A month has passed since the massive quake and tsunami on March 11 devastated the pacific coastal area of the Tohoku region. Some 13,000 people perished and about 14,500 people are missing. Some 148,000 evacuees remain at temporary shelters. It is unlikely that the crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co's Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant will end in the foreseeable future.

The Japanese government and citizens need to consider what they should and can do to help and give hope to people who have lost their loved ones, lost jobs, businesses and homes, or have seen their communities destroyed. The hardships of the people who evacuated their communities because of the nuclear accident, or those who have chosen to stay despite the crisis, should not be forgotten, either.

It is understandable that the thought of the hardships suffered by the victims of the disasters is putting a damper on festive activities and keeping everyone in a pensive mood. It is reasonable that given the power shortage caused by the nuclear crisis, people economize on the use of electricity. The latter must be continued. But too much restraint in daily activities that leads to curtailment on consumption will have an undesirable effect on the economy. This would then negatively impact the local economies of the region hit by the quake and tsunami.