Dear HBS Alumni,
The tragic situation resulting from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan has shocked and saddened the world. On behalf of the Harvard Business School, we extend our deepest sympathy and concern for our alumni and their families; we are thinking of you and hope that you and your loved ones are safe.
We have received numerous inquiries from individuals concerned about fellow HBS alumni in the region. Please let us know how you are. You can connect with us and your fellow alumni in several ways:
- In the comment box at the bottom of this page, please share messages, post questions, or tell us your personal experiences.
- Connect with fellow classmates and sectionmates using the "e-mail my classmates tool" on the HBS alumni website: http://apps.alumni.hbs.edu/emailer/alumni/criteria.do.
- Post messages on the HBSAlumni pages on Facebook or Twitter.
- Reach out through the HBS alumni clubs. Information on how alumni can offer support will be available soon. Please check back here for updates: http://www.alumni.hbs.edu/japan_earthquake/
During difficult times, we hope that the HBS community can be one of comfort, connection, and assistance. Our thoughts and best wishes are with you.
Sincerely,
Ralph James (MBA '82)
Executive Director
HBS External Relations
P.S.: Read HBS faculty views and insights on what lies ahead for Japan and the global companies operating there.
Commenting is now closed.
Your Comments
Dear Mr. James,
Thank you for your message and HBS initiative regarding the Japan earthquake. In light of the importance of the recent disasters, we, the entire HBS Alumni community, should join forces to take serious action to support our New Zealander and Japanese friends and people. We can't just watch all these images from our living rooms, like a fiction movie, and go on with our peaceful lives in our secure homes and countries as if nothing has happened! I couldn't stop shaking with sadness whilst watching the attached video! It is unbelievable, horrible.... There are no words to describe the feelings and the pain of the people in such a situation.
We need to act and work together to establish a serious HBS support network for Japan and New Zealand. We can create, if possible with Red Cross International, a dedicated HBS Alumni Account to raise funds for Red Cross Japan and New Zealand. Please let me know if you have any ideas, comments or suggestions, and whether or not you can support this action.?
All the best Anthony Khoi AMP 179 Reunion Chair
Please watch this terrible video! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIYG5GctqCQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player
A sectionmate of mine, Ken Noda, who is head of Corporate Banking for Sumitomo Mitsui Bank, was in Miyagi, Japan when the earthquake struck. Fortunately, he survived and it took him over 12 hours to depart the area by car and begin his journey back to Tokyo. He sent me a first hand account in an email I would like to share with you and the Harvard community. We are trying to locate another sectionmate Shuji Tomikawa and my former Morris Hall neighbor Ken Munekata '89. Everyone's concerns and prayers should be extended to all of our classmates, colleagues and friends in Japan. Yours truly, Warren .
I have been in touch with our classmate Kay Debari. I am happy to report that he and his family are fine.
I was in Tokyo on the 16th floor of the Dai Ichi Hotel when the second earthquake struck...there was another smaller one two days before. It was quite an experience. It started relatively smoothly with a rattling and gentle rolling from side to side but this very quickly amplified into an alarming swaying in all directions. It was noticeable because one of the large pictures on the wall started smashing against the wall only to begin sliding on it's wire hanger from side to side two minutes later. How the building stayed up is a miracle to me.
This swaying and banging went on for about 7 to 10 minutes, with plaster falling from the walls and small cracks appearing in the main room and at the baseboards and crown moulding. Just never seen buildings sway some 8 to 10 feet from side to side without falling. It was an unerrving experience. Eventually we were told to stay in our rooms, that the building was designed to withstand a "normal earthquake", which of course begged the question of whether this was a "normal earthquake". I and another colleague took to the stairs and walked the 16 floors to the lobby where everyone had congregated. We walked to a major intersection to watch for another 2 hours while the aftershocks subsided. Then came the first pictures of Sendai and further north which showed the horrible devastation caused by the offshore 8.9 earthquake. We in Tokyo got off lightly--an estimated 5.5 on the Richter scale.
I am so sorry for the Japanese people who had to suffer the 8.9 shock and who have suffered such loss of life. I am so hoping that Tokyo never sustains a direct hit from a >7 quake because as good as their construction is, I'm not sure it could withstand it.
