Article by MeiMei (Taiwanese) from Fukushima Peace Walk experience

Annual Peace Walk in North East Japan include Fukushima and areas where Tsunami hit.

This year we had MeiMei from Taiwan.

This article is what she felt by walking around Fukushima.

Few hours before departure for peace walk in Japan,

I was still sitting in my room watching all my things spreading everywhere on the floor.

I had no idea that if I should go or not…

It took 6 weeks ,750km from Sendai,Miyagi Prefecture to Peace Pagoda at Mt. Otera in Tokyo by walking.

Instead of emotional crying I said thank you to everyone as usual in the end of walk…didn’t even feel this was the end. 

Everything I’ve seen,heard and experienced became cells in my body and some part of me are starting to change.

This is the fifth time I’ve been in Japan,but it’s the first time I see Japan so deeply not just as a tourist.Walking with Nipponzan Myohoji is a big challenge.

Monks and nuns chanting in the morning,chanting when they are walking,chanting all the time…it’s a practice for my patient.

One day I asked Yako angeson,why do you chanting "NaMuMyoHoReNGeKyo" all the time?What does it meant to you?

She answered “while chanting  we send care and love to plants、flowers、animals 、people and everything".

It hit me right away and I finally understood why I’m walking here.I’m not just people from Taiwan,not just a human and I'm not just me.

I feel connected to the world no matter I'm from different countries,no matter I'm in the beauty of nature or walk passing by those contaminated areas.

Most of the time we were ignored by people while walking on the road.

There were only two who are exception...the police and children.

I guess that’s how the society think of us…”Dangerous and Mysterious”.

I am impressed by the strong hearts of Nipponzan Myohoji. When we were facing 10 police man in front of the National Diet Building,Yako angesan didn’t want to move at all even the police try to force us to leave.I also felt there is no need to be afraid standing here if you were thinking there are still people suffering from the nuclear accident in Fukushima and all the people who feel anxious about the radiation around this country.

I couldn’t understand why most people wouldn’t take more actions but just keep the way the live as usual.But as the time passed by during the walk,I got to realizing a little bit why people are afraid of showing their own feelings just like when they were seeing us walking on the street and immediately running into their house or just turn around into another alley…

I wonder,is it easier to pretend there is nothing happened after the accident?Is it hard to choose the right thing just because most people don’t think it’s proper?Is it naive to believe that nature is the most precious thing we need to protect?  

I see fears from people,they don’t have hope for the future but maybe acting as nothing happened is the best way to live for them.

Every time when I think of this point the only thing come up is that we should stop the nuclear power and as a human being,shouldn’t we take some responsibility for the earth?

Have we ever thought where do those electricity power go?How do we use it?

If we can keep life life more simple and not just chasing for our own desires in the society…

Over looking the Chimneys of Fukushima Daiichi NPS

The last night before flew back to Taiwan we were sitting in the kitchen listening to the news from radio about earthquake happened in Kyushu.

Nothing we can do neither for the earthquake now nor the nuclear accident happened 5 years ago.

That remind me again why I’m here,the faces of people from Fukushima,the sadness from organic farmer in Sendai,the trees were being cut in the forest,the contaminated soil bags located on the side of road,the river with warning contaminated sign…

Stories need to be shared,hopeless people need to be healed and be loved…

Nature,let’s keep the way it was.

I am sincerely grateful walking and meeting all the people in Japan.I’ve seen broken hearts and soul during this trip,but I also had many smiles and love from Japanese people.

Thanks to everyone who gave us warm hearts and supporting the walk,you are participating,you are also walking with us. 

Especially thanks to all the walkers I’ve met.

Thanks for teaching me to see and listen by your strong hearts and soul.

Thanks for teaching me to be patient by all the early chanting morning.

Thanks for teaching to be humble and not being brush off to this world by walking step by step.

I deeply feel that I’m connected to this world with all you guys.

Thank you Japan,please be strong and don’t walk away from what you supposed to believed.