Editor's Note: The Tokyo Church of Christ is serving many in the wake of the tragic earthquake and tsunami on Monday. Lead evangelist Takeshi Yamazaki reports: "We will have service at the church building tomorrow. The trains are still not fully functional and gasoline is still scarce, so we are asking only those who are in close proximity to attend. The rest will participate via internet access."
The following article is the first hand account of Yudai Takamoto, the Tokyo Church campus leader, about his trip to Sendai, one of the most devatated areas.
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On March 11, 2011 at around 3 pm, a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0 hit Eastern Japan. This strong quake also jolted Tokyo, as our train lines immediately stopped and there was a great deal of panic and confusion. Many people were forced to walk for hours just to get home, the phone lines were not working, and many people unable to go home had to spend the night either at work or in public facilities. The streets were crowded with hundreds and thousands of people desperately trying to get home on a cold night. Many disciples were at the church building when the earthquake hit, preparing for a big evangelistic event that was supposed to take place the next day.
We opened up the doors of the church building to allow people to use it as a rest stop. Many people came to rest, use our restrooms and to warm up before going back outside.
There were many visitors who spent the night at the church building waiting for the trains to be operational. The brothers and sisters stayed up all night, serving drinks and food to the people who stopped by and also provided a warm place for people to be able to sleep. The brothers and sisters were able to be a light to the world during a difficult time. Some people with tears expressed their gratitude.
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The most devastated areas were the towns and cities along the eastern seaboard of Japan. As a result of the strong quake, a massive tsunami hit the coast, swallowing up cities and towns and causing total destruction. The damage is so extensive that even now, a week after the quake occurred, officials are not able to assess the number of people dead and missing. Without a doubt this is the strongest, most tragic and most devastating natural disaster this country has ever experienced.My family and relatives live in the cities of Sendai and Natori in Miyagi prefecture which are located in the Tohoku area where the earthquake hit the hardest. After the quake I received a text message saying that my family was safe, but I was unable to reach them by phone and assess how they were doing. One of my relatives was living in a town that was completely swept away by the tsunami and was missing. The roads leading to the Tohoku area were completely shut down and the bullet trains also had stopped.
Concerned about the safety of my family and my relatives, I decided to head to Sendai, in the middle of the disaster. In Sendai, gas, water and electricity were completely shut down. In many areas roads were completely destroyed and building and rooftops were collapsed. Many of the shops were closed and there were long lines to get food, drugs and gasoline. The city ceased to be functional and the people were in a state of panic.
Natori city, where my relatives lived, ceased to exist as a result of the tsunami. My cousins and I went to what remained of the city, but there was nothing left. Words could not describe the sights that passed before our eyes. We could not even locate where my relatives’ house had been located. Among the wreckage we could only see firemen, policemen, and self-defense force rescue workers. We saw many dead bodies that were wrapped in plastic placed along the streets. Countless numbers of people remained buried beneath the rubble yet to be found. The damage is so extensive that it will probably take months, perhaps even years for this town to recover.
Later we confirmed that my missing relative was safe. He actually got swept away by the tsunami, but was able to survive miraculously. At this moment, still many of my friends and many of the friends of my family members who were living along the coast are not accounted for. The devastation from the tsunami is so extensive that they will probably not be able to locate all of the missing people.
I will never forget the sight that I saw with my own eyes. In a flash everything was washed away, shattered and destroyed. It was an unbelievable sight that words cannot adequately describe.
There are still communities of people who have no gas, water and electricity and are isolated, with rescue teams still unable to reach them. Presently, emergency goods and donations are being sent from around Japan and around the world. We are expecting that in a short while these goods will begin to reach the evacuation sights where the people are in dire need.
We are now facing fears of radiation pollution and many people are trying to evacuate from the areas in proximity to the damaged nuclear power plants. Please continue to pray for the safety of our people, the work of the rescue workers and all of those who are working tirelessly to save lives and deal with this tragedy. Please also pray for the hearts of the countless numbers of people who have lost loved ones. And pray that many hearts will be seek God.
Thank you for all of the love expressed to us and for all of your prayers.