Sea Legs in the Tokyo Area

 

Daibutsu in Kamakura



“Jishin da!” (It’s an earthquake!), my friend Satoko said to me as I sat on the couch while the entire building shook briefly from side to side.  I could tell by her reaction (or lack thereof) that this was ‘normal’. Prior to my departure, another friend had advised me to be prepared for Tokyo’s late summer heat and for the earthquakes.  I had been in Japan for less than 24 hours and had experienced both already.

During the past few days, I’ve had many festive and emotional reunions with old friends. Life in the greater Tokyo area seems to be back to its regular pace, but the 3/11 disaster permeates everything.  I have some friends who have quietly relocated to the Kansai or who are planning to soon relocate to Okinawa due to radiation concerns.  The evenings are darker due to the energy crisis and the resulting “Setsuden” (the conservation of electricity).  Many of the street lights are turned down or completely off and the air conditioning on the trains and in the stations is at a lower level, if it’s on at all.  If you’re in Japan right now and you’re converting funds from a foreign currency, the strength of the Yen can be quite a shock.  When I left for Japan, 1 dollar was just over 77 Yen.  Basically this means that for the price of two fingers on your right hand, you can take the Narita Express train from the airport to Musashi-Kosugi station in Kawasaki City.

My friend Gaku asked me if I felt the earthquake that was centered in Chiba on Sunday evening.  He explained that there was a feature that I could add to my cell phone that somehow provides a 20 second warning before a quake.  He told me not to worry, that the tremor on Sunday was a small one.  For me it was big enough that I’m writing about it right now.  He assured me that I would soon adjust to the moving soil and develop the “sea legs” like everyone else.

  

This evening I’m heading up to Iwate prefecture on an overnight bus that leaves from the west side of Ikebukuro station.  This is where I will be working with All Hands Volunteers in the cities of Ofunato and Rikuzentaka along the northeastern coast.  The area was one of the hardest hit in terms of tsunami damage.   In terms of radiation, the area is a safe distance, far north of the stricken Fukushima Daiichi plant. I’m not sure if it’s possible to mentally or emotionally prepare for the level of destruction.  I’m very much looking forward to being a part of Project Tohoku, praying for the ground to find its stability and hoping to not develop the sea legs.

   

A photo op with "Obama" near Toyosu station