Sunday 20th March – Day 10

March 20, 2011 by Draycat

 

 

Life is beginning to get back to normal in Tokyo. The weather was warm and people came out in droves to enjoy the sunshine. The fear has subsided. From looking around in Tokyo it’s difficult to believe that just over a week ago 10,000-15,000 people were wiped out (estimates at the time of writing) in an instant just 150 miles (250km) up the road. Everything here looks the same.

 

No toilet paper in the shops yet, still lines at petrol stations, and some shelves  remain empty in supermarkets, but in Tokyo those are the only signs of what was one of the most terrible weeks in Japanese history.

 

Problems remain at the reactors, but the situation feels much more stable than it did. The world news has already started shipping their reporters to Libya, and the soaps are back on TV. Now 800,000 people must begin to literally rebuild their lives.

 

The British Embassy started giving out iodine tablets yesterday as a precaution. It feels to me like they want to be seen to be doing something. There were big lines of people waiting for them, but I didn’t go as there didn’t feel like there is any point – last Sunday I probably would have been one of the first in the line.

 

As I write this I’m in very reflective mood. Thinking about the randomness of the world, and what it means to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Today I thought a lot about those who had died, and those who remain and never got the chance to say goodbye. I think this whole experience has changed me, I feel different, things around me look different although everything is the same.

 

After today my blog will go back to normal, and will focus on images around me, and my slightly quirky view of them. But before that happens I would like to thank all those that risked their lives to ensure our safety this week, not just those in the reactor but those looking after the people in the shelters, clearing the streets, and those doing all the other things we tend to overlook and take for granted. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude, and I hope we repay it by living better lives.

 

Goodnight from Tokyo

 

If you are interested I will also soon be restarting my daily photo-blog on my Facebook page. There is a link below, please click on ‘like’ at the top of the facebook page to get the regular images. You will also get information about when this website is updated – I’m planning a bit of a redesign, and some new images soon.
Facebook Daily Photo Blog


Saturday 19th March – Day nine

March 19, 2011 by Draycat

 

I woke up this morning and turned on my computer to find more foreign news stories about people in Tokyo fleeing and panicking, so I looked out the window to check. I looked as hard as I could, even took out my longest zoom lens to help me cover a greater distance, but couldn’t see anyone fleeing or panicking. I wondered if there was another place in the world called Tokyo, and all this time I’ve been reading about the wrong one.

 

Some people have left its true, but its news coming from overseas that is scaring people rather than anything coming out of Japan. There is danger but things are being exaggerated and that is making a bad situation much worse.

 

There have been no significant events at the reactors for a couple of days, though everyone is still very aware of the possible danger, people are more hopeful than they were this time last week. On the streets things were coming back to normal.

 

I had to meet a friend in central Tokyo today so I headed to the train station near my apartment. When I got there the lights were dim (some lights were off to save power) and the displays weren’t showing where the trains were going so you had to look at the train when it arrived – it was just like being back in England!

 

This is the first time I’ve caught a train since the earthquake, and I was a little nervous, not because of radiation, but because there is still a very real fear here of another big earthquake. As I stood waiting I had visions of the roof falling on me and I desperately wanted to be somewhere where I could see the sky. I didn’t expect to feel that nervous, but in life now it seems to be a case of expect the unexpected, so I won’t forget that again.

 

I met my mate in Ueno, and today seemed like a normal day. Lots of people around doing normal things, and very little sign of the unease that was apparent earlier on in the week. The sun was shining, and it felt warm and relaxed. I don’t know if we are just getting used to everything now, getting complacent, or just trying to forget for a while, but it felt good to have a normal day again.

 

After I got home there were two big aftershocks. They made me freeze in my tracks and quickly reminded me of the fact that things are still far from normal, and that anything can still happen. But despite this the constant fear from the beginning of the week has gone. I hope that means that we have all grown as people just a little…

A Brit and a disaster (in Tokyo) – part seven

March 18, 2011 by Draycat

Friday 18th March – Day eight

There was noise when I woke up this morning. It was the usual noise that you would hear on any morning plus a man drilling, I can’t explain how much better that made me feel.  Today I could have kissed the man drilling because was a clear sign that there were no significant changes at the reactor overnight. I’m not sure the drilling guy would have appreciated the kiss so I sufficed myself with a little dance instead.

