After Shock

I don't usually make personal posts on this blog-it's become a space to discuss things like movies, books, food, travel, and things related to Japan. But the last few days have been really surreal due to the massive earthquake that rocked Miyagi prefecture and that has been haunting everyone with all the horrific video coverage out there.

It may have been the big one, but from where I was at home it wasn't. Don't get me wrong-it was the worst earthquake I've ever felt and seemed to go on forever. But it did little more than knock some things off shelves in my apartment, which is located at ground level. I imagine it must have been terrifying for those who were 20 stories up in office buildings. There was no apparent damage in my neighborhood of Sasazuka, which is located just west of Shinjuku about 25 minutes by walking. I always wonder when an earthquake hits, and there have been many over the 13 years I've been here, if this is the one that will rock Tokyo to its foundations. It wasn't and I feel extremely lucky. The fact that I'm on spring vacation means that it hasn't affected my professional life either-I don't have to be in an office or teach any classes. I'm on my own schedule. So I didn't get stuck away from home like so many people who were stranded since the trains closed down for most of the day. I went to see what was going on at the station area and saw the legions of people walking west from Shinjuku to their homes on Koshikaido, which is a major arterial. Also the traffic gridlock of people driving home. Many shops were closed down, and those that were open looked gutted of food, water, and other supplies. I guess I took it for granted that Tokyo would be taken care of.

I had dinner at a ramen place down the street-just in case the gas was still off. That was my major inconvenience-initially the gas was off, but at some point it came back on after I reset the switch. I was in desperate need of doing laundry, but the coin laundry places I usually use had gas power dryers weren't working, so I left the clothes out to dry naturally.

The next day I tried to go to the gym, but it was closed, as were many shops. But elsewhere business as usual was going on. Several events were cancelled: a friend's club event the St. Patrick Day's Parade. I got fed up with sitting around in my apartment seeing Facebook hysteria and watching the news so went and met some friends for drinks in Shinjuku and Shibuya. It was eerie like New Year's Day-so few people out and about. 

There will be rotating blackouts in the surrounding area possibly until April, but the main 23 wards of Tokyo will not be effected and I live in work in this area, so again it, doesn't have  a direct effect on me personally. I guess I am extremely fortunate.

The next few days will hopefully see Japan return to some sort of normalcy, but I know that won't be true for those near the epicenter. But I guess the rest of us are ready to get back to normalcy. Who knows what the long term effects of the quake will be? However, I do know that things will get worse before they get better as the number of dead are tallied and the nuclear power plants that are in danger of meltdown have been shut down.

Comments

[Patrick W.]

Thanks for sharing this. I've heard a few other personal accounts, and for those of us who used to be there and have a stronger emotional ties to Japan than, say, the average CNN watcher, it's a valuable window into the reality on the ground.

[lillian]

So glad you wrote this ! I've been hopeing you would :-)
greetings from Thailand

[MC]

Thanks Pat, I'm starting to worry about how this might affect the academic school year. I found out today that there was some minor damage to our offices on campus and that the rolling blackouts might last until April, when the new academic year starts.

Lilian, nice to hear from you. You're still in Chang Mai?!

[lillian]

yep still here :-) Glad we're far from Tsunamies !!!!Its good too hear of all the parts of Japan where people still go out for drinks and meet friends !