I found Sunday's (March 11) editorial, "Moving forward with reconstruction," very interesting because I am from a seaport city in Miyagi Prefecture and my relative in Onagawa, Miyagi, was a tsunami victim. I didn't realize this loss until a year had passed.
On Sunday, a lot of TV programs on the catastrophe were broadcast. I was impressed with the U.S. Marines' "Operation Tomodachi," especially one scene in which a female soldier gave a doll to a weeping girl!
Many people criticize the slow pace of reconstruction. I agree, but the biggest problem in the disaster region is how to deal with the debris. I do hope that the loads of debris being cleaned up will be accepted everywhere in Japan. Since the major industry along the Tohoku coast is fisheries, seaports must be rebuilt first of all. This will take a tremendous amount of money and time, but seaports are the heart of the coastal cities.
For Fukushima Prefecture, the decontamination of cesium-134 and -137 is the most serious problem. The task is like scooping out seawater with a bucket! It makes my head swim just thinking about it. ... Anyway, we must thank both Japanese and non-Japanese people for their generous assistance and moral support!
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.