However, I can't even get an honest dialogue going with what's going on over there. One friend enjoys doing things like posting pics of Hanami on his Facebook account, and he acts like nothing happened. It seems like people there (my friends anyway) are in some sort zombie state that doesn't allow them to tell it like it is.
There isn't a whole lot to talk about. They are picking up, cleaning up, rebuilding as they can. A popular Japanese view is to keep moving and stay in the moment instead of dwelling on and clinging to the event. For them there isn't much difference between 11,000, or 11,001 or 12,000 dead. Most every family has either lost someone, or they know someone who was lost. Japan is in many ways a very small nation.
Even the situation at the F-D nuclear plant isn't of much interest to many Japanese outside the direct area. Near the plant it bears listening for major developments but the general view is that what can be done is being done and they have rebuilding of entire towns to work on and people who need help. Americans seem to more freaked out and sensitive to every small detail and report than most Japanese.
What needs to be done is to restore some sense of order, to repair and rebuild their communities as quickly as possible, and to get past the losses. There will be time to write the history and mourn later.