Perhaps, some of you have already heard or seen this news.
This severely damaged part of Kanto Highway was repaired in six days.
Photo of the X-day
Progress after 4 days
Photo of the completed road after 6 days
For your information, this speedy work is marvelled many of us Japanese too.
But considering the fact that this highway is necessary for transporting able persons for rescue and relief supplies to northern Japan, where Japan Quake and its tunami hit heavily, it must be done as soon as possible, definitely.
And this quick fixing work shows both of light and dark sides of Japanese culture.
Dark side is...workers had no time for mourning their loss of private life nor for recovering the shock from Japan Quake. (Yes, earthquake occurs frequently in Japan and so most of us are accustomed with it. But magnitude 9.0 earthquake is rare and not expected.) The duties to public welfare and their own construction firms have absolute priority over workers' private lives.
I am sure that most of them cannot imagine refusing the fixing works for lamenting their own damaged families, friends and properties. Unless you have a very important reason, following orders without any complaints is the expected way in Japan.
And Japanese culture demands perfection even in this direst predicament. Have you noticed the finished road has a guardrail with reflectors on each poles, white lane markers which are not omitted nor distorted, and a sidewalk meticulously given a fixed inclination for drainage just in case of raining?
This fixing work should obey the rules of highway construction in every details. Apparently, those features are not at all necessary for rescue operation of Tohoku region!
Of course, there is a light side. Spirit of mutual aid is clearly intact even in this critical crisis. Workers know well that their speed of fixing is the key for helping northern Japan.
Also, they didn't hesitate to work day and night in the midst of continual aftershocks of Japan Quake. (Yes, without 24 hours working shift, the road wouldn't be fixed in mere six days.) All of workers have the pride of professional.
Not only Japanese culture, but also all other countries' cultures should have both of light and dark sides.
Though, Japanese culture seems to work well in crisis, especially.
Myabe the nuclear power accident in Fukushima Daiichi power plant also will be fixed more speedy and perfectly than I guess.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SAKURA HOTEL HATAGAYA
Address: 1-32-3 Hatagaya Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Japan 151-0072
Phone: +81-3-5330-5250 (03-5330-5250)
Fax: +81-3-5330-5251 (03-5330-5251)
URL: http://www.sakura-hotel-hatagaya.com/
E-mail: [email protected]
Twitter: http://twitter.com/hatagaya_hotel
Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/SakuraHotelTokyo
