9年前のあの日、僕はちょうど今月と同じ京都南座に出演中でした
その瞬間は舞台に出るためエレベーターに乗ろうとしていた時で軽い揺れを感じた程度でした
舞台から戻ると皆が大きな地震が起きたようだと教えてくれました
急ぎ足でホテルに帰り、テレビをつけ しばらくするとあの津波の映像をリアルタイムで目にすることとなりました
遠く離れた京都にいる僕にとってできることはただただ被災地の方々に大きな被害が出ないよう祈ることのみ
同時に携帯を握りしめ、いつか通じることを願って東京の家族に電話をかけ続けることしかできませんでした
時間を追うごとに拡がる被害
底知れぬ不安と苛立ちに包まれた頃、やっと家族の安否確認ができました
あの日から9年
被災者の方々は計り知れない程の困難と闘い乗り越えてこられたことと思います
そのご苦労を思うと胸が押し潰されるようです
亡くなられた方々のご冥福とともに被災地の一日も早い復興を改めてお祈り申し上げます
門之助
9 years ago today, I was in Kyoto appearing at Kyoto Minamiza.
I was on the way to the stage, waiting for elevator to go down.
It was a slight shake I felt.
Everyone was saying there had been a big earthquake in Tohoku when I got back from the stage.
I rushed my hotel and turned the TV on.
What I saw on TV was the catastrophic scene of the gigantic tsunami engulfing the disaster area.
Far away from the area, all I could do was praying that people in the area can survive and there will be no more damage.
While, at the same time, I was holding my cell phone and kept calling to my wife and daughter wishing I can get through.
As the time went on, considerable damages had been reported.
It was when I was covered with full of bottomless anxiety and frustration that I could finally talk to my wife on the phone and found out they were okay.
9 years have passed since then.
I can easily imagine how much sorrow, hardships and depression the victims have been through.
As I think of what they are coming through, it wrings my heart so much.
Once again, my thoughts and prayers are with the victims and families and hope that normal conditions are restored as soon as possible.