This is my essay.








When I was quite small, our most fearful things were earthquake, thunder, fire and "Dad". However I think that "Dad" should be replaced to "typhoon". It shows how terrible the typhoon was!

Japan this year was often hit by the typhoon. The number of landed typhoon has been already ten. At this moment, the 10th typhoon, No. 23, is coming to Tokyo. Since the former highest record of the landed typhoon in a year was only six, this year was really extra-ordinary case.

The typhoon No. 23 under present invasion is now in Osaka and heading to Tokyo. The atmospheric pressure is 955 hectopascals and the maximum instantaneous wind speed of the near a center is 59m, which is very strong. When I switch on TV, the monitor shows the weather chart. The red and yellow circle of the typhoon is covering the whole Japanese Islands. This is a terribly big typhoon. The victim of the place at present is as below.
One person fell in a river and was drowned to death
Two persons who were doing the raising work of a fishing boat were taken by the wave and dead.
One old man who was repairing a roof was browed by strong wind and dropped down to death.
One person who went to look round his rice field fell in a river and dead.

I express my sincere condolence to these victims. However when I was a small boy, the typhoon was more fearful than now. For example, on September 26, 1959, the Isewan typhoon attacked Nagoya. Southern Nagoya-city was submerged and it claimed 5,029 victims by only one night. At that time, I was an elementary school days, but I never forgot about this disaster.

I myself did not experience this terrible typhoon. I moved to Nagoya after a few years since this typhoon attacked. But still the consequences of the typhoon still remained here and there. When I went to the harbor area, I found a monument of shoes. It was said that after the flood caused by this fearful typhoon went away, it was very strange but a large number of shoes were left on the place. So people set up a monument there for commemorating victims.

I have another episode. Just after I moved to Nagoya, I usually go to the junior high school by walk. On the way I went down a slope and I found a telegraph pole. I saw a strange line on the middle of the pole. I read the words on it. It was written as the "Isewan typhoon flood position." To my surprise, it was higher than my height. I am understandable if it was the place near the harbor area, but it was the center of Nagoya.

When I was small, to prepare for the typhoon is a big event. For children, coming typhoon means a good pastime, because we need not to go to school. However for adults, it was a hard job to prepare for typhoon. My father was used to come home earlier than usual and reinforced our house. My father was fixing additional boards on the door and windows by nails. A rhythmical sound for him to hit the nails was so nice and nostalgic. On the other hand, my mother cooked some rice balls, supplied dry cells to radio and a light and prepared a candle with match. After all of these preparations, we gathered all together and went to bed. For a child, it was something like an excursion. But I was so scared of coming typhoon. The strong wind made noise. With listening to it, I fell asleep. Next morning, when I went out I found lying down leaves, branches and signboards torn off to pieces by the previous night's wind.

However nowadays, typhoon is not so dangerous natural phenomena as before. As I am living in a condominium, even if so big typhoon would come, I felt nothing at all, except I hear some small noise caused by the storm. It is owing to the drastic improvement of the quality of houses. Formerly Japanese houses were made of wood and paper, but at present most of them are made of concrete and aluminum sash. So we need not to reinforce our house preparing for coming typhoon. Therefore nowadays I dare to say that some influence of typhoon. But it is restricted only on the rising price of vegetables and fishes, also stopping the airline or trains. Of course even now there would be some casualties of typhoon, however such things would never happen that more than 1,000 people would killed by only one typhoon. It was because that the Government has been building up banks of rivers or ports continuously by consuming huge amount of tax. In that sense, this might be a rare case for human beings to be able to control natural disasters to a certain extent.

(October 20, 2004)



(Sequel)

On the next day, it was reported that the typhoon No. 23 claimed 88 death or missing persons. It was the number of unexpectedly many victims. Here I would like to express my condolence to them.

However there is not only bad news but also good news during this disaster. It was really a heartwarming story. When Maizuru City was attacked by the typhoon, the area was suddenly flooded and the muddy stream of the river covered whole area including roads, fields and houses. At that time some cars were running on the road, one of them was a sightseeing bus. There were 36 passengers on this bus. However they couldn't evacuate from the bus, because the flooded stream was so fast to attack them. Most of them were retired persons at the age around 60s' years old. It was around 8:00 p.m., whole area was black out.

They were so scared in the bus. One man proposed that they should move to the roof of the bus, otherwise they might be drowned to death in the bus. He broke one of the windows and climbed up to the roof. The rest of people followed him. Finally 37 persons went up to the roof one after another. While doing so, water came even on the roof and came to the height of their waist. Under such situation they cheered up each other with holding hands or singing songs under darkness. They cut curtains and made rope for holding their bodies.

Next early morning the rescue activity started. Helicopters came and lift them up. And boats came and picked them up. Luckily enough, all of them were saved safely. There was no victim at all. Thinking their age, I think this is a kind of miracle. This is owing to their device and courage. Congratulation to them!

(October 21, 2004)




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Essay of My Wonderful Life

(c) Yama san 2004, All rights reserved