Visiting Areas Affected by Earthquake, Tsunami,
and Fukushima Nuclear Power Leakage

The effects of the earthquake on Tokyo

Easing the trauma for children with flower essences

Prayer as relief work

The first visit to areas affected by the disasters

Investigating the tsunami damage inland

I felt that it was necessary to deal with various regions affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake by dividing them into different groups according to the extent of the disaster. Mental health issues are treated differently, depending on the possibility of recovery, and the time required for restoration to take place. Therefore, we would need to select essences suited to each individual situation.

Disasters from this incidence are classified into earthquake and tsunami, fire, and damage caused by the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. Another factor that should be taken into account is the “psychological damage” caused by the impact of information disseminated through the media and other channels. In a good sense, information can be helpful. However, if its impact is negative, there is a need to care for people who have been affected by it. Needless to say, it is important to trust information as well as people. I visited areas that were affected by the earthquake, tsunami and fire where the damage from the nuclear power plant was relatively minor. Although recovery has yet to begin, the areas were starting to be cleaned up, thanks to the help and cooperation of volunteers.

The effects of the earthquake on Tokyo

Tokyo was also affected by the earthquake, so it also may be considered a disaster area. However, other than the after effects of the “psychological damage” the residents suffered, I believe that Tokyo and the surrounding Kanto area have more or less recovered from the incident. This is not the case with damage caused by the nuclear power plants. There still are no prospects for the problems to resolve anytime soon. We therefore wish to continue dealing with this issue, and hope to convey the usefulness and efficacy of phytoenergy, or energy of plants and flowers, in a variety of ways.

I live in Tokyo. When the earthquake hit Tokyo on March 11, I was driving a car on my way to pick up my elementary school son who takes the train to go to school. I arrived at the train station, put him in my car and headed home. Shortly after I began driving down Loop 7, I saw the road swell and roll like a wave. I felt the earth shake as if riding a boat. When I looked around, I saw buildings and signboards shaking violently. Roof tiles cracked and fell down, and people were running out of buildings. I stopped the car and held on to it tightly. I wondered where the epicenter was. If it was not anywhere near Tokyo, and if Tokyo was shaking this violently, then… I thought about the scenes of damage inflicted by the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995.

We hope to convey the usefulness and efficacy of phytoenergy, or energy of plants and flowers, in a variety of ways.

When the second quake came, believed to be an aftershock, I was inside a building. Since I felt a strong shake, I went outside the building. In front of the sidewalk, there was a major road, and the Metropolitan Highway passed over it. I looked for a place to hide and protect myself. But the area was surrounded by concrete, so much so that I could hardly see the sky. None of the places looked safe to us. It may be that there are no safe places in the heart of Tokyo. Were the children attending school in Tokyo able to reach home safely?

Easing the trauma for children with flower essences

In Tokyo, many small children take the train or the subway all by themselves to go to school. I prayed for the safety and well-being of these numerous children who were heading home. As we slowly began to learn, through media coverage, about where the epicenter was, and what sort of a disaster the earthquake and tsunami had caused, we were appalled by the scale of damage. Every day since then, we were glued to our TV sets at home, watching videos of the Tohoku area and learning about the situation surrounding the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. Each time we saw them, we Japanese began to lose something big in our hearts: Japan, a country that is peaceful and safe. I could not help but ask our country’s beautiful Mother Earth, fostered by intelligent and peace-loving people, its rich nature, as well as the millions of deities up above, “Why? What in the world is happening?” All I could do was pray that no more precious lives and treasures would be lost, since so much already has been lost.

The most important thing I taught my son was to be able to protect himself by becoming aware of a “hunch” based on a higher-level awareness, and by fleeing from disaster, protected by the million deities above.

I used a number of flower essences and flower remedies that help people survive difficult times. They included Grounding Green and Scotch Broom . I was concerned about the children’s future—no, the future of Japan. Like many other parents, I began taking my son to his school every day. I explained to him that the circumstances were such that I could not let him ride the Tokyo train by himself, and taught him what to do in case of an emergency, citing various case examples. The most important thing I taught him, however, was to be able to protect himself by becoming aware of a “hunch” based on a higher-level awareness, and by fleeing from disaster, protected by the million deities above. I gave my 8-year-old son Grounding Green , Cerato and Post-Trauma Stabilizer . Since he has been familiar with flower essences even before he was born, he actively accepts all essences. And he takes them by himself.

