Just when everyone seems to think Japan's northeast will never really get back to normal - the mere passing of 24 hours and two events has helped dispel that notion.
On April 13, 2011 - 33 days after a 9.0 Magnitude earthquake and 10 metre (30-foot) high tsunami heavily damaged the Sendai region of Japan - two unrelated events marked triumphs for the hard-hit area - and country.
The Sendai Airport - heavily damaged by the tsunami - VIDEO HERE--welcomed Japan Airlines Flight 4721 marking the opening of the airport to commercial service at 8AM.
While the flight marked the beginning of flights to and from the area, airport officials warned it is still not up to full capacity and it may take a while before full airport operations take place, though six daily flights between Tokyo and Osaka on JAL (Japan Airlines) and ANA (All Nippon Airways) airlines are happening now.
As well, the day before on April 12, 2011 and about 322 kilometres (200 miles) to the south, the Sendai Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles baseball team played and won the Pacific League's 2011 season opener.
Sendai beat the Chiba Lotte Marines - last year's JBL (Japan Baseball League) Japan Series champions - by a score of 6-4 at Chiba Lotte's QVC Marine Field in Chiba-ken (Chiba Prefecture) near Tokyo. It will still be another four to six weeks before Sendai's Miyagi baseball stadium is refurbished.
Earlier - on April 12, 2011, well before the game, a strong 6.4 Magnitude earthquake hit northeastern Chiba at 8:08AM (six people died in landslides). The day before at 5:16 PM on April 11, 2011 a stronger 7.1 earthquake hit with an epicentre about 50 kilometres from Fukushima-ken's (Fukushima Prefecture's) troubled Dai-ichi (Big One) nuclear facility. The US Geological Survey, however, measured the April 11 quake at 6.6 Magnitude
During the ball game on April 12, 2011, another 6.3 Magnitude quake hit both Fukushima-ken and Ibaraki-ken (Ibaraki Prefecture)--which was felt in Chiba-ken--during the fourth inning of the game, rocking the stadium and causing a slight delay. While there was some panic, most fans stayed to watch the whole game.
Whether or not you think it's important to note that baseball was played while people are still suffering - it is. It's to provide a glimpse--just like with the re-opening of the airport--that things are getting back to normal. Baseball - just as it is in America - has become a part of Japan's lifesblood.
Somewhere you can feel Japan's pulse getting stronger,
Andrew Joseph
