A Modest Proposal

Good Morning Everyone,

For those of you in the Tokyo community, you are probably aware of the new slang "Flyjin", a derivative of "Gaijin", parodying those that chose to leave for other parts. The WSJ has a solid article discussing both "Flyjin" and the operational challenges of bridging a gap between those who stayed and those who left.

As I've said several times, the right decision is the one that puts an individual and his/her family in the best emotional state, as the greatest damage from the Fukushima issues in Tokyo will likely be stress related. [Caveat: If the leader of an organization departed without ensuring that employees and customers were being taken care of, I think that is Leadership Meltdown.]


A Modest Proposal:
So, for those of you that left, whether Flyjin or not, I have a modest proposal: Take the same amount of money that you and/or your family spent on your vacation (albeit unplanned) and donate that to one or more of the charities that are doing good work up in Tohoku. Help out the some of the 450,000+ people who are homeless and/or have lost family members.

For those of you that didn't leave, you're ahead of the game. Donating the amount you didn't spend to fly you and your family somewhere else should be easy, as I am confident that you would have spent it if your personal safety or emotional state required it. Help out the survivors that are living in shelters get their lives back on track.

We will be donating both at work and as individuals and I hope all of you will as well. Ganbare Nippon!