I still grieve when viewing TV video of the disaster-struck Tohoku-Pacific areas. I know that too many people still live in evacuation centers and that some may suffer from radioactive contamination. Yet the victims seem to show a strong spirit.

I met a Japanese university student in Australia just after the disaster happened. He told me he had begun collecting donations with some local university students. He was so serious that he sometimes left language class early. His story made me recognize that many people in other countries were backing up Japan. Almost everyone I met was worried about the impact of the quake. I was asked whether my own family was safe. It felt as if an international helping hand was being extended to Japan.

I would like people in the stricken areas to realize this with the hope that it will cheer them up as they recover.

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.

riho hattori