For Japanese UM Student, Disaster Hits Home

At Ole Miss, the devastation caused by the powerful earthquake and tsunami in Japan may feel a world away, but not for graduate student Daichi Tanabe. Tanabe is a native of Shizuoka, located between Tokyo and Osaka, and for him, the disaster hits home. When he first learned of the earthquake, he simply brushed it off. “Earthquakes are common in Japan, so the first thing I thought was that it was just another earthquake,” Tanabe said. It was not until the next morning that he realized the enormity of the situation. “I didn’t really imagine that it could have been that bad.” The earthquake and accompanying tsunami killed at least 12,000 people and caused mass devastation along the northeast coast of Japan. Fortunately, Tanabe does not have friends or family in that part of the country. Tanabe says people in Japan feel worried that another major earthquake could strike, especially considering the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant, which was severely damaged by the quake and tsunami, and is leaking radiation into the environment. “I think many people are kind of worried about other nuclear plants in Japan, not only Fukushima,” Tanabe said. He also believes the disaster will have a negative effect on the country’s economy and culture for some time to come. “They don’t (live) their lives as they do usually; they’re having to cancel all the festivals or cancel all the sports events because of a lack of electricity.” “Before the earthquake hit, (the economy) was going up a bit, but now it’s going down a bit, and now many college graduates can’t get a job at the moment,” Tanabe said. Even with all of the destruction and suffering in Japan, Tanabe believes that the country will eventually get back on its feet. “Other countries have supported Japan so much, and Japan’s still trying to get everything back on track, so I’m pretty sure we will.” Daichi Tanabe graduates from Ole Miss in May, and goes home in June.