March 11, 2011 is a date the Japanese will never forget. This is the day that an earthquake of magnitude 9.0 ruined their homes, and the everyday life of family and friends. On this day, a tsunami was unleashed after the earthquake, followed by radiation leaks at a nuclear power plant. This was the worst natural disaster Japan has experienced in recent history. The only thing the residents were left with were hopes and dreams. Their experiences were soon turned into poems, novels, and short stories. Most of their reflections were published in Japanese magazines. Elmer Luke and David Karashima published their own book March Was Made of Yarn: Reflections on the Japanese Earthquake, Tsunami, and Nuclear Meltdown with short stories reflecting 3.11. They described their chosen stories as seeking to present "perspectives near and distant, reconceive the catastrophe, imagine a future and a past, interpret dreams, impel purpose, point blame, and pray for hope" (Luke and Karashima, 2012, p. XVIII). One specific short story that is captivating is "March Yarn" by Mieko Kawakami, which motivated the editors to name their book after this short story.

"March Yarn," not only captures the hopes and dreams of the Japanese after 3.11, but also the anxiety from the situation they are in. To readers, it might seem that all the Japanese have a clear view of hope in their minds, but deep inside they are panicking knowing that not everything they imagine will go smoothly. One specific quote that shows this is the passage: "It was a world where everything was made of yarn. Water, people, train tracks, the ocean - all yarn. The ground, cups, clothes, date books. Things were knitted from this very soft, sturdy yarn. Everything. All yarn" (Kawakami, 2012, p. 63). This passage presents the residents' interpretation of an ideal Japan, through the protagonist's dream, after experiencing major disasters on March 11, 2011, where everything is made of something durable and flexible, a material perfect for when dealing with harmful events like Japan often experiences.

The idea of yarn is important because, as told in the story, it is a strong, protective, colorful, and flexible material. This material represents the opposite of what Japan was made out of at the time of the disaster: wood, concrete, glass and brick. During the three disasters, wood and bricks were blown everywhere harming people physically and destroying everything in its path. If Japan was made out of yarn, people would not suffer from these disasters. Everything would just continue being yarn after being shaken up. No one would be hurt as well since yarn is not a heavy material as wood and bricks tend to be.

The concept of family is very important in this story also. Pregnant with her first child, the protagonist's worst nightmare is her family being hurt. She dreams of her baby made of yarn-- of having a strong and protected family. Therefore, she worries about her baby coming to this dark world. She also dreams about the yarn being made out of color. Color is what reflects hope. Disaster tends to leave a dark and sad feeling in the residents after disasters. The color in the yarn represents life and happiness; this is what the woman wants in her child's life. The world would be a different place if everything were made out of yarn; it would be a safer and happier place, perfect for a baby.

However, yarn tends to have its flaws as well. Yarn can easily catch on fire and can easily be unraveled. This means that nothing will keep its form forever, especially if made out of yarn. The protagonist in the story might sound hopeful; however, deep inside she is worried. The idea that nothing will stay perfect worries the soon-to-be mother. We needed to read between the lines to feel her anxiety for the safety of her family. Her baby might be warm, but it does not mean it will last forever. In addition, her family might be safe from future earthquakes or tsunamis, but fires are her next problem. Life can never be as imagined.

3.11 left the Japanese with scars, both internally and externally. Elmer Luke and David Karashima made sure to include stories that express people's thoughts and emotions. One such story is "March Yarn." This story pictures an almost perfect world made out of yarn. If Japan had been made out of yarn before the catastrophe, the damages would have been minimal. However, now that Japan has been hit with these three disasters, people can only hope and dream with a perfect life and better future. Like the protagonist in "March Yarn," her only choice now is to put the past behind her and start looking forward to taking care of her future child, even if there is no perfect way of doing so.

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