Above are a few old and, sadly, quite poor-quality photos from two trips I made to Tokyo to spend time with Husband while he was working on consultant sales projects there in…2004? 2005? I’m a little fuzzy on the dates but I remember my visits to that phenomenally gorgeous and fascinating city in vivid detail. The lights, the trains, the food, parks, shops, bars, museums, the epically busy streets, and, mostly, the people that make up the vast urban beauty that is Tokyo remain happy memories of some of the best holidays I’ve ever had. For Husband, he says that of all the countries he has traveled through and worked in, Japan is by far the land that impressed him the most and is the one that he most longs to returns to.

So it is with heavy and terribly sad hearts that we view the devastation and misery that continues to roil through Japan after the earthquake and tsunami last week. The pictures of the destruction are almost too much to take in, and the suffering of the people is truly distressing and painful.

Longtime readers of my blog may remember reading comments from Annie, a Tokyo resident who became a friend when Husband and I stumbled upon her taco bar near our hotel in the Mita district of the city. One hour and several tacos later (Annie’s husband makes the best tacos in all of Tokyo!), Annie’s warmth and humor had made us feel not only like the most welcome of guests but a part of her life. We all stayed in touch and Husband went back to her bar every time he was in town; Annie once arranged a home-cooked dinner with English-speaking friends and invited Husband as the guest of honor. Several times, she sent gifts for me home with him. Annie is a remarkable woman.

We sent email to her on Saturday to see if she was okay and were so relieved when she responded right away to report that she and her family were all fine, thank goodness. She said the earthquake itself lasted for several minutes, although it seemed to go on much longer. Minutes!!! I can’t imagine! I’ve been through a few strong earthquakes in my life but I don’t think any of them lasted more than 30 seconds at the most. I was in San Francisco for the 1989 Loma Prieta quake, a 6.9 tumbler that scared the hell out of me and caused some pretty extensive damage in only 15 seconds. So several minutes of 8.9 shaking, not to mention the numerous fore- and aftershocks, must have been traumatically horrible.

Husband has been in touch with two work colleagues who live in the Tokyo area and they also are unhurt, although one of them spent 25 hours trying to get home from work Friday.

We continue to monitor the news, of course, and are despairing of the ongoing reports of the rising death toll, massive destruction, and nuclear disasters. We hold the Japanese people in our hearts, now more than ever, and wish for them some relief from this nightmare.