City, Destroyed and Yet Hopeful, Begins to Move On

[Bonobo]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/11/world/asia/11grief.html?src=tptw



By MARTIN FACKLER
Published: April 10, 2011

MINAMISOMA, Japan — After nearly four weeks of living in distant refugee shelters, or huddling indoors at home for fear of nuclear fallout, Toshie Nagasawa finally came here to say goodbye.

While the immense earthquake on March 11 and the tsunami that followed devastated hundreds of miles of coastline in northern Japan, communities like this one near a crippled nuclear plant have had a particularly bitter fate. Forced to evacuate or stay indoors, survivors could not search for missing loved ones, much less begin the long, painful journey of coping with their losses and rebuilding their shattered lives.

Now, this onetime ghost town is coming back to life. In recent days, a growing number of survivors have begun to return, walking through the debris to look for belongings or say prayers for those who did not make it.

Those who came out last week despite the warnings seem to share the spirit of quiet defiance shown by many people in northern Japan, who have borne with stoicism and dignity the sorrows of nearly 30,000 people dead or missing. They said they wanted to get on with the process of healing, despite the risks.
“It’s strange how the seasons continue, as if none of this ever happened,” Ms. Nagasawa said, glancing up at the blue sky. “Spring comes back, but these little lives never will.”