Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami 5th Anniversary

Today is the 5th anniversary of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that affected the North East coast of Japan on March 11th 2011.

Here are some statistics that many people may not know:

• the earthquake was so powerful it knocked the earth slightly off centre
• between 10 to 30 minutes after the earthquake the tsunami waves hit Japan
• the waves were between 5 and 15 metres in height
• 15,894 people were confirmed dead with 2,562 people still missing
• around 6,000 people have still not been able to return to their homes, mostly due to the nuclear disaster in Fukushima
• The World Bank estimated the cost to be US$235 billion, the costliest natural disaster ever in the history of the world

Our thoughts and prays go out to those still suffering the affects of this tragedy.

Students learning about Japanese Festivals

March the 3rd is a special day in Japan. It's ひなまつり, Girl's Day, where people pray for the health and happiness of their daughters.
Year 8 students made おりがみ figures of the Emperor and Empress which are traditional dolls displayed during the festival.

Coming of Age Day

Year 7 students learnt about せいじの日 and made きもの bookmarks