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Nanaimo's Japanese sister city escapes brunt of earthquake

Nanaimo's Japanese sister city, Saitama City, escaped the brunt of that country's massive earthquake and tsunami earlier this month, Mayor John Ruttan has learned.

Nanaimo's Japanese sister city, Saitama City, escaped the brunt of that country's massive earthquake and tsunami earlier this month.

Mayor John Ruttan contacted civic officials is Saitama City to offer support and to see if our friends across the Pacific were in need of anything to help them through a difficult time.

Fortunately, the suburb 30 kilometres north of Tokyo with a population of 1.2 million people, escaped the brunt of the disaster, with damage only to roads and other infrastructure.

"We had a grave concern as to how they were impacted by the recent Japanese earthquake and resulting tsunami," said Ruttan.

In a response to Ruttan, Satoe Yanagisawa, a spokeswoman for Saitawa's mayor's office, said people there are dealing with challenges on a daily basis, but are in good enough shape to send doctors, nurses and firefighters to harder hit areas.

"People here in Saitama City are all right," wrote Yanagisawa in an e-mail. "But the news from the other areas is really heartaching."

She said damage to the nuclear power plants have created power shortages and that Saitama City suffers blackouts for at least three hours a day. The city is also receiving refugees from communities northward affected by the radiation leaks. About 2,500 people are being housed in the city's futuristic Super Arena.

Nanaimo and Saitama City officially became sister cities in 1996. At that time, Saitama officials presented Nanaimo's council of the day with two hinamatsuri dolls, which are still on display in Nanaimo City Hall's front foyer. Saitama City is world famous for its dolls and ornate samurai helmets.