Native of Japan shares story of quake, culture

VALPARAISO — Rumi Mitsubayashi got a message in the wee hours of March 11 from a friend in Canada, urging her to check the Internet for news from her native Japan.

Mitsubayashi, the Japanese outreach director for Valparaiso University, found out an earthquake had rocked her homeland, but she couldn't find out where it had struck.

"I was calling my parents," she told about 20 people at the Valparaiso International Center Friday night, adding she was unable to get through.

As she learned more, she realized her area, the Shiga Prefecture, was not harmed.

"I'm from the middle part of Japan, and the middle part was actually OK," she said.

Mitsubayashi, who arrived in Valparaiso in August, shared images of destruction from the 9.0-magnitude earthquake and the devastating tsunami that followed.

She expressed gratitude from the outpouring of assistance from across the globe, and particularly the United States, since the disasters, which also have since come to include leaking radiation from a damaged nuclear plant.

"Many people are also trying hard to help the citizens — thank you very much. I appreciate that the United States government also is helping," she said.

Japan, which is about the same size as California but has a population of 127 million people, about half that of the U.S., has several earthquakes each year, so people expect them, Mitsubayashi said.

What they did not expect was an earthquake as large as the one that hit.

"After the earthquake, the government said, a tsunami is going to come, so all the citizens would know, but on their way to escape, the tsunami came," she said.

Planned power outages, allotting only three hours of electricity a day, make cooking and bathing difficult, particularly for large families, Mitsubayashi said.

She shared details about Japanese culture, including home styles and food, before leading visitors in the making of origami cranes. Cranes are the national bird and are a symbol of peace.

"For now, I can't do anything, but I want to do something for my country, as well as hoping that my country is getting better little by little, step by step," she said.

Fact Box: Learn moreFor more information on programs at the Valparaiso International Center, 306 E. Lincolnway, call 464-1122, or go to www.valpovic.org.