Today, I made a business trip to the nearby area of the M8.9 earthquake. It was such a fearful moment. Anyway, to be short, I survived and now I am on a taxi driving back home. It is 4:30am now, and I have been in a car for more than 12 hours. I have confirmed my family are all OK. I will get back to you again, when I can find out if Shuji and other HBS friends are safe. Thank you again. I hope damages are as small as possible all over Japan. Best regards, Ken Noda
My daughters and I have survived this terrible earthquake. Although after-shocks continue to occur almost every two hours still, we have been able to put our home into order in the past two days. Despite the fact that my home is 300km away from the earthquake, our living room and kitchen were literally "upside down" on Friday evening. Two colleagues of mine at Mitsui Fudosan are still missing their parents living in north-eastern part of Japan. Ken and 11 other HBS classmates of ours had been planning to have a reunion this evening at Jun and Miki Tsusaka's since the beginning of the year but obviously such a plan has been postponed.
As you may recall, the below were our classmates from and in Japan and where they are today: Nagao-san with Mitsubishi Wellpharma is in the States Tagaya-san with Tokio Marine is in London Suzuki-san with Kyushu University is in Fukuoka, southwest of Japan Sekine-san is in Moscow Doi-san with Ministry of Finance is in Tokyo Katayama-san with Juliani Partners is in Tokyo Kuki-san with JP Morgan is in Tokyo Okanoya-san with Ace Insurance is in Tokyo Joe Schmelzeise-san with JRS International is in Tokyo Miki Tsusaka-san with BCG is in Tokyo June Tsusaka-san with TPG is in Tokyo Doug Shumway-san with Alliance Bernstein is in Tokyo Noda-san with SMBC is in Tokyo Oishi-san with Mediva is in Tokyo Wada-san with Telecom Asia is both in Tokyo and in Bankok Yokoi-san with Shizuoka University is both in Shizuoka and Tokyo Yamamoto-san with IFC is in Washington, D.C. I hope other classmates in Japan are well.
Regards, Shuji Tomikawa
My wife and I were both at work and our children were in different schools in Tokyo at the time of the quake. Although I've lived in Tokyo for the better part of 20 years, this was by far the biggest quake I've ever experienced. I was terrified not out of fear for my own physical safety, but for my wife and children who were out of contact for hours because both mobile and land networks were down.
As the catastrophic scope of the tragedy unfolds, our fear turns to aftershocks and to the nuclear plants that are unstable and in a state of partial meltdown. The governments' history of opacity regarding nuclear accidents only adds to the depth of our concern, a worry that is highlighted by the fact that my wife is 5 months pregnant. We pray for the safety of our friends' relatives who live in the Sendai and Fukushima areas, and we can only imagine the stress that they must be under.
Our family is secure and so are all of our 400 employees in Japan. Rolling blackouts have made our office a bit quieter than usual, but life is as normal as it can be after Friday's events. Our offices in Yokohama, Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka sustained no damage. My drive from Tokyo to Yokohama this morning was much like any other day. I did not see any structural issues in the roads nor did I see any building damage. Aftershocks are continuing and we are reminding all associates of safety measures in the event of another substantial tremor. The first order of business this morning is full safety sweeps of our work space. My company (Thermo Fisher) stands willing to donate radiation detection equipment and clear water tanks to the impacted areas in the north.
MBA 2006 Japanese Classmates all are safe. Thanks for all your concerns. Nori Kodama Yusuke Watanabe Eiji Umeda Daisuke Iwase Goki Ishikawa Ken Kimimori Take (Takashi Takekawa) Aya Takeuchi June Usuba I was in Bangkok at the time of the earthquake and it was agonizing 3 hours to get a hold of my parents -- they were safe. My heart goes out to North Japan and I hope we can find a way to help.
I am relieved to report that AMP 174 classmates Dale Ichida and Sandra Wu are both fine and safe in Tokyo.
The most stressful part of this situation was the fact that my family was separated. I had just arrived at Narita from Shanghai; Carys (my wife) was outside Tokyo with a friend; and my kids were at their different schools. It was immediately apparent just how vulnerable we were to technology failure. The mobile phone network was down, trains were stopped and the highways were closed. It felt horrifyingly disconnected. It took me 2 hours to hear my kids voices; it took two more hours to get word to Carys. The stress now is really attributable to the reporting: CNN and BBC are downright fear-mongering, and the government is avoiding full transparency. Accordingly, everyone I speak with is still on edge.
Compliments must go out to Japanese architects and general contractors (please thank your colleagues/peers Shuji!). The integrity of Tokyo skyline is inspiring. Moreover, Japanese people seem to be unshaken and working together to quickly address issues...it is impressive.
About 6000 new nuclear reactors are being planned worldwide as part of global warming solutions. There's no way to shut down the reactors even in an installation that has frequent earthquakes? It makes me question the entire practice of modern management -- once again. (The first time was the 2008 financial crisis.) And yes, you can bet that even the 6000 new reactors are unlikely to have common sense safeguards that even a child can tell you are needed. Something seriously wrong with the science of management worldwide.
