Year’s end is a time to look back over the past twelve months – in words. The events in Asia during the past year, large and small, threw up numerous colorful words in half a dozen languages that helped to frame the current events of 2011, but also lifted the corner on the deeper aspects of Asian life and culture. Here are a few of them.
The mammoth earthquake/tsunami that struck Japan’s northeast coast in the afternoon of March 11, precipitating multiple meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station, gave rise to the phrase Fukushima Fifty. It referred to a small but intrepid band of nuclear power plant workers who braved high levels of radiation to help bring the damaged nuclear power plant under control.
Read Full Article »