Because I have friends who immigrated here only a couple years ago from Japan. Yes, their families and friends who are still in Japan are all okay.
Because I have a friend who is still in Japan right now. They were sitting in a restaurant in Tokyo when the quake hit. Yes, they and their families are okay.
Because I have a brother who moved out of Japan only one week before the quake hit. Yes, everyone he knew who was behind is okay.
Because I have new in-laws thanks to that brother who are still living in Japan. Like I said above, they are okay.
Because my best friend also has in-laws living in Japan. Yes, they are all okay as well.
Because I am a taiko student and thus end up thinking about and being surrounded by Japanese culture a lot. Our group raised $1,000 dollars in donations this weekend that will go 100% directly (through the Japanese consulate-general; none of that Red Cross taking their own cut business for us) to the relief efforts! biggrin
...Those are my more personal reasons for caring about this particular natural disaster, however every major natural disaster that happens around the world makes my heart go out to the people affected. For instance, the disaster in Haiti really depressed me, even though I didn't personally know anyone from there (although, I do admit, there are Haitians in my neighborhood, so it's not exactly alien either).
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