All of my family and I are safe in lots of luck.
I cannot imagine how bad the damage is in the Tohoku area where the earthquake hit because it was very scary even in Tokyo. I was on the 27th floor of our building in Shinagawa at the time of the first large quake. In the beginning, I thought it was just an ordinary earthquake we often have, but it got larger and larger. It was the most scary earthquake I have ever experienced. The elevators were all stopped, so we had to walk down and back to get some food. All the train services were stopped in Tokyo on the day. I was lucky to catch the train late at that night when they started the operation, but it was all packed. Many of my colleagues had to stay in the office until the next morning.
The transportation system is in chaos in Tokyo still now. Most of the train services are very limited or out of order even today due to the power shortage in the Tokyo and the Kanto areas. Many of my colleagues could not come to the office. There is a serious damage to the nuclear power plants in Fukushima and the power shortage is very serious. We still don't know what will happen tomorrow or whether we could go to work or not. In addition, there are almost no food or drink on the shelves of supermarkets and convenience stores. I have never seen like this in Tokyo before. However, all these things happening here are not big deal at all compared with the disaster in the Tohoku area.
I wish I could do something for the people in the area, but all I can do now is just pray for the safety of all the people in the area.
Thank you for the mail and expressions of your concern for the recent tragic events in northern Japan. The devastation in the area immediately affected by the earthquake and tsunami is truly horrifying and our prayers go out to those people. Communication in the affected areas is still not possible and one of my staff who has family in Sendai near the epicenter is still unable to reach any of her relatives.
The Tokyo area where I live was much more lucky since it is farther removed from the epicenter but it was still the most violent earthquake I have ever experienced in my 25 years in Japan and there are many aftershocks. A building a few blocks from us that we occasionally use for meetings partially collapsed, killing one person and injuring many others. All transportation was shut down leaving millions of people in Tokyo with the only options of sleeping at the office or walks of up to 8 hours to get home. But people are uniting to help each other which is a source of comfort for us all. The willingness of people to work together in the face of disaster is one of the great strengths of this country,
I would like to say thank you personally for your kind thoughts and prayers. At this moment there is still a great deal of uncertainty as to what is happening in the immediate area of the earthquake. I am involved with several non-profit organizations in Japan and we are also looking at the best way to support the victims of the disaster. I will send a copy of your mail to the HBS Club of Japan Executive Committee to seek their thoughts on your kind offer of support and respond to you again. The recovery will likely be a long process and we appreciate your prayers.
With best regards, Jeff McNeill
Leixlip Ireland Our class colleague Hidetoshi and his family live in Osaka and he sent me a note saying that he and his family are well. That is some good news, contrasting with the devastation caused by the earthquake and tsunami. With the pending threat from the damaged nuclear facilities hanging in the air I think that our prayers would be welcomed. Mike Parle
Dear Mike & Angela Thank you for your e-mail to show your concern about our great tragedy. I was astounded and shocked when I found that the great earthquake happened and it caused the great Tsunami and the critical damage to our nuclear power plants. The earthquake this time is said to be the biggest one we have experienced since our Meteorological Agency started to register the degree of the earthquake. Please be relieved that our family members are all safe since we live far from the epicenter of the quake. However, I feel deeply sorry to know that uncountable people suffered from this tragedy and unbelievable number of the people lost their lives. I know this is not only the tragedy of Japan but also many other countries, such as New Zealand, Indonesia, China so forth suffered from the big earthquake, tsunami or volcanic eruption. Even though it may take a long time to return to the normal situation, I sincerely hope that we can recover every damage and trouble as soon as possible based on the strong leadership of our government. I feel thanks that a lot of people throughout the world are concerning our tragedy. Sincerely yours. Thank you & best regards Hidetoshi Sawamura 澤村英俊
I was at the center of Tokyo (Otemachi) when it happened. Information resources were immediately down except for Wi-Fi, which helped me to be informed how devastating the earthquake and the tsunami were. Since then, I kept tweeting from @yuji_ya what is happening and what to act, to both the sufferers and the supporters to lead them safe and informed for these three days.
This is the right time to show my leadership learned in HBS, and again it is critical to inform people under stressful situation of rescue operation, medical resources, power supply, etc to avoid needless confusion and loneliness. Many notes from my section-mates as well as supports from HBSs encouraged me to keep acting. We'll never be defeated by the disaster and demonstrate a model of resilience. Thank you.
