In the Earthquake’s Aftermath, Japanese Keep Calm, Carry On

Tuesday, 15 March 2011 | by Pat's Picks

There’s a nice essay on the front page of the Washington Post from writer Andrew Higgins, who was struck by the remarkable order of the Japanese people. Even in a decimated town like Sendai there are orderly queues for limited supplies of food and water. He writes, “survival is ruled not by the law of the jungle but by the orderly rhythms of long lines.”

The LA Times profiles one family in Natori who returned home to find that their house had completely disappeared. The family, however, survived the natural disasters because they were working and shopping in nearby Sendai, which is on higher ground. The younger members of the Otomo family say they are ready to move away and start anew, a prospect that seem difficult for the region’s large elderly population to come to terms with.