 

On the downside the nature of reactor roulette has changed now, no point calling out the reactor numbers any more it’s pretty much all of them at the same time now. Those people at the reactor are basically giving their lives to save the rest of us and it brings tears to my eyes when I think about it. Words cannot do justice to how much all of us here appreciate their sacrifice.

 

In Tokyo there was much more of feeling of optimism in the air today. People were outside again, talking, laughing and doing normal stuff. It felt good, but things still not passed the toilet paper test – there still isn’t any here – so people are still worried.

 

Lots of images of things up north today. Conditions in many places are dire. Many people in refugee centres do not have access to clean water, sufficient food or even heat. Many are getting sick. The whole thing is exacerbated by the situation at the reactors because more help isn’t coming as quickly due to worries about radiation. The government is being criticised for not doing enough, and rightly so. They weren’t doing that well to before the earthquake and Tsunami, so their under-reaction to this disaster will be the nail in their coffin. The problem is whoever comes after (who were the same as came before) won’t be any better. Japanese politics is in crisis and now people are suffering as a result.

 

We decided to take advantage of the feeling of normality today and went out. I even went running in order continue to facilitate my weight loss. My wife was happy as my belly was beginning to develop a will of its own – even I was worried it would develop a life and personality and go on to be more successful than me!

 

At night, though, the aftershocks came back. Even now they make me stop in my tracks, worried about how bad it may be. You get used to earthquakes in Japan but after last week no one is taking anything for granted.

 

Today was exactly one week since the earthquake and Tsunami. A moments silence was observed by many at 2.46pm – the time when the quake hit. The Tsunami hit an area of coastline 500km long. The wave was 8-10 metres high in some places. Even now I find it difficult to comprehend devastation on that scale. This will all live in my mind forever.

 

In few weeks the cherry blossom will bloom in Japan, I hope things will be better then, especially for those up north, and it will be the start of new hope and optimism.

 

Goodnight from another day in Tokyo.

A Brit and a Disaster (in Tokyo) – Part six

March 17, 2011 by Draycat

Thursday 17th March – Day seven – continued

 

As I sit here typing I’m wearing 2 fleeces, a hooded top, and two pairs of tracksuit bottoms – When I move around I resemble a zombie (not so easy to bend with all the clothes) and I look like a cross between the Michelin man and sumo wrestler. I haven’t shaved for a week and feel like a bear, I’m now thinking of auditioning for a horror movie franchise. This is all an attempt to keep warm because we are keeping the heater off to save electricity.

 

I have just begun to realise how much we rely on electricity. In the 70’s in England there were power cuts and only the electricity went off, but now everything is connected to electronic controls so when the electricity goes off so does the phone, the water, and even the gas in some places.

 

It’s been a week since the earthquake, and the aftershocks are still continuing. We’ve had two tonight already, it’s very difficult to relax sometimes, but I’m finding red wine helps, as well as helping to keep you warm! I suppose every cloud has a silver lining.

 

We went to a supermarket today and there is still plenty of food in Tokyo despite all the reports of panic buying. Some shelves still empty though, including toilet roll. I’ve come to the conclusion that toilet roll is a weird measure of the national psyche here, when it comes back it will mean that people feel that the nuclear reactor threat is over. Until then the unlucky ones will have to keep their buttocks clenched or at least hope there are spare copies of the Asahi shimbun (newspaper) lying around. If the reactor situation continues indefinitely then radiation may not be the only smell sensation lingering in the air (yes I know radiation doesn’t smell, but you get my drift…as it were).

 

There is still a lot of confusion due to conflicting information. Most of this is caused by news media from different countries all saying different things. Most of the Japanese have no inkling about what the foreign media is saying and are just listening to Japanese media and the Government information (or sometimes lack of). As a result most of foreigners are leaving Tokyo and in some cases Japan in hoards while for many Japanese it is literally business as usual. The power cuts and aftershocks are causing more inconvenience to them than the threat from the reactors. I really don’t know who to believe any more, I’m feeling media overload. It seems others may be too, as I heard a report that soap operas came back to some Japanese channels today, replacing disaster TV images.

