2012.04.08
On March 11th, 2011, there was Fukushima. Since then, few have dared to visit Japan. Many of my friends have cancelled their trips. When I tell them that now is precisely the time when one should go to the archipelago, out of solidarity and to prove that it isn’t a plagued land, they reply that the risk is too high. “But the Japanese haven’t fled their country!” I have said repeatedly. With a sideways glance, they reply that those poor people are the target of misinformation. It seems like any excuse will do in order to doubt not only the intelligence of the Japanese, but also their courage.
—- Amélie Nothomb, March 2012 (original text is in French).