DEAR FELLOWS AND FRIENDS OF MAKOTO KAWAMURA I TRIED TO GET NEWS ABOUT OUR FRIEND MAKOTO. HE AND HIS FAMILY ARE FINE!!!!! BELOW YOU CAN READ THE MAIL SENT ME MARCH 3 BEST REGARD. FRANCESCO FROM ITALY
We all are in safe. I was in the vacation house. I came back home in Tokyo a few hours ago. The most terrible areas are northern part of prefectures. We are going to overcome The results of the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster. That is tough job. I will get back to you when we are settled down a bit. Thank you for your kind mail.
I led a group of lighting professionals from Taiwan to Tokyo and the earthquake struck on our last day. Mayhem and confusion followed, but we were all safe.
Japan is a country which has developed stringent building codes and well-rehearsed evacuation plans. Having lived for centuries in such close proximity to one another and facing a common threat, the people of Japan have evolved into a much more communitarian and ordered society than ours. This was evident when everyone of our group had safely returned to their hotels, received hot food and had places to stay, and found transportation to the airport. To this, we express our upmost thanks to the people of Japan for their assistance and hospitality that ensured the safe return of the members of our group.
My sons Stephen A. (Yale '03, HBS/KSG '2012) and Lindsay (Yale '05) have been in Tokyo visiting their mother and other relatives for the last several days, and I have been in frequent contact. The reports from Tokyo are primarily those of inconvenience and alarm, in contrast to those from Tohoku, where Eiko's grandfather's large farm house near Soma in the village of Shinchi was swept a way by the tsunami and her uncle's family (which lived there) evacuated. I would be pleased to help in anyway I can from Cambridge where I now live. I lived in Tokyo for 9 years, speak and read Japanese still quite well.
Please contact me at selliott@mba1974.hbs.edu
I join you in expressing the sympathy to all the Japanese Harvard alums, all citizens and people of Japan. This is a terrible tragedy and I hope and wish they take all their inner strength to be resilient to come out of this difficult situation. Our prayers go to them.
Shuji Tomikawa of Section G, MBA Class of 1988 provided news on his Japanese classmates with respect to the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the South Pacific.
He writes: "My daughters and I have survived this terrible earthquake. Although aftershocks continue to occur almost every two hours still, we have been able to put our home into order in the past two days. Despite the fact that my home is 300 km away from the earthquake, our living room and kitchen were literally "upside down" on Friday evening.
"Two colleagues of mine at Mitsui Fudosan are still missing their parents living in north-eastern part of Japan.
"Ken and 11 other HBS classmates of ours had been planning to have a reunion this evening at Jun and Miki Tsusaka's since the beginning of the year but obviously such a plan has been postponed.
"As you may recall, the below were our classmates from and in Japan and where they are today: Nagao-san with Mitsubishi Wellpharma is in the States; Tagaya-san with Tokio Marine is in London; Suzuki-san with Kyushu University is in Fukuoka, southwest of Japan; Sekine-san is in Moscow; Doi-san with Ministry of Finance is in Tokyo; Katayama-san with Juliani Partners is in Tokyo; Kuki-san with JP Morgan is in Tokyo; Okanoya-san with Ace Insurance is in Tokyo; Joe Schmelzeise-san with JRS International is in Tokyo; Miki Tsusaka-san with BCG is in Tokyo; June Tsusaka-san with TPG is in Tokyo; Doug Shumway-san with Alliance Bernstein is in Tokyo; Noda-san with SMBC is in Tokyo; Oishi- san with Mediva is in Tokyo; Wada-san with Telecom Asia is both in Tokyo and in Bangkok; Yokoi-san with Shizuoka University is both in Shizuoka and Tokyo; Yamamoto-san with IFC is in Washington, D.C.
"I hope other classmates in Japan are well. I appreciate if you can forward this message if anyone asks about me and my family."
Thank you from the bottom of our heart for your assurances that we all are in your thoughts and prayers.
Regions along the Pacific coast in the north-eastern part of the Honsu Island are in shamble mainly because of tsunami caused by a series of severest earthquakes in our recorded history that occurred one after another in the matter of few minutes. Thank God, all our family is well, because our area was not directly in the epicentral area, but when we think of people in the disaster area and their loss and sorrow, there is no room for any personal sentiment in our heart. The announced melt-down of reactor cores at one of the nuclear power plant in Fukushima Pref. is aggravating the situation. We are following the news closely with great anticipation.