Like adults, children, too, attended school every day, filled with anxieties from seeing daily disaster videos, feeling the numerous aftershocks, and perceiving a sense of anxiety being emitted from other people. So, to purify my son’s soul, I gave him Chaparral as well. Because of the horrific situations close to the epicenter, the regions swept away by the tsunami, and areas affected by the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plants, all means of communication and transportation to understand the actual state of affairs in those places were cut off. It took a long period of time to restore them back to normal. I’m sure that all the people in Japan wanted to help but could not, and because of this frustration, they must have felt that they would do anything they could possibly do to help the region’s recovery and restoration efforts.

Prayer as relief work

People all over the world saw the tragedy that occurred in Japan, and, with love and caring, provided their warm support and prayers. Numerous words of encouragement were sent to people in disaster-stricken areas who were forced to live in fear and anxieties. Being a mother of a young child, I myself was unable to immediately go to those areas to help out. Instead, for several months thereafter, my family and I visited numerous temples and shrines—those I have visited numerous times in the past with my mother—and worshipped there. We prayed that Tohoku would recover quickly from the disaster, and that our country would continue to prosper. I also prayed that I would be able to carry out activities to help the region recover from the earthquake and tsunami.

Together with my son, I visited numerous shrines and temples to offer our prayers. They included Ise Shrine; Mt. Hiei and other temples and shrines in Kyoto and Nara; Mt. Koya; the temples and shrines in Wakayama that were hit by the typhoon in the summer; and, of course, temples and shrines in and around Tokyo. We learned that numerous people visited to pray at the various temples and shrines for the swift recovery from the earthquake disaster. We also learned that temples and shrines all over Japan were offering prayers every day for recovery and restoration, and that such prayer services continue to this day. The reason I decided to inform you about the prayers offered at temples and shrines, as well as the thoughts sent from numerous people, is that when I visited the disaster-stricken sites, I felt that those warm thoughts of love and caring had reached those areas, and was moved by the enormity of people’s thoughts and prayers, and what wonderful things they could accomplish.

The first visit to areas affected by the disasters

I visited the disaster-affected areas for the first time on August 7. All of my family went with me. My children’s school was in summer recess, making it possible for them to take part in volunteer activities. The number of people who visit the Tohoku region has decreased because of the nuclear power plant accident, and even the areas that were not affected by the tsunami appeared to have lost vibrant energy. I felt that visiting the Tohoku region was one of the ways to support their recovery, so we went to Miyagi Prefecture to watch the Sendai Tanabata Festival in August. We had no qualms about going there, perhaps because we all take essences such as Yarrow Environmental Solution (YES) that can cope with the impact of radiation.

At the time, taking the children further east of Tokyo was considered to be very dangerous. Even in Tokyo, since the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant was relatively close, most people were worried about the dangers of radioactive contamination, and took extra precaution to ensure their children’s safety. I felt that these people, who were worried about their well-being, were also disaster victims and required care, so I suggested that they take flower essences. Although the Sendai Tanabata Festival attracted many spectators, I felt that it lacked the usual vigor and excitement. Perhaps because the areas of Sendai along the seacoast were affected by the tsunami, and because of daily aftershocks and the closeness to Fukushima, the downtown area appeared to be shrouded in dark, gloomy air. I sensed the residents’ feelings of anxiety about the uncertain future.

The morning following the festival, we took part in the 6 AM service held at Chusonji Temple in Iwate Prefecture. Needless to say, we all prayed for the region’s swift reconstruction, and comfort for the souls of the deceased. We also prayed that we could carry out activities to help with the recovery efforts. The Chusonji Temple was surrounded by clean, crisp morning air, and we spent a pleasant time there. Like Tokyo, the temple was located about 200 km from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, so the people there were not too concerned about radiation. Although its distance from the nuclear power plant is about the same as Tokyo’s, it seemed that the residents’ awareness of nuclear power generation and radiation differed from that of Tokyo. This seemed to be because of the tsunami damage that occurred in nearby regions has not yet been resolved, and because the residents took the problem of the tsunami disaster very seriously as if it was their own. I asked the temple’s head priest about the situation in disaster-stricken areas. Chusonji Temple sends many of its young priests to disaster-affected areas every day, to engage in various relief activities including removal of rubble.

If I and my staff were to carry out volunteer activities to provide physical and mental care to disaster victims, using flower essences, aromatherapy and other methods, which region should we start with first? To be able to carry out volunteer activities, I needed to understand the actual situation at various local areas. The head priest told me that the city of Rikuzentakata in Iwate Prefecture and the town of Minamisanriku in Miyagi Prefecture had vast areas of flatland, so they were washed away entirely by the tsunami, leaving only mountains of rubble. Although a majority of the rubble had been removed, no one was living there since there were no buildings. The damage, however, was considerably severe. The city of Kesennuma in Miyagi Prefecture also had some collapsed buildings left, but there were many places where people could not live. The damage was also extensive, so the priest said that it would be nice if we could provide care to the residents in both areas.

