another infopost!
First of all, does anyone think I'm posting too often and I should just edit the previous post from a couple of days? Is anyone reading the edits?
EDIT (1306 03/20/2011 GMT+13):
Radioactive iodine discovered in Tokyo tap water (New York Daily Times); the government says it's not at dangerous levels yet
Survey of those affected by the earthquake (What Japan Thinks - I love this site): What they're worried about, their biggest problem, how they're getting news and staying in contact, etc. It's mostly people in areas directly affected but the last two questions are for people outside the affected areas.
Interview with an American band who was touring Japan and was in Tokyo when the earthquake hit (Huffington Post)
6.1 in Ibaraki prefecture that shook buildings in Tokyo
Russell Bowley from Kasukabe, Japan writes: "(...) The situation in Tokyo is showing the early signs of recovery. Supermarket and convenience store stocks are rising; trains are running more frequently. I'll be back for the new school term in April, confident that Japanese efficiency will be winning the battle."
Lee Jay Walker, from Tokyo, Ikebukuro, writes: "Reports in some media outlets are not based on reality and instead they have helped to create mass uncertainty. Tokyoites in general are getting on with it and during the day you will see fashion shops full and the usual daily life - however, at night it does go quiet early because companies are preserving energy and trying to help the government."
Dan Castellano in Tokyo tweets: "#NHK returns to scheduled programming, first time no #quake related news on any channel. Still have news update banners on screen. #jishin_e"
Eri Fumoto, from Tokyo, writes: "I am an 18 year old girl living with my family in Tokyo. Everyday I see heartbreaking pictures on tv and newspapers. I still cannot believe this is happening here in Japan. Events such as graduation ceremony have been called off. It is very unfortunate but we have to put up with it. I cannot help to hope that people in #Tohoku get back to their normal lives as soon as possible. I will do what I can for example energy saving."
Foreign businesses have been moving out of Tokyo as a result of the quake, Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun reports. It follows an earlier report from the Japan Times that Osaka was the destination of choice for a number of businesses uncertain about the effects of radiation and affected by frequent electricity blackouts.
For the New Yorkers/people headed back there, the Beeb has been posting bits from the New York Times:
Three Japanese artists publish their work in the wake of the tsunami in the New York Times.
The New York Times has a thought-provoking piece on the plight of Japan's food industry, with one sushi expert commenting that the seafood industry might face a battle to prove the safety of its produce, "not unlike the challenges faced by gulf fishermen in the US after the BP oil spill".
EDIT (1516 03/19/2011 GMT+13):
The cherry blossoms are blooming early this year (photo from "a suburban Tokyo park").
They're sending a robot into Fukushima Daiichi to measure the radiation now that it's too high for humans.
Photos of the relief efforts up north
That said, Ajora has some info for our schoolies, which is almost everyone of our cast left in Tokyo now that Wallace got out:
University of Tokyo is carrying on with caution. Rolling blackouts, cessation of experiments that can produce waste fluids, possibility of cancellation or postponement of events. Those students entering school (Osamu, Ken, I think Iori?) will be given due consideration in case of paperwork processing due to earthquake disruption. Like new office hours or other avenues if they can't make it. Note that this info is for international students, so things might be a wee bit different for Japanese students. Unfortunately, my work computer doesn't come with Japanese enabled.
Hilariously (in the ironic and not funny way), it was entrance examination time.
More bits and pieces from the Beeb (sorted by how they relate to each other rather than by time):
Mika, in London, writes: "Just spoken to my sister in Tokyo. She and her husband go to work as normal although it takes much longer. Shops sell goods on the pavement as the inside is kept dark in order to save power, but no-one dares to steal anything. People are talking about the heartbreaking TV report on a nine-year-old boy who survived the tsunami, but left alone searching desperately for his family with his own drawings of them."
Andy in Tokyo tweets: "Power is fine in Kichijoji. People shopping as normal. No sense of panic or impending doom on the streets."
Tove Kinooka, from Yokohama, writes: "There are many people here in the Tokyo area desperate to help. However, the Japanese government will only accept help in the form of cash. I understand the logic but I am sure that people spending their days huddled in freezing, makeshift shelters would be happy to help sort through lorryloads of donations."
Robert Conrad, who lives in Niigata, in central Japan, writes: "TV drama has now replaced the days of disaster footage on every channel. No-one is thinking of the worst-case scenario except the expats. Japan needs more access to foreign media".
