The Japan Earthquake as 9/11

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

One theme that emerged in my conversations in Japan that surprised me was the serious impact on the Japanese psyche that the earthquake/Fukushima reactor/tsunami had.

Obviously, we knew it was a big deal, but like 9/11 for many in the US (and the world, of course), it has become THE defining event of a generation.

An increase in marriages (and divorces, actually) as people started asking themselves the bigger questions. Also, at least according to some, a questioning of the longstanding Japanese work ethic of “work like a crazy person.”