DISASTER JUSTICE: THE GEOGRAPHY OF HUMAN CAPABILITY

摘要

A funny thing happened on the way to the sumo tournament. As expected, I was wowed by the wrestlers' varicolored robes and plus-size bodies, but I left more impressed with the bustling spectators and their super-sized hearts. In the broad lobbies of Tokyo's wrestling arena, souvenir stands lined the walls, stocked with keychains, sweat towels, and bobbleheads featuring all of your sumo heroes. But what hooked me-along with dozens of Japanese fans headed for the bleachers-was a wooden kiosk at the back where a lady was selling jams and chutneys made by farmers in Tohoku, a hilly region to the north, which less than a year ago had been pulverized by a monstrous earthquake and tsunami. The line for jam and chutney snaked along for several meters. Even in a crowded lobby, with the year's first tournament moving into full swing, these folks, through the smallest of gestures, wanted to help.