Leave or stay?
Hi everyone,
I hope everyone is still safe and well and my thoughts are definitely with the earthquake/tsunami victims.
I'm Australian and I'm currently living in Chiba city with my husband. On Thursday night, I received a travel advisory from the Australian government that said they had upgraded their travel warnings for Japan. Instead of just telling us to consider leaving, they now say that all Australians living in Tokyo and northern Honshu should leave the area and head either to southern Japan or out of the country unless their presence was essential. Since Chiba's definitely part of greater Tokyo, I'm guessing this includes me.
I don't really want to leave, though, and I don't actually see a need to leave. We've had relatively few problems here as a result of the earthquake - we haven't even had a blackout - and those we did have (e.g. the trains stopping) seem to be improving. People seem to be calming down, there are no serious shortages of food/water and even rice seems to be creeping back onto the supermarket shelves. The situation at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima troubles me but I don't feel like I'm in any major danger right now.
The Australian government's warning is at odds with what I'm seeing and experiencing around me and I'm not entirely sure what to do. Any advice? Is anyone in a similar situation? What have you decided to do?
Thanks!
(cross-posted to lifeinjapan)
I hope everyone is still safe and well and my thoughts are definitely with the earthquake/tsunami victims.
I'm Australian and I'm currently living in Chiba city with my husband. On Thursday night, I received a travel advisory from the Australian government that said they had upgraded their travel warnings for Japan. Instead of just telling us to consider leaving, they now say that all Australians living in Tokyo and northern Honshu should leave the area and head either to southern Japan or out of the country unless their presence was essential. Since Chiba's definitely part of greater Tokyo, I'm guessing this includes me.
I don't really want to leave, though, and I don't actually see a need to leave. We've had relatively few problems here as a result of the earthquake - we haven't even had a blackout - and those we did have (e.g. the trains stopping) seem to be improving. People seem to be calming down, there are no serious shortages of food/water and even rice seems to be creeping back onto the supermarket shelves. The situation at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima troubles me but I don't feel like I'm in any major danger right now.
The Australian government's warning is at odds with what I'm seeing and experiencing around me and I'm not entirely sure what to do. Any advice? Is anyone in a similar situation? What have you decided to do?
Thanks!
(cross-posted to lifeinjapan)