Last Day in Japan

Plutonium is leaking from the Fukushima nuclear power plant... Politicians who were bought out by TEPCO are madly trying to get rid of Prime Minister Kan... Commercial media (also bought out) makes it seem like he is being brought down by his ineffectualness during the crisis... People who rely only on TV for information are swayed... Soon, another politician bribed by TEPCO will be in power and Kan's promise of shutting down Fukushima by January (including getting rid of all radioactive materials -- not sure how, but there have been many discussions of methods to do so) will disappear like so many homes in the tsunami... Tokyoites are forgetting the lessons of only a few weeks ago, tired of being in post-disaster mode... It's starting to heat up here and those who swore to reduce their air con use are now saying "shoganai yo ne (can't be helped), we can't possibly get through the summer without it"...

Only a little while ago, I thought the Japanese were on the right track. The population is highly educated, hard working -- we can get through this and make the country even better, I thought. My optimism is crumbling.

I want to go back to the hills and the fields, the forests and my garden, the life I love. But I am also torn. I feel like I need to stay and be a part of the solution. It's making me crazy on my last day in Japan.