Two of the top 100
(From The Japan Times May 10 issue)

TIME誌100人に選ばれた日本人

Among the famous artists, magnates and leaders on Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people this year were two lesser-known names from Japan: Mayor Katsunobu Sakurai and Dr. Takeshi Kanno. That a young hospital doctor and small-town mayor could make the list of the most prominent people from around the world shows just how impressed the world became at the fortitude and courage of so many Japanese during the Tohoku disaster.

Thirty-one-year-old Dr. Kanno was working at the Shizugawa public hospital in Minami-sanriku when the earthquake hit. He helped patients escape the oncoming tsunami that engulfed the hospital and surrounding area, bravely waiting while all of the survivors could be rescued by helicopter before he went himself. Three days after the quake, he finally made it back to his wife, who would, a few hours after he arrived, give birth to his second child. His understanding of what it means to care for human beings extended far beyond the standard practice of medicine.

Frustrated for two weeks over the limited help, Mayor Sakurai of Minani-soma, one of the hardest-hit municipalities, delivered harsh criticism and a plea for help in an 11-minute video broadcast on YouTube. That video, subtitled in English, was viewed by thousands of people around the world, and hurried the government and industry officials to speed up their emergency assistance.

Standing up to a bureaucratized and hierarchical system is not easy, but Mayor Sakurai's words and actions encapsulate the best of what government service can, and should be.

These two individuals' bravery and strength deserve notice and respect. They are but two of the many people who worked tirelessly to be sure others were safe. Many others whose work has not received such recognition can surely share in their congratulations. If Tokyo Electric Power Co. and government officials had been as professional and sensible as Dr. Kanno and Mayor Sakurai, many of the problems in the aftermath of the disaster could have been greatly lessened.

The dedication and sense of community Dr. Kanno and Mayor Sakurai displayed are exactly what will be needed to recover and start anew. Their affirmation of the importance of human life in the midst of catastrophe is an inspiration.

米TIME誌の「世界で最も影響力ある100人」に桜井･南相馬市長と南三陸町志津川病院の菅野医師が選ばれた。東日本大震災後の日本人の強さと勇気に世界が感銘を受けたことの表れだ。

震災から3日間、菅野氏は津波で浸水した病院で最後の患者が避難するまでそこにとどまり、自身の次男が生まれる数時間前に妻と再会。患者のケアに対する彼の考えは、標準的医療行為を超えるものだった。

桜井市長が動画投稿サイトで政府を批判し窮状を訴えた映像は英語字幕付きで世界に配信され、政府や業界関係者の緊急支援を加速させた。

東京電力と政府の関係者が両氏のように仕事に徹し賢明に動けば、多くの問題の深刻化を防ぐことができただろう。

両氏が示した献身と連帯感は今後の復興に必要となる。大惨事のさなか命を重んじた彼らの行動は、勇気を与えてくれるものだ。