Update from Tokyo (anybody ever read "the dark tower" series??)

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Hello from tokyo. It's been a few days now since the earthquake and the situation here seems to be constantly deteriorating. The first day after the quake, everything seemed like it was back to normal. Now nearly a week has past and the city seems to be shutting itself down slowly, bit by bit. Looming over everything is the threat of the nuclear power plants which are spewing out radiation a short distance to the north of here.

There are currently rolling blackouts throughout the area to conserve energy. Trains are sporadic at best and quite often simply stop running for hours at a time. I am still going to work, but my commute has become the hardest part of the day. The food and supplies situation is getting pretty bad as well. A few days ago Yumi and I went shopping in Kashiwa, we had to walk 3 hours just to get there. The 6 story tall electronics store was almost entirely shut down, run by just a few staff who let people in a few at a time to buy things like phones and flashlights. The supermarket was packed full of people and there was almost nothing left on the shelves. All that was left were things like condiments and salad dressings. This is all good for Kenny Rogers, who can just eat a condiment sundae, but what are the rest of us to do? I went back again today and the shelves were just as empty. Bottled water is totally nonexistent, I have been living off of sports drinks for the last few days. I freaking hate sports drinks.

The big decision to make at the moment is whether to stick around or get out of here. A lot of people, especially foreigners are choosing to leave the country. At my school, close to half of the gaijin teachers have either already left or are leaving in the next few days. Yumi is pretty adamant about not leaving because she doesn't want to leave behind all of her friends and family. She has an elderly grandfather living in an assisted care facility and it would be impossible for everyone to leave. Making the decision harder is the absolutely terrible job that the government, TEPCO (company responsible for nuclear plants) and the media have done in disseminating information. CNN used to be my go to news source, but during this ordeal they have spread the worst and most inaccurate information possible. For what its worth, i personally believe that there is little danger at the moment. This is the best article I have found so far about the Fukashiima plants...

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/nuclear-panel-japan-0136.html

So as it stands at the moment, we will stay here unless the situation gets any worse. The second I see any radioactive mutant zombies walking around then I am out of here. And about "the dark tower", this is a brilliant series of fantasy novels by Stephen King that I have been reading through for the last few months. With the ghost town feel of parts of the city and the break down of basic services in Tokyo, it is starting to feel like events are unfolding like in that world. As Roland Deshain might say, "the world has moved on."

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Photos

Earthquake Damage
Building near our house, minus one facade. Very few buildings have any noticeable damage thanks to strict building codes.

Broken Shrine
The horizontal stone part of the arch must have fallen off during the earthquake.

Empty Shelves
I don't know what that one remaining flavor of instant ramen left is, but it must taste terrible.

And to Lighten the Mood...
Here is a picture of a cat.

Comments

[Granny]

Earthquake
Hi Brian, I was very interested in your entry of today (Thursday here) and I only wish there was something we could do for all of you. I quite understand Yumi's reluctance to leave, and I hope if that becomes necessary all of you will be able to come here. That sounds a vague wish, but it is sincere. I found the URL you sent for the MIT report to be very interesting and informative. It was nice to see something scientifically based instead of all the speculation we get constantly. I was also most interested in your comments about CNN, I have found their coverage of these events unreliable, and I'm afraid my regard for the authenticity of their reporting has gone down. Last night listening to Anderson Cooper it sounded as if he was anticipating the worst possible scenario. On the other hand, some news stations make the situation in Tokyo sound completely back to normal, so, there again, it is good to get an on the spot report. Please continue to keep us informed whenever you have the time - and I believe that you are totally sick of sports drinks!! Much love to you and to Yumi. Granny.

[anonymous]

Hey, Brian. Thanks for the update. Good to talk to you the other night. I am on Vancouver Island right now at a McNaughton women's retreat. I am closer to you geographically so feel better. I can almost see you and Yumi. I pray all of you stay safe. Love to you, Mom

[Aunt Karen]

Is the mail getting through? Would care packages make it? If so, let me know and I'll sned along some stuff, (beans, rice and the like) if that would be helpful. I hope you don't have to leave. You probably don't really need that expense right now, but I guess it's better than becoming a mutant zombie!! Take care. We're thinking of you a lot. (You being an all encompassing term for all of Japan) Love Karen and Peter