2.46pm - 2 years on

It is hard to believe that it is 2 years today since the world rocked and so many peoples lives were taken or changed forever.

2 years on and there are still people living in temporary housing an arrangement that was supposed to be just for 2 years but the settlement payouts from TEPCO have yet to be made and so the government have extended the agreement to 4 years. The rent is free but the utilities have to be paid for. Many have no where else to go, they can't return to their homes either they were washed away by the tsunami or contaminated by the radiation.

2 years on and we still check to see where our food had come from, some weeks we have a very small selection of fresh fruit and veg to choose from. I used to be all for buying local, support the local communities, now we buy from as far away as possible.

2 years on and there is a marked increase in suicide and domestic violence in the disaster struck areas and where people have been relocated to.

On the positive side, google have extended their public alerts to Japan, looks like a good system but I'm not sure if it is available in English too.

The French artist JR has set up an exhibition featuring survivors from Tohoku, more about that here

Image Credit: JR

And there is the Tohoku Cotton Project, which is growing cotton instead of rice on the damaged land, giving the farmers employment and starting a new industry in the area.

It has been a tough couple of years especially for those effected more directly, each time the ground shakes I am filled with dread. I will never be able to be able to enjoy the beach again, not that I was a big beach fan to start with but now all I see is the tsunami footage replaying in my head.

Today, I will go through our survival bag, make sure everything is in date etc. There is a day designated for this in September but I feel to do it twice a year is probably a good idea and take some time to remember all those who lost their lives and those still suffering one way or another.