Swords are for wimps
Earthquakes happen a lot in Japan, so on that ground, i wouldn't be too concerned on that basis
villages being wiped out is not so common, (in japan) but it happens often enough round the world that it shoudn't be a big deal
if you tie it to THIS earthquake, then yeah, it's a BIG deal. if you leave it vague, no one will care. much (people somewhere sometime will get offended about something)
The terrible downside to multiple identities: multiple tax returns
My teacher's a panda
Are you planning on publishing this story or sharing it with others? Because if you're not, than it doesn't matter if it's too soon or not. As long as you're not offended by it and it's for your eyes only, then there's no problem.
If you do plan on sharing with others, explain the situation to them first and make sure they're alright with it. Some people might be bothered by some of the events in the story, especially if they were personally affected by the disaster. But, as the poster above me pointed out, that kind of catastrophe always happens somewhere at some point to some degree, so it's something you always have to be careful for.
If you do plan on publishing it at some point, then perhaps wait a few years before you do, but there is nothing keeping you from writing it now. It could just be that secret manuscript you have hiding in your closet for years until you think the time is finally right.
Although, if you follow the advice of the above poster, don't make unnecessary allusions to the current disaster in Japan, and treat it seriously and tastefully, than there really shouldn't be any problem at all.
Thank you for the advice, both of you; that was very helpful.
At the moment I'm in the planning phase for a story I hope to write later this year, possibly as a Na No Wri Mo. As You Know, this week there has been a major natural disaster in Japan, and I'm worried about my story being hit by the Too Soon trope. The circumstances are not identical, but the story is set in Japan, and the climax was going to feature a river flooding and washing away a village, and the final confrontation was actually going to happen on a roof as it's being washed away. So yeah, you can see why some readers might connect that to the disasters. On the other hand, I think my idea has the potential to become a good story and I don't want to abandon it.
What would you do?