Sunday May 27, 2012

Rescue teams search for bodies after typhoon leaves 34 dead, 56 missing

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The typhoon packed gusts of up to 108 kilometers per hour as it cut across Shikoku and Honshu. AFP

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  • 0

    mitoguitarman

    Sorry for the west. The east, this time, was thankfully spared.

  • 0

    Darrin Flores

    Dear GOD... please give Japan a rest!

  • 0

    the_sicilian

    No "god" is doing anything. This is just a bad year for Japan. And from this they will rebuild.

    The last typhoon that hit down here in Okinawa was also a slow mover, taking 3 days to get around the island.

  • 0

    some14some

    Nature's Fury, RIP.

  • 5

    Elbuda Mexicano

    Not too sure if a god/gods have too much to do with any of this but come on sicilian, you understand that Darrin is just pleading for help, for mercy, for some peace and tranquility to return to Japan after all that has happened up in Tohoku, with earthquakes, tsunamis, the Fukushima Nuclear power plant etc.. RIP dead folk and yes, Japan like every other country that gets kicked around by mother nature, will stand up again and become stronger from all of these calamities, I do hope and pray that we never have to suffer like the poor folk down there in Wakayama.

  • -11

    JapanGal

    Life moves on. The waves were nice yesterday though near Izu

  • 2

    Farmboy

    It's STILL raining. There was a guy with a big boat and a bunch of animals here a little while ago... don't know what he wanted.

  • 2

    smithinjapan

    I hope at least some of those missing turn up alive, if not all. A pretty bad typhoon, all told.

  • 1

    It"S ME

    Surprised that the toll is that high this time. RIP to all, but than some areas got 6-months worth of rain in 1 or 2 days.

  • 1

    papasmurfinjapan

    It was certainly a lot stronger than most of the other typhoons that have come through my way. My friend's dad is still missing up in Nara and things are not looking good.

  • -3

    T_rexmaxytime

    oh man!!! 2012, Armageddon!

  • 3

    zichi

    @JapanGal

    "Life moves on."

    for many life won't move on. I know people from the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake here in Kobe who are still suffering, 16 years down the road. This year I attended the Coming-of-Age and was impressed by the many beautiful young women and men who were young children at the time of the earthquake.

    But some just can't move on!

    I also know survivors from the Tokoku earthquake who are also having a very hard time dealing with their emotions and could take years to get over the loss of loved ones and friends.

    I have a brother in New York who worked at the World Trade Center, but on 9/11 he was off work. Every September his emotions still turn raw because he was a survivor?

  • 4

    electric2004

    Farmboy:

    Did this person drive a Noah van?

  • 2

    Farmboy

    Electric2004, You got it, but I guess I should apologize to those who were offended by my remark. I just thought it was an amazing amount of rain.

  • 4

    YongYang

    Well, Farmboy, at least you're not writing how it's '’much ado about nothing’' as some ‘posters’ were; your innocent attempt at lightening the mood, perhaps missing its mark for some, caused no offence to me. The footage of the twisitng sinews of thick brown torrents is terrifiying. Stay safe people!

  • -3

    JapanGal

    I tried to lighten the mood too but got blasted for it. One does have to move on. I have and so have lots of others.

  • 4

    smithinjapan

    JapanGal: "One does have to move on. I have and so have lots of others."

    And so has the typhoon, but it left a horrible wake in its path, and a whole lot of destruction. I'm not knocking your comment, nor do I think others should necessarily, but obviously it IS easier for some to move on than others -- especially when you can't really be angry at a storm for what's happened.

    Anyway, the death toll is increasing, as most knew it would, and a new typhoon (Noru) has formed in the Pacific and may hit japan if it changes course (as it is, it may well hit Hokkaido). Seems nature is not taking a break anywhere in the world this year.

  • 1

    Juan Rodriguez

    To all the families that have lost their love ones by this typhoon, my most sincerest condolences; I truly hope all of you can overcome this tragedy.

  • 3

    zichi

    @JapanGal

    "what is it that you have moved on from?"

    Are you in Shikoku/Wakayama/Nara?

  • 2

    Nicky Washida

    Whos offended farmboy? I thought it was a great comment!

  • 0

    bookowls

    "West"??? From where? Tokyo? The areas hit were central Japan...the rest of us here in the west were thankfully spared little more than a gust or two and some hard rain!

  • 4

    Apsara

    I tried to lighten the mood too but got blasted for it. One does have to move on. I have and so have lots of others.

    There's a time and a place. A comment like yours right after a headline saying 27 people have died very recently comes across as insensitive and flippant, not as "lightening the mood". At the very least you could acknowledge that some people may still be suffering and with good reason before writing something like that. Of course you can move on, you weren't seriously affected by the typhoon (correct me if I'm wrong). Different story for people who lost their lives/loved ones/property.

