OMG are you guys OK?

[njospe12089]

Dear all at japanesepod101.com;
many may have said but you feel like old friends, as i have listened, and will continue, to your voices so darn much.
Anyway, we - my wife and I - are relieved to hear that all is well with this group, yet we grieve indeed at the extent of the devastation up north.
i am writing also, because i had subscribed to JP101 as we have plans to come to Japan in the middle of April. To Kyoto and the Kumano peninsula. so, here is my question if i may, and if anyone there has the time and the inclination to answer: I take the liberty to put it to you, as you will be able to respond with knowledge of the local context.
how might it be viewed, if someone comes as a tourist, a passionate japanophyle kind of person, yet a tourist all the same, barely a month after such a catastrophe. Would it be perceived as really rude and inconsiderate and ill-timed and so forth, versus, OK on the whole, and thanks for coming anyway, particularly since everyone would be wondering about the wisdom of visiting a country with such devastating earthquakes.
thanks truly for any thoughts and suggestions.
and, could you do a beginner's podcast on the various words for earthquake....?
all the best
nick

[Hikaritennyo]

For those of us who want to know more about the situation in Japan and have a decent grasp of Japanese,
I found a link to decent Japanese news streams:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nhk-gtv
If this one doesn't work when you click, there are usually a couple of recommended ones like ANN or another NHK.

[Jessi]

Hello everyone,
Thank you for your kind messages - our offices were closed for the past week, and we have just returned to work today.
We had quite a scare in Tokyo when the earthquake hit, but thankfully all of us, including our friends and family here in Japan, are okay.

We have been posting updates on our blog, including information on how you can help those affected by donating, important disaster-related vocabulary in Japanese, and more:
http://blogs.japanesepod101.com/blog/ca ... uncements/

Thank you again, everyone! Please continue to keep Japan in your thoughts...