#232 The Cycle of Life

March 11th, 13 years ago.

The unforgettable, Great East Japan Earthquake literally and figuratively, shook our nation (and the rest of the world). It was 13 years ago, so while it is still fresh in many of our memories, there are generations who do not know the details of the disaster. I would like to share my thoughts on what we should not forget and the cycle of things.

I was in my office on the day of the earthquake, and I still vividly remember that day.

It was a high-rise building, so the shaking was at a level I had never experienced before.

I am sure that employees who had come from overseas were even more scared.

The building was well-prepared for disasters, so we stayed at the office until late at night.

Eventually, we all walked home, which took a couple of hours.

About a week and a half later, I moved to Osaka and spent weeks on call, directing various aspects of creating a starting BCP site for business.

Although I received daily calls from family members overseas who worried about me, my initial plan at the time was to stay in Tokyo and continue working.

The company I was working for at the time was a French securities company, which was very supportive of its employees.

They secured a hotel in Osaka, where the earthquake had not produced any damage, not only for the employees but also for our families.

Even after a week and a half to two weeks from the earthquake, there was no sign o things getting back to normal or settling down.

Every day the company told me that they wanted us to establish a base in Osaka as soon as possible and do business from that side of the country.

It was my mother who gave me a word of encouragement.

She told me, "We are moving tomorrow!”

She did not mean it in a way that was forceful, but I am sure that her intuitive antenna for crisis made her say that.

She used to be a cabin attendant, so she must have had an intuitive sense of crisis.

Finally, we packed the next day, met up in the neighborhood, and went to Osaka together.

We had quite a variety of experiences in Osaka, but let me share that at another time.

And now, 13 years later. Many things have happened over the years, including a pandemic, and on going various conflicts and disasters.

What can we learn and apply from past and current experiences?

I personally think it is intuition and flexibility.

Things happen in cycles, and I imagine there will be many more challenges in the future.

I strongly believe from my past experience that it is intuition and flexibility that will support us in such times.

I myself learned part of this from my mother, and I would like to keep it in mind in the future.

The photo shows the bag I was using to commute from my home in Tokyo to the office at that time.

I vividly recall my commute to work with so many mixed feelings and thoughts.

Even if it is not earthquake-related, what can you learn and apply from your past and current experiences?

I hope that even one of these lessons will lead to a better future.

With many wishes and prayers, I hope that this week will be another week with many smiles for all of you!