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​​SUSPENDED TIME 14:46  looks at how the moment of silence ritual for the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake has been translated on to the web. It follows the process through which Twitter users try to shape the protocols and ethics around remembrance on social media platforms.  The narrative created by the Tweets is spontaneous, nonlinear, and somehow timeless; much like the "real time" Tweets that are archived and continue to live on the web.


Context

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On March 11, 2012, the Japanese government held a memorial service in order to mourn the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake. It was the first time in recent memory that the government had organized a national ceremony for victims of a natural disaster. 



At exactly 2:46, when the earthquake had struck off the east coast of Japan, attendees observed a one-minute moment of silence. The prime minister had called beforehand for all Japanese people to observe the same ritual, and live footage was streamed online in order for memorials held at local areas to “share the time of the moment of silence.” 

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Meanwhile, the social media site Twitter was abuzz with reflective comments and questions on how best to observe this anniversary:

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What exactly does 14:46 on March 11 represent? Why do we observe anniversaries, and what is significant about them? What should be remembered, and what is being forgotten? Is there a danger in formalizing the process of remembrance through anniversary rituals? 





The Moment of Silence

 

The moment of silence is a secular ritual that is observed across different cultures. The Japanese term mokuto can also be translated as "silent prayer." In Japanese national newspapers, first mention of the moment of silence as it means today was made in 1923. It was organized to commemorate victims of the Great Kanto Earthquake, which had devastated the area around Tokyo. Procedures were modeled after Armistice Day held in England.  As the militaristic regime gained power and implemented the "National Spiritual Mobilization Movement," the moment of silence became an opportunity to promote a purported national solidarity across Japan, as well as occupied Manchuria and Southeast Asian countries. As the country headed towards the Sino-Japanese War and WWII, it became practiced every day at noon, as well as special days such as the birthday of the emperor. 



Until the Great East Japan Earthquake, the only national  moments of silence, organized by the government after WWII, were held on August 6 and 8, when the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.