After hearing what the head priest said, we immediately left for the region, hoping to visit different areas. The city of Kesennuma had a considerable number of damaged buildings still remaining. Some were collapsed, making it almost impossible to live in them. Perhaps because the collapsed houses cannot be removed like rubble, they had remained there, uninhabited. We went to slightly higher ground, and found a municipal office. The office provided information on evacuation shelters and had a desk for receiving contributions. We signed up as volunteers. Perhaps because they have already accommodated a large number of people who wished to do volunteer work and came to sign up as volunteers, the staff members were all extremely polite, and responded to me with kindness and a genuine sense of caring. Although I went there to heal other people, I felt as if I was healed by the people at the municipal office.

We were referred to and immediately went to a volunteer center in Tanaka District that oversaw the temporary housing units located at 35 sites in Kesennuma City. After filling out the volunteer registration form, entering my qualifications and personal profile, I explained to the staff members about our work, and what sort of volunteer activities we could do. This is how volunteer work becomes possible: residents of evacuation centers and temporary housing make a request for things they want done. Those who want to do volunteer work inform the staff members about what they can do, rather than what they want to do, and wait for suitable requests to come in. If there are requests which the volunteers can fulfill, they accept them.

I told the staff members that I was an aromatherapist and a lecturer, that I worked as a flower essence counselor, gave lectures, and taught at various schools, that I was an international Chinese medicine doctor and an international Chinese medicinal manager; and that I was also a chiropractor. I conveyed to them that, if there are requests, I’d be happy to provide seminars or treatments (massage) on any of the topics I had studied or practiced to date. I also told them that along with those activities, I intended to recommend flower essence treatment and care.

Since none of the staff members seemed to know about flower essences, I explained to them about how they could be used. A variety of aromatherapy products and other items were being sent to the Volunteer Center from all over Japan. Even though they had aromatherapy products and flower essences, they could not be used unless one knew how to use them. In order for phytotherapy to be effectively used in disaster-stricken areas as well as in Japan, it is essential for us to teach the methods of using these valuable items. I felt that we needed opportunities and activities to make this happen. Members of the Volunteer Center were extremely pleasant to talk to, although they must have been extremely busy with their daily volunteer activities. They treated me with kindness and respect. The way they responded to me from the heart was something that people in Tokyo may have already forgotten. I felt as if I was the one that was healed by such kindness. The staff members told me that since the disaster, victims seemed to prefer massage; if they ever requested our services, it would most likely be for massage therapy. The members then asked me for details about activities, including about how many disaster victims I was prepared to deal with; and whether or not I was able to flexibly meet the schedules that the disaster victims requested, rather than the schedules I myself requested. I therefore registered my schedule for every day in August so that I could accommodate as many people as possible during that month.

We then headed for the city of Rikuzentakata in Iwate Prefecture. There, we found not a single place where people could live, as far as we could see. The city sank deep into the ocean—by unimaginably high waves that covered an unimaginably broad area—and, by the time it reappeared, there was absolutely nothing. It was if the entire city had disappeared. The only things we saw were mountains of rubble, and windowless buildings that had been reduced to just framework, standing here and there. We searched for the disaster victims’ evacuation centers, municipal centers and volunteer centers. This search merely made us realize that there was nothing here.

Investigating the tsunami damage inland

After driving several kilometers inland, we reached the foot of a mountain and found some houses remaining. But the tsunami had even reached this far inland, and left devastating scars. The area was located considerably far away from the ocean; it was a mountainous village surrounded by nature. Who could have dreamed that a tsunami would come this far? We wondered, why this far?

We checked the records of a map kept at the City Volunteer Center and found that the tsunami had most likely forced the river upstream. All the trees, all the way up to the mountain ridge, had wilted because of salt damage. The river had considerable depth, but none of the residents dreamed that water would flow backwards upstream and overflow like this. That was why they saw no need to flee. As the head priest at the Chusonji Temple had said, there was absolutely nothing nearby. Piles of rubble have been cleared away to a considerable extent, but it appeared that it would take much more time. Grass and weeds had grown in a vast open lot where the rubble had been removed. I’m sure that the area used to be farms and rice paddies; rice and other crops must have been growing here. But as far as we could see over this wide area, there was no one around. Only a handful of cars passed us by.

What surprised me after arriving in disaster-affected areas was the sharp difference in energy levels from what I had imagined. The impression I had before entering the site was formed by the visual images reported in the media. The image was naturally gloomy, dreadful and desolate with many people having lost their lives, and the area completely ruined and transformed into piles of rubble. This may have been because the rubble had been cleared away with the help of a large number of volunteers, but the energy I felt in the areas had vigor and was clear enough to heal my heart.