James Walsh, in Tokyo, writes: "It is quite clear reading these posts that people inside Japan are trying to remain calm and take each day as it comes. Sensationalist and, at times, voyeuristic foreign media coverage (including that of the BBC) just adds to our anxiety and stokes the fear of family and friends back at home. More sensitivity please."
Japan's government orders radioactivity tests on food produced in the municipality near the Fukushima plant, which has not gone down well with everyone. Tatsuya Kakita, the head of a research institute on consumer issues, tells Kyodo news agency: "The decision makes it look as if contaminated food is already on the market."
A wind-up radio and high energy sweets are just two of the items that the Japanese government recommends that all its citizens have in a grab bag.
Simon, in Tokyo, writes: "(...) One thing that really upset me today is I called British Airways to book a flight having last week got a regular email from them on "Fly to London for 65,000 Yen" and the sales guy on the phone saying he was so sorry that the flight cost now was 10 times that! 700,000 yen! You want to leave Japan but can't afford to go home cause your own country's airline in this awful situation is charging 10 times regular fares!! But good old ANA (All Nippon Airways) still has flights at just over the regular fare for this time of year so again thank you Japan for being there!"
The Japanese kids might see things pretty differently from our gaijin (same sauce as the last section; I figured these bits and pieces are less tl;dr than finding y'all whole articles):
Eriko, in Matsudo City in Chiba, writes: "We have heard that [US President Barack] Obama has offered help, but I don't understand why PM Naoto Kan doesn't really take it. It's not the time to worry about further diplomatic relations. Our distrust of him is increasing day by day. I know I have to be strong, but I can't stop thinking that we're going to hell. All we can do now is just pray."
Kelly Williams, an American resident in Japan, said his Japanese fiancee's family did not have passports so leaving for them was not an option in the immediate future. But, beyond that, he says, there is a cultural element in Japan that people just don't move in such circumstances - they are committed to their communities. He said he did have plans to move to Osaka to monitor the situation but expected to return to Tokyo fairly soon.
Kevin Dunn, in Tokyo, writes: "Why is the western media so focused on the non-event that Fukushima is? An expert on the Chernobyl aftermath on BBC tonight said, "nothing has been learnt from Chernobyl by the media", it's the same sensationalist, stress and anxiety inducing scaremongering. The lessons that have been learnt are in action now by Tepco power company. She says that they have done everything "by the book", and she "very much doubts" anyone will be seriously effected by the damage of the plants. The Fukushima nuclear power plant situation is not the disaster, the real disaster is further north where tens of thousands of men, women and children have died, millions are homeless, hundreds of kids are now orphans. We have made donations and hope to volunteer. The Japanese people need our help, not for us to run away and abandon them to their fate."
Becky, from Tokyo, writes: "I live in Tokyo and think the whole issue on radiation has been completely blown out of proportion. It is being misrepresented by the Western media and is causing nothing but worry and grief for those with family and friends in Japan."
Gian, in Torino, writes: "(...) I believe what is happening is a terrible environmental crisis and there might be people who will never be able to see their homes again (if the worst case scenario comes true), but the situation is safe away from the area of the nuclear plant: yesterday the Italian relief agency tested for radiation on the roof of the Italian embassy in Tokyo, and they got a reading which is actually lower than the usual reading in Rome (where no nuclear power plants exist). This kind of news gets rapidly filtered out of the stream of sensationalist overdramatisation. I also think that this sensationalist coverage by most news outlets has been extremely stressing to every relative and friend of people now in Japan. I wonder, once we come to numbers, if there will be more cancer deaths due to radiation exposure at Fukushima, or due to increased smoking by worried and overstressed relatives of people who are really actually quite safe."
I'm sort of fascinated by this attitude coming out after the comments on the same site from people saying everyone was leaving Tokyo, but it's not like the Chosen can't have some differences of opinion once in a while just look at the first season.
Some general charity advice here (again, most of the charities linked are American*) and through the University of Tokyo, thanks to Ajora, and one more blog post on how to help and how not to help. I think this part from the first link is important to note:
Do Not Send Supplies - Knowing that people are desperately in need of food and water, it is hard not to want to pack up a box of supplies and send it to Japan. But this type of philanthropy is simply not practical or efficient. Even if mail could get to an impacted region, no one is set up to receive these goods, much less organize and distribute them to the victims. Furthermore, charities are often able to partner with companies to acquire large amounts of in-kind donations such as bottled water and new clothing. Instead of boxing up and sending your old clothing, have a garage sale and turn your used goods into cash and donate that to a worthy charity.
