Reader Submission: Some good news from Japan

A reader, Tanya, who used to live in Providence and moved to Japan last year, wrote in to let us know about the Kyushu bullet train, which opened over the weekend in Japan.

I live in Kyushu (a while from the earthquake and tsunami) where the completed Kyushu Shinkansen line opened on March 12, the day after the quake. Recently a handful of shiny new train stations – including Fukuoka City’s massive JR Hakata City – have opened in anticipation of the bullet train. While Saturday’s opening ceremonies and fanfare were canceled due to the disaster, trains began to run as scheduled. Some Japanese friends here have expressed their sadness, that this situation came about in the midst of such an exciting time for Kyushu and Japan…

People love trains here. It’s awesome. In the midst of all of this, there is continued support for them and pride in such a great system.

Tanya also forwarded a link to this promotional video for the Kyushu Shinkansen line which was filmed prior to last week’s quake and tsunami.

Obviously, there is still great suffering and need for assistance in the quake zone. The American Red Cross and other aid organizations are accepting donations for disaster relief in Japan.