 

Personally I want to remember these feelings of uncertainty for the rest of my life. That might sound weird, considering the words I write day by day in this blog but it is situations like this that break us out of the complacency that we normally get into. This past week the feelings of insecurity, fear, uncertainty, sadness, and helplessness have helped me to understand how many people in war zones, disaster zones (don’t be fooled that Tokyo is a disaster zone – it isn’t) and refugee zones feel. When this is over I want to be much more proactive at doing what I can to help others. Hopefully my photography and writing can contribute to something much better. I never want to get complacent again.

 

Goodnight for another night from Tokyo.

 

While we huddle in our homes in Tokyo, the homeless still have to survive however they can, despite the circumstances. This guy lives in the park where we live.

No one will starve to to death for now in Tokyo. Lots of food around.

But still no toilet paper...

A Brit and a Disaster (in Tokyo) – Part five

March 17, 2011 by Draycat

 

If this is your first time at my blog then its best to read from day one…

A little too quiet in Tokyo...

 

Thursday 17th March – Day seven

 

Currently this blog is one of the few ways I can remember what day of the week it is. Thank you to all that are reading and sending messages of support. I activated comments on the blog yesterday and got spammed relentlessly during the night, so now I have to approve all comments – more about this later. First today…

 

It was difficult to get up this morning. When I opened my eyes it was quiet, a little too quiet (if you’ve ever been to Tokyo you’ll know how noisy it usually is). It made me very nervous; it felt like everyone else had left secretly during the night leaving us alone here in Tokyo. I was afraid to turn on the TV. I looked out the window and saw only one person outside – a guy in a big coat and small backpack, he looked like he was leaving, maybe we really were the only ones left. I turned on the TV to see where we were in reactor roulette. Today reactor 4 and 3 are the biggest worries. Reactors 5 and 6 are looking like they are getting ready to join the game soon.

 

In principle reactors 4, 5, 6 should not be issues at the moment; they had been turned off for inspection before the earthquake struck. Yet here we are worrying about them as they pose a big threat, this does not bode well for the reactors 1, 2 & 3. The stakes seem to get higher every day. I hope this spells the end for nuclear power in Japan, if not the world, and I hope people demonstrate on the streets until that happens.

 

Mornings are the most difficult time to be light-hearted but I will try. I’ve turned off the TV and turned on the ‘everything is going to OK’ news stream in my head now.

 

A few personal positives from this disaster:

 

  1. I lost weight – nothing like the fear of a nuclear catastrophe to kill your appetite! 3kg up to this point.
  2. I can spend some quality time with the missus – nothing like cuddling up together for a game of ‘which nuclear reactor will it be today?’
  3. I’ve started writing again – I’ve discovered this blog is actually keeping me calm and together, nothing like getting your thoughts out.
  4. No work – English classes are the last thing people’s minds at the moment so most classes cancelled.
  5. I’ve remembered what’s most important in life and that is for us to help each other. I see the images up north and I just want to drive up there with some blankets and food. Hopefully it wont be too long before we can.

 

We ventured out for the first time in a couple of days today. It was so nice to be outside, we take that for granted so much. A weird atmosphere on the streets in my area though – everything is really quiet despite people being out. Usually there are voices everywhere, today I could see people but only hear the wind. Kind of eerie really.

 

The conflicting advice continues and most foreigners heading out of Tokyo or even Japan – must be a bit of a boom for the airlines at the moment (they’ll probably start charging a nuclear reactor fear charge soon to make a little extra!). For those of us with ties in Tokyo it’s much more difficult to just up and leave. It’s a risk to stay perhaps, but then life is full of risk wherever you are. And the images of people up north make me think, ‘if we all run away, who will help them?’

 

At the beginning I mentioned my blog being spammed relentlessly last night. This is a symptom of what the world has become – its all about money. I have heard of scams already running to get people to donate money for the earthquake/Tsunami but its really a con – its sad how far some elements of the human race has fallen; to take away from those in need.

