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Fractale's Azuma Writes About Japan, Quake in NY Times

Hiroki Azuma, the story creator for the ongoing fantasy anime Fractale, described his personal experience and observations of the March 11 earthquake (Tōhoku Chihō Taiheiyō-oki Jishin) and tsunami in the Thursday edition of the New York Times newspaper. As his nation responds to the disaster with nonstop relief efforts and government support, Azuma said that the character of the Japanese people is changing for the better:

I have never seen Japanese people thinking about and discussing "the public" this much. Only recently the Japanese people and the government were seen as indecisive and selfish, muddled with complaints and bickering. But now, they are boldly trying to defend the nation together, as if they are a changed people. To borrow an expression from the younger generation here, the Japanese people seem to have completely transformed their kyara (character).

Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara had commented on Monday that the tsunami was "divine punishment" for Japan's "selfishness." Yutaka Yamamoto, the director of Fractale, had responded by saying that no divine punishment would indiscriminately affect innocent people and that Ishihara was not qualified to characterize Japan.

The full version of Hiroki's "For a Change, Proud to Be Japanese" article is available to read on the New York Times' website until March 28, when the site converts to a paid online subscription model.

[Via MangaCast]