It has been a brutal summer in Japan. The country has been battered by natural catastrophes one after another.
The earthquake that shook Osaka on June 18 took several lives and injured many.
The intensity of a downpour not seen in the last 30 years in July over western and southern Japan caused massive damage as floodwaters and landslides swept away homes and livelihoods.
Then came the heat wave in July and August, which sent temperatures to record highs of over 40 degrees in Tokyo. Besides taking lives, the rising mercury sent over 50,000 people to hospitals for heat exhaustion treatment.
And just after the next wrath of mother nature, Typhoon Jebi, shredded several cities such as Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe along its path, Japan was immediately shaken by another earthquake with its epicenter in Hokkaido.
It is during such crises that we see the resilience of the Japanese people.
The earthquake caused flights in Hokkaido to be canceled and tourists were stuck. News reports shared that tourists appreciated and gave praise to the airport personnel who attended to the well-being of those stranded in the airport.
Another example is the employees of public transport systems. Services were halted, but staff members continued to report for duty. Some walked for hours just to get to work.
The general population maintains their composure and this is evident from the orderly behavior the Japanese display when affected people queue up to buy basic essentials amid the calamities.
I wish the people of Japan a quick recovery.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.