Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to make a statement in connection with the anniversary of the Japan disaster. We know that this was a horrific disaster. I was in Japan when the earthquake struck. To give you an idea of the magnitude, 700 kilometres away from the epicentre the train that we were riding on felt that earthquake. So I can only imagine the force of the quake and then the resulting tsunami in places a lot closer. As time has gone by we see the absolute devastation, which I do not think we were able to comprehend while we were in the train when we felt the earthquake. It was not until we started seeing some of the pictures come through on television and through the internet that we really got a full understanding. Certainly, when we arrived in Tokyo that evening we had no doubt about the difficulties caused by the destruction that had occurred in the top part of Japan. One thing I noticed that night in Japan is that the Japanese people are very stoic. In a time of crisis and a time of devastation they go about their business ensuring that they are helping one another out. In my condolence speech I recounted that in other places looters have followed earthquakes and destruction—not in Japan. In Japan people were offering bathrooms and places to stay for people who had been stuck in Tokyo and unable to get home. So I have to say that my experience there, while obviously very devastating, did give me some hope that Japan would, with cooperation, be able to rebuild itself.

We now know that in the order of 19,294 people were killed. Around 15,844 have been confirmed dead and the whereabouts of 3,450 is still unknown. This is a devastating number of people to have died. I cannot imagine the toll that that has taken on people's families and on townships that have been destroyed. People have lost so many members of their family and so many friends. It is quite incomprehensible. Whole towns and villages and massive areas were wiped out and many people injured—and there is also the psychosocial impact. Today, no doubt, this is still significant and the Red Cross is certainly working very hard in Japan. The psychological damage from the grief brought about by the destruction of places where you have grown up and known people your whole life is unimaginable. This is a very big disaster to come to grips with and, of course, Japan is still recovering.

I am pleased, though, to read that the reconstruction has started. Soon after the earthquake, the Japanese government went into full swing on the reconstruction and recovery effort. I understand that a lot of the infrastructure has begun to be repaired and I was pleased to also read recently that the Red Cross has reported that evacuation centres are now virtually empty and people have been placed in temporary housing. However, this is only the start. Japan has a very long way to go in rebuilding permanent housing, villages and the damaged areas, and also the economic livelihood of many people. Not only have these people lost their loved ones, their houses and their towns; they have lost their way of life and ability to earn money. In reading some of the statements by the Prime Minister and members of the government, there is a real commitment to help a lot of these people get back on their feet economically, but, of course, it is a very long journey.

The Red Cross is working very hard to rebuild houses, reconstruct these areas and help people re-establish their lives. I was really pleased to read a nice story in the Guardian. Mr Kono is a businessman who runs a soy sauce company, Yagisawa Shoten, which has been in existence for over 200 years. The factory was destroyed by the tsunami. It will reopen its factory in a town just outside its original location. They are getting back on track and have started to produce some of the Kono products using old recipes that have been passed down for generations. Mr Kono said:

Having our own factory will help us rebuild our brand and our relationship with our customers.

It's a shame we can't reopen on the old site, but the damage there was so serious that it would take years.

It is heartening to see that, while so many people are still struggling to come to terms economically with this disaster, we see rays of hope with people getting on and rebuilding their lives.

The Prime Minister of Japan, Mr Noda, made some short but very moving comments on the anniversary of the disaster. He said:

Our forebears, who led our country to prosperity, stood up with brave resolution in times of crisis.

While offering our support for the daily struggles of those people in the disaster-affected regions, we will join hands as we seek to fulfil our historic mission of the rebirth of Japan through reconstruction.

Like many people in this House, I offer my condolences to Japan and its people, including the volunteers who have helped out and the people who have lost loved ones. I wish them the best as they try to rebuild their shattered lives.

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