First a little language & idiom lesson for those who don’t read or speak any Japanese. The word for “foreigner” in Japanese is “Gaijin” (more politely, “Gaikokujin,” 外国人). Gai (外) means “outside,” and Jin (人) means “person.” So Gaijin literally means “Outside Person,” or “Foreigner.” The “koku” part (国) means “country” and saying “Outside/Foreign Country Person” just sounds a lot more polite to the ear. But “Gaijin” is o.k. in informal speech.
I decided not to post any of those horrifying videos of the tsunami. Just wanted to mark the day that almost 20,000 people lost their lives. A terrible day. But Japan continues on. I saw much of that spirit all around me back in late July and August when I was in Japan on business: the disaster reverberated in the hearts of everybody, but a steadfast determination to go forward and work through the shock and destruction and loss dominated.