Self-help and collaboration among those people in the disaster area is admirable. Even junior high students whose school houses are used for emergency evacuation helping their teachers to run the place for people taking refuge. Almost all of them are without the barest necessities, because they had to flee almost immediately after the quake as they knew there was almost no time till the tsunami hit their place. Public help and rescues by the central and local governmental organizations are catching up. Corporations have started to do whatever they can. It is the time of fortitude, self-discipline, solidarity and courage for all of us here.
All of us are thankful for the help extended by the international communities, and especially for the quickest response and help by the USA. USS Ronald Reagan, the nuclear supercarrier, and 8 other naval ships are now in the Japanese waters and functioning as solid bases for rescue operations. Twenty more nations have sent their rescue squads to Japan and Korean and Chinese rescuers are already joined rescue activities in the disaster area.
Again thank you indeed for your thoughtfs and prayers.
Best wishes,
R.Arichi, PMD 31
I have received good news that a Hiroshi Fukino (a classmate in AMP 97) and his family are safe. He was working in an office building on the seventh floor in downtown Tokyo when the earthquake hit. He hid under his desk, while it rained books, magazines and PCs. It was necessary for him to walk home, where he found the interior of his house in a condition similar to his office. He spent all day Saturday re-organizing his home.
Sincerely,
Chet Messer. Class secretary. AMP 97
The New Republic has posted an article written at their request by R. Taggart Murphy about the earthquake. Tag is a Harvard and HBS grad and a long time Japan resident. The article can be found here.
We appreciate your kind thoughts and e-mail. Yes, Japan is experiencing a severe crisis. My experience tells me that the damages of earthquakes become much serious as time passes. Therefore, nothing can be said for sure at this moment.
Personally,I am grateful that our family are safe,and our employees as well.
The biggest risk now seems the nuclear power plant condition. If we can control it,I believe we will be able to manage the situation.
Dear HBS Alumni, We're all safe here in Tokyo without serious damages around. By the time the quake hit Tokyo, the magnitude was lessened to 5, from 9 of the origin located offshore in the northeast Japan. Worse to the area however was the giant tsunamis which continually hit the shoreline of over 300-mile long, north to south, on the Pacific Coast. Tsunami, hightened to 4-story high buildings as soon as it entered narrow, ragged coves, swept away towns in entirety as far as 5-6 miles interior to the land.
The last tsunami of such a disaster was recorded back in the 9th century. A millenial disaster. Speed and strength of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami this time far exceeded expectations of now townspeople who were even prepared in their own way through lessons learned from the past 100 years though. By now another grave concern has been added to the devastated area, i.e. the fear of radioactive leakage from the nuclear power plant. Malfunctions of cooling devices in and out of the pressure vessel are the causes, due to damages caused by the tsunami.
Norio Okaido (MBA '76)
Special Assistant to the Executive Director, Center for Global Partnership/The Japan Foundation Secretary General, The US-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange(CULCON) Secretary General, Japan-China-Korea Culture Forum
Eddie and Harumi Matsuyama (ISMP 7) are in Yokohama and apart from being a little shaken, are personally unaffected. Many of our classmates have offered their sympathy to all others in Japan who have been less fortunate.
John Bourke
Thank you for your kind message and glad to inform you we are safe and ok now. We really hope Japan can recover from earthquake damage soon. Thank you again for your kindness.
Regards,
Shun Shimizu, PMD 41
Dear All,
I would like to express my deepest concern and symphaty for the Japanese People.
In addition to the initiatives that you have mention. I would like to propose something that maybe suits our characteristics, a sizable number of people from different countries and with individual capacity to influence in their society.
We could try to further develop some concepts, and as Keynes said "The ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood. Indeed, the world is ruled by little else..."
1-Catastrophes-Disasters are recurrent. The periods between one and the next in the same country are in general long but unavoidable. The big problem, as in other parts of our system, is that long periods between catastrophes are much longer than the political cycle. It allows the politicians, in the majority of countries, to avoid taking measures.
"The Charm of history and its enigmatic lesson consist in the fact that, from age to age,nothing changes and yet everything is completely different" Aldous Huxley.
What is clear is that the majority of societies do not incorporate all the necessary measures to avoid this recurrent disasters. As an example today the EU was debating the security measures of all their Nuclear Power Stations in light of the facts collected in Japan. What is clear is that they did not have a clear risk map framework in place, forgetting that Europe has suffered important earthquakes in the past too.
2-The only way to avoid or mitigate the consequences of this "tail" events is through preparation, prevention and a well trained network for the second after.
3-As Laurent has mention the same event had it happened in the immense majority of countries the effects would had been just impossible to describe. Japan still suffering a lot has to be extremely proud of that level of preparedness that in many other countries is non adequate or non existent.
