I know that I get many visitors from Japan to this site, so I would like to pass on my best wishes and those of all my other readers, many of whom are, of course, themselves lovers of the Japanese and their culture. You have our deepest sympathy and are very much in our thoughts these days.

The media coverage of the tsunami has, in my view, been quite sensationalist and voyeuristic, focussing on the Inception-like pictures rather than the very great human tragedy which continues to unfold, but my thoughts are with the people I have come to know well or merely briefly met during my times in Japan. May the recovery be swift.