one rainy night in Japan

the recent news saddens me. 

the picture below is to remind me of the Japan i know. 

outside my apartment in Saitama, Japan; 2008

i took this picture the night before i left Japan. after four months of staying there for a grant, i can say it's my favorite country in the world (understandably). i valued the silence, the cleanliness, the efficiency, the respect for privacy, most of all, the politeness and courteousness of the Japanese people.

they have gone through tougher times than this. they will pull through.