Ghosts of the Tsunami

The 2011 Fukushima tsunami resulted in the worst loss of life in Japan since Hiroshima. Its impact (both physical and metaphorical) reverberated for many years. Lloyd Parry writes an unflinching account of events viewed specifically through the lens of one community. Ghosts is far from easy reading. Much is inconceivable (try imagining seeing a tsunami, the loss of your family and all your possessions), especially when described in the detail undertaken in this work, where much of the information is gleaned from painstakingly accumulated first-hand interviews. This is rewarding journalism. Lloyd Parry also writes with the style of a fiction author, varying the cadence of the text, revealing and withholding information. Similar to his previous work (People Who Eat Darkness), which I also thoroughly enjoyed, Ghosts holds a microscope up to Japanese society. For any Nipponophile, this is therefore necessary reading. Lloyd Parry captures well the deep-rooted spiritualism of many Japanese (hence the ‘ghosts’) as well as their quite often non-confrontational stoicism, acutely observed after the tsunami. An event such as this does clearly stir emotion, and the unwavering commitment to justice on the part of the survivors is commendable, while the authorities (responsible for a school where most perished) did not admit culpability, their incompetence is starkly revealed. Lloyd Parry does end Ghosts on a somewhat positive note, expressing hope for redemption and new life.

By Richard Lloyd Parry