A Few Words About the Japanese People

by Philip Rosenfeld

Managing Director and Co-Founder 

The events of the past few weeks have brought into focus the best of the Japanese people. Fortitude, compassion, kindness and civility are but a few words that come to mind. Like most people living in Japan, I have been following news of the ongoing relief efforts with great interest and concern and what strikes me as being absolutely wonderful is the extent to which those people in the effected communities have come together to assist one another in their time of greatest need. Where organized relief efforts may have taken time to get through, individuals joined together to create a semblance of normal life through simple measures such as building a basic but private bathhouse.

Furthermore, an entire nation has come together in an outpouring of compassion and support as people in all walks of life are doing what they can to support their fellow citizens. I must also mention the generous support and assistance that the Japanese have received from many individuals and countries around the world and the appreciation that has been expressed in Japan for this help. The cohesiveness of Japanese society is one of its greatest strengths and I can say with absolute confidence that the effected communities will rebuild and will be stronger than they were before. Watching the response of the Japanese people to the hand that nature has dealt them reaffirmed a decision I made many years ago to live in this wonderful country.

Japan is a sprawling land, which if juxtaposed on a map of the United States would run along the entire east coast from Maine to northern Florida. Fortunately, the majority of its people and infrastructure were not physically harmed. Although deep sympathy is felt globally for the plight of those in the Tohoku region in the north, life is relatively unscathed in the vast majority of the country; including transportation systems, food supplies, industrial capacity and electrical grids. This fact alone will accelerate Japan's bid towards normalcy.

We hope that you too will have the chance soon to experience the best of Japan, its people. It is truly an extraordinary country.

JapanQuest Journeys will keep you informed with valuable insight as Japan's doors open once again---allowing us to put journeying to Japan back into perspective.  

Please click on this link to access ways you can help