The resilience of the Japanese

Plumes of smoke are still rising from the wreckage and the roads all lead to nowhere.

But nothing was going to stop this Japanese businessman arriving at the office as usual.

Walking through the ruins of the port of Sendai, the unnamed worker symbolised a whole nation’s determination to get back on its feet in the aftermath of the disaster.

According to reports in Japan, many workers turned up as normal yesterday, even in the devastated coastal areas, offering to do whatever they could to help rebuild.

Toshiyo Shishido returned to the agricultural supply store that he manages in the coastal village of Yamamoto even though he knows it may be months before business is back to usual.

‘We have to rebuild,’ he said. ‘It’s the duty of those of us who are left.’ 

Unlike in the U.S. in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, there have been no reports of  looting in Japan. 

Some supermarkets are said to have cut their prices to help survivors buy supplies and vending machine operators are giving out free drinks from the steps of their crumbling stores.

Schools close to Sendai also opened for classes yesterday to keep life as close to normal as possible for the traumatised pupils

(via simplifyyourlife)