Another in an intermittent series of comments on The Atlantic’s photo feature, this time on the anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

#5: I know that I have to take the photographer’s inclinations to portray local color and things that are poignant or exotic into consideration– after all, these are not a random sampling of images by a long stretch, but I am quite interested in the religious reaction to the event, which has its own schedule.

#9: Those oven-mitt hats don’t look like they would protect your noggin from debris any heavier than a paperback book, and not a very long one, either. Perhaps splitting the difference between something cheap and easy to store and an actual helmet?

#10: Now THIS looks like the earthquake drills I know.

#11: hard to imagine wandering through so many photographs, looking for familiar faces.

#14: I guess celebrating the only tree left standing is seeing the glass as 1% full instead of 99% empty.

#16 & #23: those car or boat on roof images are going to stick with people

#17: warm knitwear on statues is a thing in Japan, like a more emotion-laden yarn bombing.

#21: sad and also nice, a shrine for a daughter

#23: another kid with a somber birthday, joining all of those kids born on 9/11

#34: tiiiiiiiny apartment! And I bet the photographer’s flush against the door

#36: My union maid persona is concerned about people working for free for a seaweed packing company

#37: the Edith Prickley of Japan (or maybe Lola Heatherton? Haaaaaaa ha!), with a quite fetching sweater. Note the combination space heater/tea heater in the background, too dangerous for US houses due to insulation.

#39 & #40: A lovely project, with some religious significance maybe (see photo on the shrine in #21). See some of the photos at the 3.11 exhibit at UBC in Vancouver.

#41: I had forgotten that Cat Island might have been affected!

#42: This picture made me realize the feature was a natural for The Lighter Side… Fish oil tank painted to look like a giant whale meat can. Japan!