 

Big power cuts for later as weather turns cold, but will update again later if I can…

Japan Hope

March 16, 2011 by Draycat

This is an image I shot a few days after the quake:

 

I went out with the camera this morning. People in Tokyo  were out getting on with their lives as normal, but very on edge. Only nature seems to be unaffected. I saw this plum blossom and somehow it gave me hope. Not hope that we will avoid another catastrophe, but rather hope that if there is another one we will find the strength to deal with it…

 

 

A Brit and a disaster – part four

March 16, 2011 by Draycat

If you’re new to this blog you may want to start at day one…

Comments working now so feel free to comment…

 

Wednesday 16th March – Day six continued

 

We had three aftershocks in as many minutes at about 1:15pm. Feels like Tokyo has become a theme park, and we are on the rollercoaster. I know now why I’ve always hated rollercoasters, give me one of those little kiddy rides any day.

 

It’s reached the point where sometimes we not sure whether it’s the building shaking or us. Every so often we have to stop in our tracks to see if anything else in the room is moving to check – I kid you not.  A few of my wife’s colleagues at work got motion sick because the building sways so much at the aftershocks. Everyone still worried about the possibility of another big quake.

 

Not been much live coverage of the nuclear reactor roulette on TV today, not really sure if that’s good or bad. They endlessly show diagrams of the inside of the reactors, I could probably make a scale model using sticky tape and toilet roll, if we had any toilet roll that is (just kidding! About the toilet roll that is not the scale model).

 

Lots of images of things in the north of Japan today. They are having such a hard time in places that it’s heart-breaking. Lack of food, water, heat and fuel in freezing temperatures. I feel guilty every time I turn on the tap.

 

 

To give an idea of how confusing it is for everyone here are 2 pieces of information that I received within the an hour of each other today. The first is a bulletin from the UK Embassy, and the second as part of the updates from the BBC website:

 

RADIATION ADVISORY from the UK Embassy

 

Subject: UK Embassy feedback re Tokyo radiation

 

Feedback by Sir John Beddington, Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government, after conference held at British Embassy (yesterday). Their assessment of the current situation in Japan is as follows:

 

In case of a ‘reasonable worst case scenario’ (defined as total meltdown of one reactor with subsequent radioactive explosion) an exclusion zone of 30 miles (50km) would be the maximum required to avoid affecting peoples’ health. Even in a worse situation (loss of two or more reactors) it is unlikely that the damage would be significantly more than that caused by the loss of a single reactor…

 

…The bottom line is that these experts do not see there being a possibility of a health problem for residents in Tokyo. The radiation levels would need to be hundreds of times higher than current to cause the possibility for health issues, and that, in their opinion, is not going to happen (they were talking minimum levels affecting pregnant women and children – for normal adults the levels would need to be much higher still).

 

 

BBC Website

 

France is now urging its nationals in Tokyo to leave Japan or head to the south of the country, Reuters reports. It says Paris has asked the Air France carrier to provide planes for the evacuation.

 

Do we run for our lives or wait it out. This is question on most people’s lips at the moment. I’ve got to say I’m leaning very much towards the French approach.

 

More later…

Comments

March 16, 2011 by Draycat

I had a problem with the links to leave comments on the blog posts, but its fixed now so feel free to leave comments and thoughts. Its nice to know what you think…

A Brit and a disaster – part three

March 16, 2011 by Draycat

Wednesday 16th March – Day six

 

As I opened my eyes this morning all seemed calm. It could have been a normal day until I remembered where I was and that constant feeling of fear kicked in again.  I think that’s the most difficult thing to live with at the moment.

 

I turned on the TV to see where reactor roulette had taken us today. Another fire at reactor four, the second in two days. Sometime later they said it was under control – their logic here was that they stopped seeing smoke so that meant it was under control, until of course the smoke came back.

 

I turned the TV off. This constant stream of non-news, speculation, guesswork and more speculation was not doing much for my sanity, I told myself I’d start my own news stream in my head telling me that everything is going to be alright, it seemed as good a stream to listen to as any.

 

I put on some music, I needed an anchor, something to relax me. It worked for a while until my wife came and told me that the smoke thought to be coming from reactor no. 4 was actually coming from reactor no. 3. The reactor roulette wheel still had quite a few tricks up its sleeve.

