方太平洋地震

Tomorrow afternoon will mark exactly one week since the devastating earthquake and tsunami 津波 (not to mention nuclear accidents) that have wreaked havoc on the Tōhoku region 東北地方 in Japan. The news has been exhaustively covered by CNN, but often in a frustrating manner bordering on sensationalism. Is it really necessary to quote every so-called "expert" on every possible scenario concerning what's going on at Fukushima Daiichi 福島第一原子力発電所? No wonder foreigners are fleeing Japan in droves, and people overseas are worried about radioactive clouds floating across the oceans, and stocking up on useless iodine tablets. Taiwanese aren't immune from the fear - as my friend Micheal Turton puts it, "these same people who run red lights without batting an eyelash are terrified of invisible particles from distant nations." Of course what is happening in Fukushima 福島 is a cause for concern, and the Tokyo Electric Power Company 東京電気 certainly hasn't done a credible job in the public relations department when it comes to informing the public about what is going on, and what it means to public safety (even the Japanese prime minister, Naoto Kan 菅直人, has complained that TEPCO hasn't kept him up to date on what the hell is going on). The BBC is a more restrained alternative to CNN and the local news channels, but the best source for factual, straightforward reporting on the disaster in Japan has been the Japanese broadcaster NHK 日本放送協会. The NHK World website has been streaming continuous English-language video coverage since the tragedy first unfolded last Friday.

Considering the fact that Japan isn't an attractive vacation destination at the moment, it comes as no surprise that EVA Air 長榮航空 has canceled a number of flights this month from T'ái​wān​ 台灣, as reported in this Kyōdō News 共同通信社 article carried in the Japan Times ジャパンタイムズ :

"Taiwanese carrier EVA Airways has scrubbed dozens of March flights to and from Japan in the wake of Friday's quake-tsunami calamity, including its daily Sendai 仙台 service....

In a website posting updated Tuesday evening, Eva said flights to and from Sapporo 札幌 on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday have been canceled.

Tōkyō 東京 flights have also been canceled, with the service between T'ái​pěi​'s 臺北 Songshan International Airport 臺北松山機場 and Narita International Airport 成田国際空港 canceled from Tuesday until Saturday, and the return leg canceled from Wednesday to Monday. Flights between Taipei's Taoyuan International Airport 臺灣桃園國際機場 and Tōkyō's Haneda airport 東京国際空港「羽田空港」 are canceled for Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, March 23, 25, 27 and 30.

Flights to and from Sendai, which sustained heavy tsunami damage, have been canceled until June 30."

Obviously, going to Sendai is out of the question, as work to get the runway back in operation is focusing on allowing relief flights to get in, and bring in much needed supplies and personnel. And unless there is an absolute need to travel there, Tōkyō, which is suffering from rolling power blackouts and worries over possible radiation contamination, is best avoided for now (though China Airlines 中華航空 is still flying there for the time being). As reported by various media, Narita International Airport is swamped by people either fleeing to other parts of Japan, or leaving the country altogether. Such worries are understandable, and leaving is probably a prudent course of action for those who don't have to be there. What I can't understand, though, are the questions being asked on Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree forum by travelers wondering if they should cancel their upcoming trips to Japan. The thing is almost all of the people seeking advice on cancellations were planning on visiting locales far away from the disaster zone. How difficult can it be to pull out a map (or look at one online), and determine just how far places like Kyōto 京都 and Hiroshima 広島 are from the Tōhoku region? In a week of a tumbling Nikkei 225 日経平均株価 and a strengthening yen, Japan could certainly use the income from tourists.

Speaking of tourism, there has been a number of articles reporting on the effects the triple whammy of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear woes is having (or may have) on both the Japanese and global economies. Most of these stories have concentrated on disruptions to factories producing automobiles and electronics products, two of Japan's biggest exports, as well as the extensive damage to transportation networks, oil refineries and port facilities. What hasn't been discussed yet is what effect the disaster has had on Tōhoku's natural and cultural attractions. Time will soon tell, no doubt, on how well Matsushima Bay 松島, the sacred island of Kinkasan 金華山 or the National Treasure 国宝 temples of Hiraizumi 平泉, to name just several, have withstood the ravages of quakes and waves. Hopefully, the day will come again (and soon) when it will be possible to travel the narrow road to the deep north 憶のほそ道 once again.

頑張れ日本！