In the stories of those who up and left, there have been a few that have stunned me.
There was a woman living in Osaka who left, leaving her children at daycare and school, in a complete panic... She "forgot" her children completely, and gave no notification to anyone that she was leaving. Of course, once back in the UK, she contacted her (rightfully panicked) husband and told him to send the kids ASAP.
They are now involved in a divorce and she is trying to get the children by saying that he has kidnapped them.
I was flooded with messages from people telling me to get out of Japan as quickly as possible. Screw my home, screw my husband, screw my life... Just take my kid and get out. I rolled my eyes at it, but others took it seriously and really ran off... Regardless of where they were.
It has all died down now, but I don't find myself feeling very forgiving toward those who ran screaming or those who ran groaning about inconveniences after the quake. And especially not those who looked to get their minutes of fame by giving idiotic interviews about how they felt their lives were in danger... When they lived in Shimane or the like.
I was contacted by the BBC and actually declined to give an interview because other than a bit of rocking daily life was not affected for me. I should have given it as they person they found instead was hysterical and packing to leave the country - from Kobe.
It just showed how much they considered Japan "home", and how quick they are to abandon it at the slightest hint of trouble.
People have flowed back to an extent now, but for a brief period of time I felt very very much like a special minority. I also made a ton of money taking on translation jobs for all those companies whose translators quit with no notice and fled. I hope all of those contracted workers never find a decent position again. Seriously, you don't just hop on a plane and leave your company in a bind because you are scared of... something that isn't even close to you.