Fast trains, beautiful countryside, and Fukushima

Today, I did not miss my train! I got to ride the Shinkansen Hayabusa Bullet Train! It was incredible. 200 mph and it barely felt like I was moving. It was so comfortable and quiet that there were even signs advising you be respectful with even your computer keyboard sounds; while going 200 mph! The train is very high technology. If an earthquake is detected, the train will stop automatically before the shaking arrives. Amazing. I then got to board a tiny local train which gave me pretty views of the countryside. About 3 hours later, I was at my destination for the day; Fukushima. I have wanted to visit The Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum but was not fully prepared for what I would see. Besides the memorial, there were videos, artifacts, and all the details about the response, cleanup, and the ongoing recovery. The museum is beautifully laid out and they gave me a tablet and ear piece that translated everything that wasn’t printed to English for me. Most of the exhibits have English translations as well. I learned more about the disaster than I previously knew. The 9.0 earthquake was followed about a half hour later by a tsunami that was almost 30 feet high. The videos of both the earthquake and the tsunami were graphic and there were many warnings about what I was about to see. They left the elementary school as it was after the disaster to remind people the power that the water has. You can tour it as well but I didn’t have time. A really powerful experience and what struck me as powerful was the impact it had in the prefecture (the State) of Fukushima. Imagine that an accident happened in Connecticut that wiped out a town; there are 168 other towns in Connecticut that are now forever labeled as home to that disaster. Tourism, manufacturing, and trade was a big part of Fukushima and that all stopped after the disaster. The entire State needs to find the new path forward so the impacts of this disaster were certainly felt far and wide. They have invested heavily in technology and are working on new projects like flying car/drones! The field in the back was also all being mowed by lawn mower drones. Very interesting. Was also heartwarming to see all the support they received from around the world. From elementary school cards to crowdfunding to international aide.
Time to take the train home. I have to go north to Sendai before I can go back south to Tokyo. Long travel day. When I get back to the hotel tonight I will have spent 12 hours traveling or waiting to travel. That has been an interesting experience though as well :)