* Nothing against y'all! But I know I'm not the only non-American here and donating to a local charity might make things like tax refunds and currency conversion easier, and with Christchurch I recently ran into an international mod who was unwilling to accept donations for a local charity that everyone in New Zealand knows is reputable because they're not internationally recognized or vetted. :/
EDIT (1306 03/20/2011 GMT+13):
Russell Bowley from Kasukabe, Japan writes: "(...) The situation in Tokyo is showing the early signs of recovery. Supermarket and convenience store stocks are rising; trains are running more frequently. I'll be back for the new school term in April, confident that Japanese efficiency will be winning the battle."
Lee Jay Walker, from Tokyo, Ikebukuro, writes: "Reports in some media outlets are not based on reality and instead they have helped to create mass uncertainty. Tokyoites in general are getting on with it and during the day you will see fashion shops full and the usual daily life - however, at night it does go quiet early because companies are preserving energy and trying to help the government."
Dan Castellano in Tokyo tweets: "#NHK returns to scheduled programming, first time no #quake related news on any channel. Still have news update banners on screen. #jishin_e"
Eri Fumoto, from Tokyo, writes: "I am an 18 year old girl living with my family in Tokyo. Everyday I see heartbreaking pictures on tv and newspapers. I still cannot believe this is happening here in Japan. Events such as graduation ceremony have been called off. It is very unfortunate but we have to put up with it. I cannot help to hope that people in #Tohoku get back to their normal lives as soon as possible. I will do what I can for example energy saving."
Foreign businesses have been moving out of Tokyo as a result of the quake, Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun reports. It follows an earlier report from the Japan Times that Osaka was the destination of choice for a number of businesses uncertain about the effects of radiation and affected by frequent electricity blackouts.
For the New Yorkers/people headed back there, the Beeb has been posting bits from the New York Times:
Three Japanese artists publish their work in the wake of the tsunami in the New York Times.
The New York Times has a thought-provoking piece on the plight of Japan's food industry, with one sushi expert commenting that the seafood industry might face a battle to prove the safety of its produce, "not unlike the challenges faced by gulf fishermen in the US after the BP oil spill".
EDIT (1516 03/19/2011 GMT+13):
That said, Ajora has some info for our schoolies, which is almost everyone of our cast left in Tokyo now that Wallace got out:
University of Tokyo is carrying on with caution. Rolling blackouts, cessation of experiments that can produce waste fluids, possibility of cancellation or postponement of events. Those students entering school (Osamu, Ken, I think Iori?) will be given due consideration in case of paperwork processing due to earthquake disruption. Like new office hours or other avenues if they can't make it. Note that this info is for international students, so things might be a wee bit different for Japanese students. Unfortunately, my work computer doesn't come with Japanese enabled.
Hilariously (in the ironic and not funny way), it was entrance examination time.
More bits and pieces from the Beeb (sorted by how they relate to each other rather than by time):
Mika, in London, writes: "Just spoken to my sister in Tokyo. She and her husband go to work as normal although it takes much longer. Shops sell goods on the pavement as the inside is kept dark in order to save power, but no-one dares to steal anything. People are talking about the heartbreaking TV report on a nine-year-old boy who survived the tsunami, but left alone searching desperately for his family with his own drawings of them."
Andy in Tokyo tweets: "Power is fine in Kichijoji. People shopping as normal. No sense of panic or impending doom on the streets."
Tove Kinooka, from Yokohama, writes: "There are many people here in the Tokyo area desperate to help. However, the Japanese government will only accept help in the form of cash. I understand the logic but I am sure that people spending their days huddled in freezing, makeshift shelters would be happy to help sort through lorryloads of donations."
Robert Conrad, who lives in Niigata, in central Japan, writes: "TV drama has now replaced the days of disaster footage on every channel. No-one is thinking of the worst-case scenario except the expats. Japan needs more access to foreign media".
James Walsh, in Tokyo, writes: "It is quite clear reading these posts that people inside Japan are trying to remain calm and take each day as it comes. Sensationalist and, at times, voyeuristic foreign media coverage (including that of the BBC) just adds to our anxiety and stokes the fear of family and friends back at home. More sensitivity please."
