Nothing like the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake has ever been experienced before. It's something that was presumed to happen only once every thousand years. What I saw on television went beyond my imagination.

Yet, within a few days, a wonderful thing developed. There was a flood of support and well wishes from people in Japan and elsewhere. For example, besides money, soccer balls were donated by Pakistani children with a genetic blood disorder. In a poor district in Brazil, students gathered coins in a can and delivered it to the Japanese embassy. Even in Egypt and Tunisia, where massive demonstrations recently toppled decades-long dictatorships, Japanese embassies have received flowers and messages. The Afghan government said it has donated $1 million to disaster victims.

Countries currently experiencing misfortune have been affectionate, warmhearted, conscientious and considerate toward those hard hit by this Armageddon-like calamity. These deeds arise from human dignity, which we should never forget regardless of the situation in which we find ourselves. I could see intrinsic human nature manifested even through the mass media. Every disaster from natural to artificial origins can be overcome from such a perspective.

mikio kariya