  • 1

    ihavegreatlegs

    That rain was very bad. Not good in Kanagawa, but nothing the same as down there. RIP and we hope all lost people are found safe. Nippon gambatte ne

  • 1

    Oracle

    Took me a second, but I got Farmboy's allusion, and it was clever and had a point.

    Some people just can't understand, and I expect those people don't read past headlines, so they expected a eulogy.

  • 2

    mikediab

    @JapanGal Don't you think is too early to expect those who have lost loved ones and suffered damage to move on so quickly? you comment very often in this forum, I have to admit your comment this time was very surprising.

  • 1

    Apsara

    Took me a second, but I got Farmboy's allusion, and it was clever and had a point. Some people just can't understand, and I expect those people don't read past headlines, so they expected a eulogy.

    I don't think it was Farmboy's comment that people objected to in most cases. I'd also say most people got the allusion- you don't have to be super-intelligent to figure it out...

  • 0

    Asagao

    Sad news.

  • 1

    Foxie

    Beautiful Japan, what is happening to you this year? Rain has become very strong up here north, I can only pray for everyone and hope for no more disasters.

  • 0

    smithinjapan

    Apsara: "There's a time and a place. A comment like yours right after a headline saying 27 people have died very recently comes across as insensitive and flippant, not as "lightening the mood"."

    What we're seeing a lot of on this board and elsewhere is that certain things are unacceptable in the minds of others when it comes to disasters, but that those same people won't object to the deaths of innocents in other disasters and will instead criticize said people for not following a certain ethics the posters adhere to. I don't mean you or anyone specifically, but it's there. People get oversensitive about some things, but are completely ignorant about others. It all comes down to objectivity, and the lack thereof. I don't see anything particularly wrong with JapanGal's comment -- it sums up her experience on the subject. Had she lost somebody it would probably be different. Were it in Chili most on here might not feel offended by the remark. She hasn't made any affront here -- she just made a comment and people saw it the way they chose to, or are you suggesting JapanGal dictates how you feel on the subject?

    I mean no offense, I'm just saying people are taking comments far too literally in some cases, and not allowing others to say how they feel because it's 'sensitive'. If none of us could express ourselves based on the idea it might offend someone else there would be no news and discussion sites on the internet, period. Waiting for someone to feel offended and give me a 'bad' rating for stating the facts!

  • 0

    YongYang

    One does have to move on

    If only!

  • 0

    Oracle

    ApsaraSep. 05, 2011 - 04:20PM JST

    I don't think it was Farmboy's comment that people objected to in most cases.

    I am at a loss to decipher what this is supposed to mean.

    Would that be most cases of objecting the Farmboy's comment?? You know, those posts that vanished?

  • 1

    southsakai

    It's been a real terrible year for Japan. Don't really know what else to say. I'm just very greatful my family and friends including myself are all safe and well. Unfortunately many people getting caught up in Mother natures wrath and destruction. May these souls forever rest in peace. God bless and we pray for better days in Japan. What a year!

  • 3

    BurakuminDes

    Let's all just hope the toll doesn't rise any more, but it's sadly approaching 100 now and apparently more typhoons are on their way. Pray for Japan - the unlucky country. RIP.

  • 0

    sctaber56

    @zichi: Has your friend in Nara's father been found? I deeply hope so. I, too, have dear friends in Nara and fortunately they all live in the northern part, in Nara "bonchi" so have only had to deal with a lot of rain these past several days. But, like after 3.11, they are feeling a lot of so-called survivor guilt. It's such a tragedy what's happened in Totsukawa-mura and in Wakayama. Such quiet, peaceful and very remote places now mired in much sadness and loss. RIP

  • -2

    Patrick Smash

    This wasn't even a typhoon, just a very slow-moving tropical storm. It was the rain that caused all the trouble. There are no more severe storms out there for now. Noru is a tropical depression and is missing Japan by a long distance. Noru is unlikely to even affect eastern Hokkaido.

    http://www.tropicalstormrisk.com/

  • 0

    CoolStoryBro

    R.I.P

  • 0

    uzneko

    Here in Yamanashi we had lots of down trees, road blocks and the police were rushing around to many crash sites where people appeared to have just flown right off the mountain... and we didn't even get near the worst of it.

    Good luck to those of you who felt the full force =/

  • 0

    zichi

    Six months on.........

    The victims of the Mar.11 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters have received very little of the money donated to the Red Cross.

    These figures are from the Japanese Red Cross site.

    As of June 21. the Japanese Red Cross had received ¥269 billion ($3.4 billion) and handed over ¥227 billion ($2.9 billion) to Prefecture Grant Disbursement Committees.

    As of June 29., the Japanese Red Cross have received a further ¥33.6 billion ($416 million).

    But very little of the donations are trickling down to the victims?

    According to documents released by Japan’s health ministry, thousands of people in Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures, the most affected by the quake and tsunami, have received the least aid money.

    Some of those donations should be given to victims of the disaster caused by the storm.

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