“Kodokushi” - 孤独死 - means “to die alone.” My dog recently died in my arms, and of all the wonderful experiences he’d had in his life, that was likely what he was most grateful for. The “temporary housing” erected for victims of the Mashiki quakes has seen it become “temporary” only as their residents die alone and unattended. Another poor soul, a man described only as “in his 70s,” departed this world yesterday, bringing this sad number of those dying alone to 33. I wish something more could be done for these people, but Mashiki is just so far away, both in location and in mind. - William