I felt that the differences between the things I had witnessed with my own eyes and the things that actually happened here, as well as the energy I perceived here, were caused by the people’s thoughts and prayers that were being sent to this area. The warm thoughts that numerous people all over the world send every day to these disaster-affected areas must have reached the residents. They may be the power of the prayers of many people who, regardless of the type of religion or sect, continued to pray to the gods they believed in, and the power of those gods and the people’s thoughts. I was extremely moved; I became convinced of the possibilities for the future, and was extremely happy to have been given such beautiful learning.

The warm thoughts that numerous people all over the world send every day to these disaster-affected areas must have reached the residents.

We continued to drive the car for a while, and arrived at a place where a convenience store and a supermarket have just opened. The place must have been completely swept away by the tsunami. There were no other buildings nearby, and there were no facilities where we could lodge, of course. There were, however, areas where we could park our car and sleep inside the vehicle. It was not possible to procure all the items locally; there were, however, signs that restoration was beginning, little by little.

I entered the supermarket with my husband. The place was neatly organized, and a wide selection of products was being sold. Some items may have been lacking, but, ever since the transportation route was re-established and secured, it appeared that most goods became available. All sorts of precooked dishes were also being sold at the supermarket. Most houses were swept away, and even if the houses were still there, they might not be habitable. But there still must have been houses where people could live; the store was crowded with shoppers. I could not help praying in my heart for their happiness, that the people of disaster-affected areas could eat their favorite foods and enjoy their delicious tastes, just like us who are able to lead normal lives. We, too, were hungry, so we decided to eat a boxed lunch. I thought for a moment if it was all right for us to buy food here. I looked around, and found that lots of merchandise was still available. So, with slight hesitation, I bought some homemade sushi rolls. They were delicious—much tastier than those we eat in Tokyo—perhaps because we could feel the warmth and caring of the person who had made them. The taste of homemade foods, filled with the residents’ hopes and thoughts for restoration, healed my soul. I will never forget the moving emotions I felt at that time. I felt as if I visited this land and encountered something very beautiful. I was extremely happy to have been able to visit this place, and thought that I would definitely come again, with flower essences in my hands.

Information is going around, telling us that disaster-stricken areas are dangerous places. However, I visited them with my son, came in contact with the warm feelings of the local people, and had extremely precious experiences. I hope to visit the areas again with my child also. Of course, I’m sure that there are dangerous places. But I give my son flower essences and other substances that can purify radioactive substances. If we look at our Earth with the Oriental view of nature based on the Ying-Yang theory, “Even in circumstances that appear the worst imaginable, things that help them always coexist.” Human beings are able to create all these things by borrowing all sorts of power, including the power of nature.

Since there is something that protects and helps us, we need not become worried more than necessary. Could this be because I am being helped by the many blessings and wisdom of nature, including flower essences? I am thankful for the many different powers. I hope to teach and pass on to everybody, the power of healing that the natural world creates, as phytotherapy and naturopathy.

My mother passed away last year. Several months later, the huge earthquake occurred. I had anticipated my mother’s death, and was mentally prepared for it. For many years, my mother was being cared for with flower essences and other therapies. I was able to take care of her at home until the very end. She was being looked after by a female physician who was a close friend of mine whom both my mother and I respected, and who had a deep understanding of phytotherapy. Even though I had wanted her to live a little longer, my mother only was able to live until age 76. Still, seeing my mother go was a terrible blow to me, stronger than I had imagined. Needless to say, I cared for myself with flower essences.

In addition to several remedies and essences, I took Illumine . This essence worked very gently. I also took Grief Relief , which I knew was an essence I had to take under such circumstances. As a result, I perceived changes amazingly strongly; I was tremendously healed. Just like Rescue Remedy and YES which I took or applied to my skin whenever I had pain in my body, Grief Relief made the pain gently disappear. The shock and heaviness I had been feeling cleared away.

Changes came about with the energy which we normally do not feel when there is no need for it. When I was filled with thoughts that reached a dead-end, or when recollections of the past continued endlessly, Grief Relief helped clear my field of vision as if my thoughts had climbed up several steps. I was able to see so clearly and widely that I could almost see the past, the future, and sceneries located far away. As a result, light began illuminating here and there. This may be the Earth’s energy and cosmic energy that are poured onto plants that can be felt only by those who know flower essences. This is similar to a sensation known in the Orient, where the heart had spread far and wide on receiving the energy of heaven and earth.

Ever since the day of the earthquake, I had hoped to deliver these thoughts to the victims who have lost their loved ones, such as family and friends. The essence Leading Light supported me to pursue this wish. It helped realize my plan to visit the disaster-affected areas and hand out flower essences to the people there.