8 Years Later: Remembering 3/11

Eight years ago, on March 11, 2011, northeastern Japan was hit with an earthquake and tsunami that devastated the country, ripped apart families, and changed communities forever.

Unfortunately, in the daily routine of many of our lives, an event that was so shocking, tragic, and gut-wrenching at the time, becomes, unconsciously, easy to forget. Something we vowed not to forget becomes something we only recall on its anniversary.

Yet, there are still thousands of family members missing, tens of thousands of people displaced, and even more affected. The consequences of the 3/11 disaster lie far beyond the physical realm.

As the Japanese people as a nation, and we as an ASIJ community, mark eight years since the disaster, it is important we remember and recognize those who were lost, those who lost loved ones, those who fought to survive and support others, and those who continue to hope and to prevail.