Dedicated to the Spirits of Dead

Five months have passed since the horrible earthquake happened. It seems long ago because I am in the UK now. Last time I saw a small article about Fukushima nuclear plant in the newspaper here, but I seldom see an article about the earthquake anymore. People around the world saw that nightmarish view on TV or Internet, but did you know the fact that there were school children who were engulfed by the Tsunami on their way to escape the disaster, or people who had to let go off their parents or kids' hands helplessly, or people who still struggle to accept reality, or brave boys who try to tell their near-death experiences to keep the memory of the incident alive. In a local newspaper, you can still read about people's hard experiences. Every time I trace someone's life by reading an article, that made me feel very sad.

It's Bon Festival in northern Japan (13th-16th August), it's the Festival of Souls. We welcome back the spirits of the dead, and food and flowers are offered to the spirits of ancestors. We can't visit our ancestors' grave this year because of nuclear crisis. May your souls rest in peace...

I passed the church yard today and I heard the music of organ from the locked church. I also watched a horse and carriage for wedding passed by the road outside the house. Birth, marriage, death... every people and place has own history, and also time has flown steadily...