President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday marked the 15th anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, urging continued cooperation between Taiwan and Japan on disaster prevention and humanitarian assistance.
Lai wrote on social media that Taiwan and Japan have always helped each other in the aftermath of major disasters.
The magnitude 9 earthquake struck northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011, triggering a massive tsunami that claimed more than 19,000 lives, according to data from Japanese authorities.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
Following the disaster, Taiwan donated more than US$240 million in aid, making it one of the largest contributors of financial assistance to Japan.
In addition to cash donations and relief supplies, Taipei and the private sector assembled rescue teams to help the affected areas within 72 hours of the disaster, Lai said.
Meanwhile, Japan sent a preliminary assessment team within 14 hours to assist with disaster relief after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake hit southern Taiwan in 2016, he said.
These reciprocal acts of kindness have continued to bind the Taiwanese and Japanese people, Lai said.
“These efforts allow bilateral ties to continue to deepen and make the two countries even closer regional partners,” he said.
Separately, Japan’s top representative in Taiwan expressed his gratitude for Taiwan’s support following the 2011 disaster.
Speaking at a memorial ceremony in Taipei yesterday, Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Representative Kazuyuki Katayama said that Japanese remain deeply grateful for Taiwan’s generosity after the disaster.
Since then, people in Taiwan have continued to offer Japanese “warmth, support and comfort” whenever Japan faces similar hardships, Katayama said.
“Natural disasters might still occur, but no matter what difficulties we face, I am confident that the relationship of mutual support between Japan and Taiwan will continue,” he said in a speech delivered in Japanese.
The memorial once again reaffirmed the “unwavering friendship and bond” between the two sides, he said, adding that the relationship between the peoples of Taiwan and Japan continues to deepen even 15 years after the tragedy.
Also at the event, Isao Ueda, a representative of an overseas Japanese group in Taiwan that co-organized the memorial, talked about the kindness Taiwanese showed following the disaster.
“At that time, whenever I walked down the street in Taiwan and people learned that I was Japanese, they would ask with deep concern: ‘Is your home in Japan alright? Are your family members safe?’” he said.
“Today, on the 15th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, we mourn the victims of the disaster with heavy hearts. At the same time, we hope never to forget the kindness shown to us by Taiwan,” he said.
During the event, organized by several Japanese expatriate groups in Taiwan and held at the association’s Taipei office, participants observed a moment of silence and laid flowers to commemorate the victims.
Lin Yu-hui (林郁慧), deputy head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Taiwan-Japan Relations Association, attended the ceremony on behalf of Taipei.
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