Japanese Media Coverage of American Military Relief Efforts (Operation Tomodachi)
The Japanese media has not been ignoring the relief work that thousands of American military personnel have been performing since the March 11th earthquake and tsunami. I’ve seen reports about it on every major Japanese TV network.
Here is a summary of the most positive TV report I’ve seen so far. It features FTV journalist Yuko Ando reporting directly from the scene of the action:
At Misawa Air Base, she sees boxes of food and supplies that will be sent to disaster victims. There is also a large crate that contains radiation detection equipment. Americans who are preparing the supplies and performing maintenance on aircraft say they are very happy to be participating in the relief operation.
Ando visits the USS Tortuga via helicopter. Upon arrival, she is checked for radiation – they find no significant levels of it. The Tortuga is a dock landing ship, assisting in the delivery of American and Japanese military vehicles and supplies to the disaster zone.
Her next stop is the USS Essex, an amphibious assault ship. Its helicopters and landing craft are constantly making relief trips. Its landing craft have helped transport Japanese workers and their maintenance trucks to Kesennuma Oshima Island, where they are helping to restore electricity.
About 8 and a half minutes into the clip, we can see Americans delivering supplies to people in Miyagi prefecture. They’ve also brought toys for children. The kids seem really happy.
Back in the news studio, Ando stresses the enormous scale of the American military effort. Over 18,000 personnel, 19 ships, and 140 aircraft! Her experience has left her very impressed.
There have been a lot of reports about medical facilities in the disaster zone being overwhelmed. Having seen the hospital facilities on the Essex, she thinks it would be a good idea to utilize them. The Americans told her that they are ready to offer such assistance, should the Japanese government request it. Her general impression is that the Americans have the means to provide additional help and are eager to do so.
Ando says that she believes the generous American aid is not being given only because Japan and the United States have a treaty of alliance. Co-anchor Taro Kimura agrees, but he sees Operation Tomodachi as the biggest-ever joint operation by the American and Japanese armed forces. Its success is a major step towards improving U.S.-Japan relations.
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