The tragedy of Friday's massive earthquake and following tsunami in northeast Japan has shaken the nation. And as Japan attempts to assess the damage and send relief, the country's art world is attempting to recover and show support.
The Agency of Cultural Affairs announced on March 14 that more than 30 cultural properties in Japan had been damaged by the earthquake and tsunami. The Rokkaku-do, a villa built on the coast in Ibaraki Prefecture in the early 20th century by Okakura Tenshin, appears to have been washed away entirely.
In Sendai, the worst affected area, Sendai Mediatheque, though still standing, is currently deemed too dangerous to enter. "The windows were smashed and the ceilings of the higher floors fell down. The floors are also flooded by the sprinkler system," said a representative of the Life-long Learning section of the municipal government. He went on to explain that the severity of damage and the evacuation of the city meant that plans have not yet been made for its repair and reopening.
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