“For the Japanese people affected by the disaster take care and please recover soon.”
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This is the message crafted by Japanese calligraphy artist Ren Yano on behalf of the people of Dubbo.
Mr Yano prepared the words in Dubbo’s Japanese gardens on Saturday during the annual Shoyoen Autumn Festival.
Shoyoen gardens was a gift from Dubbo’s Japanese ‘sister’ city Minokamo, which lies about 300km south-west of Tokyo. Minokamo has not been affected by the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami which struck Japan’s north-east on Friday.
“Yesterday was a good opportunity to send a message from Dubbo city to Japan ... and the Japanese people appreciate it,” Mr Yano, who has lived in Sydney for 16 years, told the Daily Liberal.
The images of homes being swept away in the tsunami that followed the massive quake were distressing, he said.
“My family is okay but one of my friends (here) is from Sendai and I don’t think she can do anything ... she couldn’t contact her family,” Mr Yano said. For Dubbo-based jockey Joe Saiki watching the catastrophe unfold in his native Japan was horrifying.
“Up in the north it is terrible all the houses breaking down by the tsunami, hundreds dying,” he said.
“It’s just terrible.”
The apprentice rider hails from Hiroshima which so far has not been disturbed by the disaster.
Today Dubbo mayor Allan Smith will call his opposite in Minokamo to see if any assistance is needed. Cr Smith, who has visited Japan several times, has been keeping “a close eye on events” to see if Minokamo had been affected. Cr Smith also has a nephew in Osaka who he said was safe. Despite the disaster appearing to have spared Minokamo “we still have to check on our sister city,” Cr Smith said.
During the Dubbo flood in December 2010 authorities in Minokamo offered assistance, Cr Smith said. “This is many, many thousands of times bigger than what happened here. The loss of life looks like it’s going to be very high,” he said.
The Red Cross is urging Dubbo residents who wish to donate to its Japan and Pacific Disaster 2011 Appeal to call 1800 811 700 or visit www.redcross.org.au.