Japanese women cried yesterday as they sang of the tranquillity and beauty of the homeland they had left behind to move to New Zealand.
The tears at the Whangarei Migrant Centre showed their misery over the horrific effects of the earthquake and tsunami which hit Japan on March 11, leaving more
than 10,000 people dead and 17,000 missing.
Compounding their dismay over the natural disaster was fear of the threat posed by the nuclear power plant damaged in the earthquake.
The half-dozen women didn't make a display of their grief.
Those who shed tears quickly wiped them from their cheeks and set to work distributing tea, sushi and other food they had prepared to about 40 people attending a fundraiser for Japanese earthquake and tsunami relief.
The appeal was organised by the migrant centre, which helps migrant families adjust to life in Whangarei, and the Women's International Networking Group Social (Wings).
Migrant centre president Penny Kempton told those at the fundraiser it was important to help the Japanese because Japan had sent disaster relief teams teams to Christchurch after the earthquake there on February 22.
About $800 was collected for Red Cross use in Japan and a further $400 was donated for a Japanese appeal for medical supplies.
A spokeswoman for Whangarei's Japanese community, Mari Fushida-Hardy, expressed gratitude for the generosity of Whangarei people and the sympathy locals had shown over the results of the earthquake.
Fred Tito extended the condolences of Whangarei Maori to the families of Japanese who had died in the tragedy.
Fonterra chemical engineer Richard Eiger, of Whangarei, described how he had been in Tokyo when the earthquake struck.
He had been impressed by the calm attitude of the Japanese people and the way they had helped him find shelter from a threatened tsunami and later took him to his hotel when public transport was disrupted.
Ms Fushida-Hardy told the Northern Advocate the nucleus of the Whangarei Japanese community was a group of about 20 parents who got together to teach their children the Japanese language.