Japan's government orders radioactivity tests on food produced in the municipality near the Fukushima plant, which has not gone down well with everyone. Tatsuya Kakita, the head of a research institute on consumer issues, tells Kyodo news agency: "The decision makes it look as if contaminated food is already on the market."
A wind-up radio and high energy sweets are just two of the items that the Japanese government recommends that all its citizens have in a grab bag.
Simon, in Tokyo, writes: "(...) One thing that really upset me today is I called British Airways to book a flight having last week got a regular email from them on "Fly to London for 65,000 Yen" and the sales guy on the phone saying he was so sorry that the flight cost now was 10 times that! 700,000 yen! You want to leave Japan but can't afford to go home cause your own country's airline in this awful situation is charging 10 times regular fares!! But good old ANA (All Nippon Airways) still has flights at just over the regular fare for this time of year so again thank you Japan for being there!"
The Japanese kids might see things pretty differently from our gaijin (same sauce as the last section; I figured these bits and pieces are less tl;dr than finding y'all whole articles):
Eriko, in Matsudo City in Chiba, writes: "We have heard that [US President Barack] Obama has offered help, but I don't understand why PM Naoto Kan doesn't really take it. It's not the time to worry about further diplomatic relations. Our distrust of him is increasing day by day. I know I have to be strong, but I can't stop thinking that we're going to hell. All we can do now is just pray."
Kelly Williams, an American resident in Japan, said his Japanese fiancee's family did not have passports so leaving for them was not an option in the immediate future. But, beyond that, he says, there is a cultural element in Japan that people just don't move in such circumstances - they are committed to their communities. He said he did have plans to move to Osaka to monitor the situation but expected to return to Tokyo fairly soon.
Kevin Dunn, in Tokyo, writes: "Why is the western media so focused on the non-event that Fukushima is? An expert on the Chernobyl aftermath on BBC tonight said, "nothing has been learnt from Chernobyl by the media", it's the same sensationalist, stress and anxiety inducing scaremongering. The lessons that have been learnt are in action now by Tepco power company. She says that they have done everything "by the book", and she "very much doubts" anyone will be seriously effected by the damage of the plants. The Fukushima nuclear power plant situation is not the disaster, the real disaster is further north where tens of thousands of men, women and children have died, millions are homeless, hundreds of kids are now orphans. We have made donations and hope to volunteer. The Japanese people need our help, not for us to run away and abandon them to their fate."
Becky, from Tokyo, writes: "I live in Tokyo and think the whole issue on radiation has been completely blown out of proportion. It is being misrepresented by the Western media and is causing nothing but worry and grief for those with family and friends in Japan."
Gian, in Torino, writes: "(...) I believe what is happening is a terrible environmental crisis and there might be people who will never be able to see their homes again (if the worst case scenario comes true), but the situation is safe away from the area of the nuclear plant: yesterday the Italian relief agency tested for radiation on the roof of the Italian embassy in Tokyo, and they got a reading which is actually lower than the usual reading in Rome (where no nuclear power plants exist). This kind of news gets rapidly filtered out of the stream of sensationalist overdramatisation. I also think that this sensationalist coverage by most news outlets has been extremely stressing to every relative and friend of people now in Japan. I wonder, once we come to numbers, if there will be more cancer deaths due to radiation exposure at Fukushima, or due to increased smoking by worried and overstressed relatives of people who are really actually quite safe."
I'm sort of fascinated by this attitude coming out after the comments on the same site from people saying everyone was leaving Tokyo, but it's not like the Chosen can't have some differences of opinion once in a while just look at the first season.
Some general charity advice here (again, most of the charities linked are American*) and through the University of Tokyo, thanks to Ajora, and one more blog post on how to help and how not to help. I think this part from the first link is important to note:
Do Not Send Supplies - Knowing that people are desperately in need of food and water, it is hard not to want to pack up a box of supplies and send it to Japan. But this type of philanthropy is simply not practical or efficient. Even if mail could get to an impacted region, no one is set up to receive these goods, much less organize and distribute them to the victims. Furthermore, charities are often able to partner with companies to acquire large amounts of in-kind donations such as bottled water and new clothing. Instead of boxing up and sending your old clothing, have a garage sale and turn your used goods into cash and donate that to a worthy charity.
* Nothing against y'all! But I know I'm not the only non-American here and donating to a local charity might make things like tax refunds and currency conversion easier, and with Christchurch I recently ran into an international mod who was unwilling to accept donations for a local charity that everyone in New Zealand knows is reputable because they're not internationally recognized or vetted. :/