SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Seiji Suzuki, owner of Sushi North, hopped on a plane two weeks ago and headed to earthquake- and tsunami-rocked Japan.

Seiji Suzuki, owner of Sushi North, sits with kindergarten students during lunchtime at a school in Osaka last week. - photo courtesy of Seiji Suzuki

He planned the visit months before to visit family and friends and it turned out that he was to arrive less than a week after an 8.9-magnitude earthquake spurred a tsunami off the northeast coast of Japan on March 11.

Suzuki is staying in Osaka, on the southwest side of Japan, for another two weeks before he returns home.

"We are doing OK! Everything is normal here! But TV news and newspaper (report) bad things 24h/day. It is a little (tiring) to watch those," he wrote in an e-mail.

He wrote many people are still missing, the latest reports stating 10,800 dead, another 16,240 missing and a quarter of a million in temporary shelters.

Suzuki said many people are unaccounted for because there is still limited access to the affect area and restricted power use.

Tokyo, with a population of more than 12 million, is impacted by the Tokyo Electric Power Company rotating power cuts to manage blackouts in areas due to several failing nuclear power stations. Fukushima nuclear power plant remains seriously damaged from the earthquake and resulting tsunami.

He wrote that conserving power is a "big problem" in a large city like Tokyo.

On Monday, the country went through yet another 6.5-magnitude earthquake on the east coast of Honshu island, but it did not affect any of the nuclear power plants in the area.

Suzuki said in the face of such destruction, the people of Japan are pulling together and attempting to stay as positive as possible.

"People (are starting) to clean roads, build temporary homes, send money, foods and goods," he wrote.

He added people are eager to "clean up and move forward. Like after (Second) World War. We lost everything but keep moving to strong Japan. I can feel same spirit from them!"

He said it is still cold in Japan this time of year and that the country will have a late spring.

"I hope beautiful cherry blossom (are) above them soon," he wrote.

Suzuki moved to Yellowknife from Japan about 18 years ago.

Now, his new home community continues to raise funds to help those in Japan.

Businesses such as Javaroma and Overlander Sports have donation boxes out. Sushi North recently held a fundraiser and is donating five per cent of its profits from the months of March and April to relief efforts.

The Salvation Army, Rotary Club and YWCA are all donating funds to the country and the GNWT is contributing $50,000 to the Canadian Red Cross to assist with humanitarian relief efforts.

"For years, the NWT has been a popular destination for Japanese residents and political officials," Premier Floyd Roland said in a prepared statement.

"Many personal and economic ties exist between the NWT and Japan. This tragedy has affected many of our residents."

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