Exhibition marks 10th anniversary of 2011 Tohoku earthquake

The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has launched an art exhibition to mark the 10th anniversary of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, which devastated Japan.
At a press conference one day before the anniversary, Japan''s representative to Taiwan once again thanked the Taiwan public for its outpouring of aid and donations, during one of Japan''s darkest moments. He also conferred commemorative medals to Taiwanese firefighters who were dispatched to the disaster zone in Fukushima to help with search and rescue.

Taiwanese rock band Fire Ex. has released a new Japanese-language single to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. Also for the occasion, the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association organized an art exhibition to celebrate the resilience of Tohoku residents and the friendship between Taiwan and Japan.

Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association head Izumi Hiroyasu conferred commemorative medals to Taiwanese firefighters who were dispatched to the disaster zone to help with search and rescue operations. He thanked Taiwan for lending a helping hand to Japan in a time of dire need. For one firefighter, the events of 10 years ago are still fresh in his mind.

Liu Kuei-yu
Taipei City Fire Department
When we reached the area, we were met with a disaster scene that could be described as complete destruction. There was no way to tell the wooden houses from the roads.

Kobayashi Kengo
Japanese photographer
On TV I saw a lot of Taiwanese people of all ages making donations. I felt more and more gratitude for Taiwan, and decided to come here in 2016.

Japanese photographer Kobayashi Kengo was so moved by the kindness of the Taiwanese that he decided to move to Taiwan. The earthquake did bring unimaginable destruction, but it also rekindled the friendship between Taiwan and Japan.

Izumi Hiroyasu
Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association
Back then, Taiwan donated more than 25 billion yen. All of Japan was touched to see how Taiwan, with a population of just 23 million people, managed to raise this much money. At a time when many wanted to run away, our friends in Taiwan came to the disaster zone. We will absolutely never forget how Taiwan lent us a caring hand in Japan’s darkest moments.

Joseph Wu
Foreign minister
Japan too takes action to help Taiwan at times of crisis. When a certain country unreasonably banned Taiwan fruit imports, the people of Japan immediately rushed to supermarkets to buy up Taiwanese fruit with their own yen. These warm actions will be remembered in the hearts of the Taiwanese. No other countries in the world enjoy as special a friendship as the one between Taiwan and Japan.

Officials from Taiwan and Japan expressed their gratitude for being able to count on one another, saying that difficult times reveal one’s true friends.

[vincently]

10 Years of Tohoku Earthquake (2011-2021)