4-So there are big differences across countries in the quality of the infrastructures, and the preparedness of the society to cope with the day after.
We could try to concentrate our ability and power to influence in trying to diminish the damages of the next one. If we just will be able to change even marginally the preparedness of the infrastructures and systems of many countries then we could save a material number of lives.
The difference in terms of cost between a good construction and a bad one is not material, 10-15% construction costs, maybe around just 5% if we take into account construction costs plus land investment. The only way to internalize the damage created by substandard construction standard is through more demanding external standards. The market is unable to process this kind of tail events, (similar to the problems in the Financial Sector).
As I said I believe that a sizable group of people of the characteristics of HBS Alumni if systematically try exercise and influence could try to move things in the correct direction.
Another idea to try to put on the table is a kind of Global Insurance Catastrophe Fund. We have the FMI, World Bank.... We could try to create an Insurance Agency that collecting some premiums from all countries would be able to diversified the risks associated to this catastrophic events. At the same time try to enforce better standards to save the lives of the people that will be affected by the next ones...
Take this please as just rough ideas to generate a debate.
Best Regards,
José Luis Ferrer
Dear HBS friends,
I have been in touch during last Sunday, with Mr Philippe Stoll, ICRC Public relations officer for Asia, concerning our proposed HBS Alumni fundraising collaboration with the Red Cross.
He made the following remarks: - For the time being, the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross), and its partner, the Japanese Red Cross, have not yet launched a fundraising appeal
- This is a huge undertaking that includes massive basic assistance as well as a precise needs assessment. For this reason, the ICRC will only make a decision as to whether or not to launch an appeal once they have consolidated the needs assessment with the Japanese authorities
- They are following the situation on the ground as it unfolds and have promised that a member of their External Relations department, Mr Raymond Desarzens, will get in touch with us as soon as they have further information.
I will let you know as soon as I receive further information from the ICRC.
Kind regards,
Anthony Khoi AMP 179
Very nice webpage. I have been working feverishly since Thursday to reach out and offer support to our good friends and classmates in Japan. I want to help coordinate an on the ground assistance mission when the time is right.
I think the nuclear power plant situation is even more serious than we and they are being told. Where ever we can identify the sources of objective and transparent advice, we should make that happen.
Otherwise, I extend great hope, prayers, concerns and love to our brave and resolute classmates and their own as well.
Best,
Warren
Dear Friends:
I am truly grateful to the dozens of friends from around the world who have sent me e-mails expressing concern about Sakie and me in the aftermath of the massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake that hit Japan last Friday. I started to answer you individually but started falling further and further behind as the e-mails kept pouring in. Therefore, rather than writing each of you briefly and individually, I concluded that it would be better to write a fuller report and to share it with all of you.
First, I want to thank all of you sincerely for your concerns and to assure you that Sakie and I are safe in Tokyo. Second, we remain worried about the impact of the earthquake, the tsunami, the spectre of a nuclear reactor meltdown, and the potential of aftershocks and future tsunami. Third, at this point (about three days after the quake) three things stand out in my mind:
(1) the contrast in damage between Tokyo and the Tohoku region, close to the epicenter; (2) the several interrelated components of the disaster; and (3) the Japanese response. (1) I was on an escalator in the ANA Intercontinental Hotel in Akasaka going from the second to the ground floor when the earthquake hit last Friday at 2:46 p.m. The escalator swayed violently, and I understood immediately that we were being hit by an earthquake of unprecedented proportions. I quickly moved outside the hotel, but it was a struggle to walk straight because the ground under me was moving so uncontrollably. My driver took me to the Hotel New Otani for a meeting of the Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives) that was to begin at 3:00 p.m. However, the aftershocks were so severe that the meeting had to be delayed by 30 minutes while the attendees rushed outdoors each time it appeared we may be hit by another major quake.
After the meeting, I went to my office in the Roppongi Mori Tower. But since the elevators were out of operation, I had to climb up 19 floors to get to my office, and then walk down 19 floors to get in my car to go to a reception at the U.S. Embassy (which turned out to be cancelled) and to a dinner (which also ended up being cancelled). I returned to my apartment building in Akasaka (next to the U.S. Embassy) around 8:00 p.m. but found that the elevators there were also not working, so I had to climb up 26 floors to get to my unit. But I was much better off than some of my colleagues, who had to walk two to five hours to get home on Friday night because the trains had stopped running.
