Remembering the Amagasaki Train Accident

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♦ 1 | At 08:21am on Nov 16 2006, steven hall wrote:

November 15, 2006

Kjeld Duits
12-20-306 Kusunoki, Ashiya, 659-0015, Japan

Dear Mr. Duits

I am writing this letter with the hope that you will be able to help me. My friend Yoshitaka Sugao was one of the victims of the Amagasaki train accident on April 25, 2005. A mutual friend of ours who lives in Tokyo told me the sad news shortly after it happened. I am deeply saddened by his sudden death. I wrote a short book of poems in memory and in respect of him and the other victims. It is my hope to have the poems sent to the grieving families and friends of the victims, and to anyone who has been touched by this tragedy. I want his mother know that he had made a friend here in America while he went to school here in San Francisco and that I have not forgotten him. I also wrote them because I wanted people to know that Yoshi had lived and he touched my life and I did not want to forget him or the accident. As you know, the second anniversary will be here soon. I am hoping to have these poems sent by then. I have been trying several avenues in hopes to contact a family member or friend of Yoshi or one of the other victims. So far I have not been successful. I read several articles posted online from Japanese news sources. I understand that some of the families have created a support group called 4/25 Network. Mitsuko Fujisaki was the spokeswoman for the 4/25 Network. Perhaps this could be a start. I would like to get an address so I may send these poems to them, if they would like to have them. It is also my hope that the poems will be distributed to other family members and friends.

You can contact me through the following:

[contact info removed for privacy reasons]

I thank you for your time and help with this endeavor.

Sincerely.

Steven Hall

♦ 2 | At 08:37am on Nov 16 2006, Kjeld Duits wrote:

Dear Steven,

This is extremely heartwarming. I think that I can help you. I will contact you directly by e-mail and for your privacy will also remove your contact information from the above message.

Speak to you soon!

Kjeld