 

I decided to call a mate of mine up in Chiba. I had spoken to him a couple of days ago and he seemed quite upbeat about stuff. Speaking to him then had made me feel better. I thought it would help now. When he answered he was at the airport. I’m beginning to think that we should be heading there too. I started my ‘it’s gonna be alright’ news stream in my head again, there didn’t seem to be anything else that I could rely on.

 

My wife is trying to stay upbeat, but she’s doing all the things she does when she’s nervous…

 

I will continue with more news from today with another update later, but here is a flashback to some of the events of day two to help you catch up. My mind is getting a bit hazy because all of the past days seem to merge into one but I will do these flashbacks when I can.

 

 

 

Saturday 12th March 2011 – Day two

 

 

I slept on the sofa because to be honest I wanted to be close to the door in case I have to make a hasty exit, and also I wasn’t sure how well I would be able to sleep. My wife had to sleep in her office, as she was unable to make it home. I had reruns of Star Trek Next Generation running in the background – I figured I would get as escapist as possible, but to be honest the amount of problems they had with their warp drive let me to the conclusion that future will be as messed up at the present so I turned it off.

 

Aftershocks happened frequently throughout the night so at times it felt more like a waterbed than a sofa. It was difficult to sleep after each one because there was always a feeling that there could another big one. I called my wife every few hours to make sure she was OK. She said that she had motion sickness because the building had been swaying so much with the big earthquake and aftershocks – it was no slumber party on the 24th floor.

 

In the morning she managed to get back, once transport was running again. I was so relieved to see her, at times like these you want your loved ones close. We watched the images of the Tsunami playing endlessly on TV, even now it was difficult to comprehend the scale of everything.

A Brit and a disaster – part two

March 16, 2011 by Draycat

I’m sorry this blog is not running in order, I’m updating it as I write it, and since I only started it today I wanted to include today’s thoughts while they were still fresh.

 

Tuesday 15th March 2011 – Day five

 

I managed to sleep the whole night on the futon, which was the first time in a few days. We were woken when the building made a jolt at about 5am during an aftershock, but I was able to get back to sleep. I’d like to think it’s because I’m becoming more immune to them now…but I have a feeling it has more to do with the bottle of red wine I drank last night.

 

After waking up the first thing I did was to turn on the TV, but it’s becoming a little more difficult each day because you have no idea what the news will be, and almost always it’s worse than when you went to bed. I sometimes feel that I would rather not know, just so life can be normal again for a little while, but it’s better to know. The reactor roulette wheel threw up reactor number 3 today. And as an added bonus there was an explosion which may have damaged the reactor container, but of course they don’t really know at the moment. There is so much speculation that they may as well bring in a team of fortune tellers as they would stand as good a chance as any to get right exactly what is happening at the plant.

 

It’s payday today so I have to venture to the bank. The high level of radiation at the plant shouldn’t trouble Tokyo they say, but I’m taking no chances wrapping up to cover as much exposed skin as possible. As I leave the house I look like a laundry basket that grew legs and can walk around.

 

On my trip out I was almost able to score some toilet paper (everywhere sold out) but I was a little too late, a little old lady beat me to the last pack. She looks at me as if she will fight me for it, so I figure her need must be far greater than ours.

 

I head back and take a shower, I’m taking no chances now, and spend the rest of the day pottering around the apartment, trying my best to ignore the TV coverage, but it’s not easy. I just wish this reactor situation could get sorted out.  Most of all it means those up north are not getting all the help they could. And as freaked out as we are here, they have far more to contend with after the Tsunami as well as having the knowledge that if a big radiation leak occurs they will be the first ones hit. I’m not sure I could live with that thought, and I realise how insignificant my worries are in comparison.

 

Once it begins to get dark we wonder if we will get hit with power cuts. Luckily not today, but we use as little power as we can. There is little news of the reactors in the evening news, I’m really not sure if this is good or bad, but I have to tell myself its good regardless.

 

At about 10.20pm the earthquake sound rings on the TV. The NHK presenters start shaking along with the rest of us, if it wasn’t for the worried look on their faces I could easily think it was a comedy channel. The news is a magnitude 6 earthquake in Shizuoka. The TV says the good news is that the nuclear reactor there is unaffected and is functioning normally. I can’t believe my ears, any sensible person would have closed down the other reactors as precaution. I go into the kitchen and find myself another bottle of red wine…

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