When I got inside my apartment, I was surprised to find that while some rooms (living room, kitchen, master bedroom) were virtually unaffected by the earthquake, others had been massively affected, including bookcases that were twisted and collapsed, spewing books, CDs, DVDs, etc. all over the floor and blocking hallways, etc. Wine bottles were also shaken out of their racks onto the floor, but fortunately none of the bottles broke. It will take considerable time to clean up the debris, throw out the damaged bookcases, replace them with new ones, and restore the books, CDs, DVDs, etc. to their proper order.
Sakie and I have been watching Japanese television coverage of the disaster, with occasional viewings of the CNN coverage. Both are understandably focused on the Tohoku region, which has been devastated. Whereas only 7 deaths have been attributed to the quake in Tokyo, nearly 2000 deaths have been confirmed in the Tohoku region, and some estimate more than 10,000 deaths in Miyagi Prefecture alone. There is a stark contrast between Tokyo (where the residents have been shocked and inconvenienced, but business is starting to return to normal) versus the Tohoku region (which has suffered Japan’s worst quake in more than 200 years and where thousands of residents have lost their homes, property, and loved ones). I hope you will join us in offering your support to those in Tohoku who are most in need.
(2) Japan’s crisis since last Friday includes at least three components: the earthquake, the tsunami, and the nuclear reactor problem. The earthquake itself resulted in the loss of lives, injuries, fires, and damage to property, but it appears that the vast majority of deaths can be attributed to the post-quake tsunami that pounded the Tohoku coast. The destructive power of water has been amply demonstrated, with entire cities being wiped off the map by 10-meter high waves that demolished everything in their path.
The potential of a nuclear reactor meltdown has added a third component to the current crisis. Already seen as worse than the most severe nuclear accident in Japan (in 1999), the current problem involves both the threat of a meltdown and its radioactive consequences, and the need to engage in “planned blackouts” to compensate for those nuclear plants whose operations have been impaired by either the earthquake or tsunami. (It is ironic that the nuclear reactors in question are located in Fukushima Prefecture, since the name--like my surname--combines the character “fuku,” or “good luck/good fortune” with “shima,” or “island”—thus, “Fukushima” means “island of good luck/good fortune.”)
In addition to the crisis created by last Friday’s earthquake, the tsunami, and the nuclear reactors, seismic experts are now warning that there may be more aftershocks (and tsunami) over the next several days. So, the Japanese government and public are preoccupied for the time being trying to cope with natural disasters, postponing for the time being a long list of thorny domestic and foreign policy issues (e.g., macroeconomic policy, welfare policy, consumption tax, TPP, FTAs, Futenma, etc.) that need to be debated, decided, and resolved over the next few months.
(3) Despite the devastation that has hit Japan since last Friday, the Japanese public has been remarkably resilient in dealing with it. There has been virtually no cases of looting or large-scale criminal activity to take advantage of the chaos created by the triple disasters of the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear reactors. Instead, the Japanese public has been notably calm, civil, cooperative, and almost communal in trying to overcome the current crisis. Perhaps the history of natural disasters that have hit Japan over the centuries has inured the Japanese to accept such calamities and to pull together to overcome them. Whatever the reason, Sakie and I are impressed with the civility with which Japanese are going about trying to recover from the devastation and to rebuild. And, unlike the Hanshin/Awaji earthquake in January 1995, Japan this time is receptive to foreign countries offering assistance. It has often been said that Japan has become too insular, too narrow, and too complacent in recent years. Perhaps this external shock will have the effect of shaking Japanese out of their stupor and pull together to tackle the many problems confronting their country, just as they did at the Meiji Restoration in 1868 and at the end of the Second World War in 1945. I certainly hope so.
These are my preliminary thoughts that I wanted to share with you. Thank you again for thinking of us and for reaching out to express your concerns. Sakie and I look forward to seeing you again soon.
Warmest wishes from Tokyo,
Glen
I feel really sorry that Japan is going through a triple disaster..earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accidents. Despite this horrible shock, I believe that Japanese will recuperate and rebuild their society ever stronger. Here in Korea a number of NGO's started relief fund campaign and the government sent emergency rescue teams to Japan. I think HBS Club members will donate to the fund campaign individually but will talk with Club leadership what can be done.
Sharing your sympathies and wishes,
JaeHak Kim
I am proud and humbled by the outpouring of concern from HBS alumni for their fellow class and section mates, as shown in the comments being posted on this page. Please keep the communication going.
While most of us are watching the daily news from Japan and praying for our friends, several HBS faculty members have turned their attention to the challenges that lie ahead for Japan's business leaders and for the global companies that are operating in Japan. Read their views and insights here: http://www.hbs.edu/news/releases/japancrisis031511.html
Thank you for your concern. All of my family (wife, children and grandchildren) are safe and sound. Also, living in a remote area, we have been free from direct impacts of the earthquake/ tsunami; e.g., power/water supply problems or house/property damages.
