solluxisms:hanyusan:On this date seven years ago, Yuzuru’s hometown of Sendai was struck by the mass
solluxisms:hanyusan:On this date seven years ago, Yuzuru’s hometown of Sendai was struck by the massive Tohoku earthquake. A turning point for many people of Japan, its effect on Yuzuru was also undeniable. In his first autobiography, Blue Flames, he recounts his view of the disaster, which occurred while he was practicing at the rink:“It was really scary. The sound wasn’t normal. There’s no way to believe that it was this world. The shoe rack falling down, the glass door of the entrance collapsing; I could hear all of it.”“When we escaped, it was more like we climbed out. Because my feet were already numb, and I couldn’t even move. I didn’t put skate guards on my skates, so without protecting the blades I escaped. Walking on the mud with them, they were ruined…” “…[M]e, my mom, and my sister slept in a room about the size of two tatami rooms. It was a small area. Everyone only had one blanket, and we all curled up together to sleep…it was so cold. We only had an oil lamp to get light. There was no heating. It was so cold.” After much consideration of giving up skating because of the impact of the earthquake, he would continue the sport while raising many funds and campaigning to fix the damage the disaster caused to his nation.Despite time, the scars - both physical and emotional - of such a natural disaster remain for countless individuals. Awareness is the first step to helping those affected. Please consider some of many options to help those who may still be suffering due to this event:For the duration of March 11 only, searching “3.11″ on Japan’s Yahoo search will automatically donate 10 yen to aid those affected by the earthquake.Yuzuru’s two autobiographies, Blue Flames and Blue Flames II, are available for sale. All proceeds go directly to helping fix the damage on his home ice rink in Sendai. (I currently still have a PDF of the translation for the first autobiography. If you give me proof that you purchased it - something as simple as your URL on a post-it beside the book - I’d be glad to email the translation to you.)If you’re interested in directly donating, please consider the Japan Society. Their earthquake relief fund has continuously been raising money to aid those impacted by earthquakes in Japan, including the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake.Every contribution - no matter how small - counts!At the time of this reblog it is already 1pm on the 11th in Japan, so be sure to search 3.11 soon! Also, make sure you type it exactly like that so it will count. -- source link