This was the biggest (M9.0) earthquake ever during the past 400 years in Japanese history. Damages are widely spread over northeastern region of Japan. Death or missing counts, overwhelmingly from tidal waves, have exceeded 12,000 as of this morning. Over 430,000 people are currently accommodated in numerous refuges. Even in Tokyo, all trains/subways and telephone/ e-mail systems (both wired & mobile) were out of service for several hours after the earthquake. I had to walk over 3 hours back home from office to insure the safety of my family. With troubled nuclear power plants shut down, however, the greater Tokyo area has got into a new phase of difficulties, the secondary impacts of the disaster: - Starting Monday this week, residents have to live in scheduled (likely) brownouts of about 3 hours a day for an unknown period of time to come. - Fear of radioactive spreading over a much wider area than is officially cautioned by the Government. Tokyo, located over 160 miles away from the site, should probably be OK.
TVs run 24 hours related news and reports of people suffering from the disaster. I am proud to find that those Japanese are calm, cool and compassionate to others despite such large-scale catastrophe. We have never heard about robberies or violence. Although we are in the midst of turmoil right now, I am sure our society will get back to the usual norm and order before long.
Sincerely,
Yuki
Given the severity of the situation in Japan, a group of HBS alumni/student/faculty teamed up to reach out to the broader HBS community to ask for their support for Japan. In response to inquiries from the HBS community regarding donations, we have created a short list of organizations active in the Japan Earthquake Relief Efforts, selecting a mix of large and local/grassroots highly credible organizations that offer tax deductibility in the US/Japan.
http://hbsjapanrelief.blogspot.com/
Dear HBS Classmates in Japan, We are deeply saddened by the catastrophe in Japan and the tremendous loss of life inflicted by the earthquake and tsunami. Words cannot express our sorrow for your great loss and the continued suffering we see in Japan. We pray for a speedy rescue of all survivors and remain in awe of the bravery and courage demonstrated by the Fukishima reactor workers. Their sacrifices made in the face of lethal danger is a poignant testimony of the undying human spirit - they are the pride of the world.
I am concerned about the lack of reporting and discussion about the dangers posed by fires and other integrity breaches at oil refineries and chemical manufacturing plants throughout Japan. The environmental threats have been assessed by scientists to be potentially more harmful that the radiation releases from the damaged nuclear power plants. Any alumni with knowledge of these industries in Japan, please reach out and help us to provide our Japanese friends with actionable information.
Dear Friends,
We have launched Project KIBOW. KIBOW is named after "kibou" which means hope in Japanese, and "Rainbow" to bridge Japan and the world. We are using twitters, facebook, and blogs to facilitate these activities. "KIBOW Music" which will bring music to those who have been affected by the earthquake has been established, and KIBOW Fund for those who are willing to donate to support thousands of people who have lost their homes.
We are now tweeting mainly in Japanese, but, soon, we will start an English version. Please support KIBOW to bring hope and be the bridge with Japan and the World. http://www.facebook.com/kibow.jp?sk=app_4949752878.
We will never be defeated, we will rebuild the town and rebuild Japan.
Yoshito Hori
President and Dean, GLOBIS University
Managing Partner, GLBOS Capital Partners
I traveled to Japan with Aki Tomaru, MBA 2001, for an HBS project in 2000 and have fond memories of our time there. Aki has told me he is safe and working to bring his family over to the USA. Sending wishes for safety and hope to all in Japan.
By March 14, I had received email replies from Yoichiro Kasai, Kazuhiko Matsushima, Takeshi Nakagawa, and Masami Nishimura - all are okay. Still waiting to hear from Kunio Sawada, Masatoshi Suyama, and Yoshio Takahashi...
UPDATE (3/31/2011): Itaru Uehara has emailed us that he and his family are okay.
We had eight Japan members in our class. I contacted all of them and have had E-mail replies from 8 -- all of whom said they and their families were safe. Most classmates live in Tokyo or Southern region. All expressed confidence the Japan Spirit would prevail and the country would work its way through the tragedies. I pieced all of the E-mails together and, using the mass E-mail system of the School, passed the news on to all of the AMP115'rs around the world.
I'm so happy for Japan today! It is so great that their Women's Football team won the World Cup. They have shown such strength throughout the county. This victory is a testament to what great people the Japanese are! I hope that Kaihori is made a national hero for her skills