My 5th update, which I have been thinking about for the last day or so. It’s all quite surreal here, life is normal and at the same time ever so not normal; people are calm, but if you listen to conversations on the train, at Starbucks, you hear the same topics over and over again. There are far fewer people out and about. Tomorrow is a public holiday, so it probably would be quieter anyway, but clearly a lot of people are staying at home.

On my way to church this morning my local station had a notice saying between 70% and 80% of trains were running. A lot of lights in shops etc. have been dimmed and everything just feels subdued. In the shops supplies are OK, not as depleted as they were a few days ago. It is quite ridiculous to know that there is less bread in the shops but you can buy the most elaborate cakes in any bakery you pass. Although rolling power cuts have been scheduled, I have so far heard of very few actually happening, and they are listed in the newspaper as something that may happen.  Shinagawa was scheduled for one yesterday but it didn’t happen.

I had a tiring week, just keeping up with what was going on, trying not to let the excesses of the media get to me, and going into school. I don’t think I’m sleeping so well, and often have a nap in the afternoon / early evening to catch up. Until Wednesday I was definitely feeling the stress and anxiety, but from Thursday I started to feel better and by yesterday was feeling quite OK. I think one reason was the absence by then of people who left at the beginning of the week. I had a few people really feeling extremely anxious and sending their stress my way, and I didn’t like that at all.  (I think I mentioned it at the time.) After they left I felt much better.

There was a second wave of people who left towards the end of the week / over the weekend, and I think their reasons were mainly based on the need or desire to calm family and friends overseas.  To any of them reading this, I send you greetings from Tokyo on a sunny afternoon. I miss you and am looking forward to your return! I hope you can come back in time to see the cherry  blossoms.  Now the people who are still here are the ones who are taking a calmer, more measured view and I feel better talking to those friends.

As I said, I went to church today, and that was, with hindsight, not a good idea, because I came home feeling quite wound up. I had coffee afterwards with a friend (no coffee for a week so that was probably not a good idea!) and since I got home another friend has called me, so I am feeling better. Basically it is this: this morning the priest didn’t mention the earthquake / tsunami / nuclear power stations at all in his sermon, he just talked about Greek verbs (!!!). If you look at the church website there is a notice that the church and attached hall (where the nursery is held during the week) were unharmed by the earthquake, and the button you can usually click on to donate to the church has been changed to a place to donate to help the victims in Miyagi. Apart from that, nothing. No e-mails from the church during the week, nothing. The fact that the church has done nothing all week for the international community is completely shocking to me. As a community within Tokyo we have failed our neighbours miserably. I am not giving you the link because there is nothing to see there.

School has now finished for this school year. We won’t be in again until April 6th. The students didn’t come to school all week apart from the graduating 6th years on Tuesday, but the teachers have been in every day. I think we have all kept each other going and by the end of the week we were starting to feel a bit more positive. Of my 2 British colleagues, one is in Osaka because her mother was distressed about her being in Tokyo and this was the compromise to keep her mother calm. The other left Tokyo on Monday and flew out of Osaka on Thursday, because her partner was severely anxious after what had happened and he probably needs to think about whether he wants to stay in Japan now.

It is interesting to watch the foreign community changing. One friend said to me a few days ago, that he thought those of us who have chosen to stay would always have a special bond. I agree with him. There are certainly fewer foreign residents about, and at Starbucks this morning a Japanese woman pointed us out to her friend (she was sitting right next to us so we heard every word) like an endangered species.

On to information about Fukushima and Miyagi.

It seems the news from the nuclear reactors may be getting better, gradually. The people who are working there are heroes. The British Embassy continues to say that Tokyo is safe but is giving out iodine tablets to any British citizens who want them as a precaution. It is a pack of 2 doses, to be taken only in the event of an emergency when either the British or Japanese government tell us to take them. I’ll go tomorrow to get some since it is probably a good idea but in the meantime I continue to munch my way through dried kombu and take my multi-mineral tablets.

In Miyagi the people there continue to suffer in evacuation centres. Nothing seems to have changed for them in the last week. I hope and pray that the nuclear reactors can be stabilised soon because then we can really focus all our attention on them.

We continue to have aftershocks every day. The biggest ones are magnitude 5 or 6, so quite big.  They could continue for ages yet so we have to get used them I suppose but they rattle us in more ways than one.

I have continued my new hobby of chastising the media for its unhelpful tone. Since the BBC has taken to using a photo of 2 young women wearing masks as the image for their ‘Japan Disaster’ coverage, I would like to point out again, they have hayfever, and are trying to avoid pollen, not radiation. I have found the BBC disappointing in their choice of language; in the last 24 hours I have heard words like ‘catastrophe’ and ‘apocalyptic’ batted around and I say again, it is not helpful.

Cultural note: You may hear in the media that Tepco (the company operating the reactors) has apologised. Whatever translation you see will sound ridiculous because that kind of highly formulaic Japanese just doesn’t translate. This kind of corporate apology is usual in Japan and is  not the too little, too late, offensive-sounding statement it may seem if you see a translation.

I think that is everything updated for now. To everyone who has told me they are praying, thank you so much. To you all, please keep the people of Miyagi and Fukushima in your thoughts. In Tokyo we are anxious but safe and staying calm, but the people there are enduring severe hardships and are bearing everything with dignity and fortitude.

Here I am again with another update. It’s a sunny, windy day in Tokyo, and the plum blossom outside my window is beautiful. Unfortunately, for people with an allergy to Japanese cedar are suffering a lot this year, especially on a day like this. If you’ve seen pictures of people wearing masks in Tokyo, please remember that the hayfever has probably got them (but some of course may be taking precautions against radiation).

At school, the students have been told not to come to school until April 6th. Their spring vacation has started early but teachers and other staff are still at work. Today we had a lunch for the teachers who are leaving (retiring on moving to another job) and then I came home. We have 2 more days and then we can have a break too. At school the mood is quiet but whenever anyone mentions that they have friends or relatives in one of the affected areas everyone looks sombre and concerned.

Yesterday afternoon I went into Shibuya, right in the centre of Tokyo. All the train lines I used were running smoothly but not all across the city and into Chiba and Yokohama, Kawasaki etc. are. Shibuya was much quieter than usual. Everyone is calm, and the only emotional people I saw were 2 groups of university students on either side of Shibuya crossing collecting money for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami. They were hoarse from calling out to passers-by and  some of them were crying. Yesterday evening, after I got home, we had another aftershock, this time a 5.3. The earthquakes the 2 days before had been over 6, so that wasn’t so bad.

The shortages in the shops continues, and the government has asked people not to hoard food (I told you we were hamsters). On my way home I was happy to find dried kombu (kelp) back in the convenience store. I also bought a multi-mineral supplement. Both contain iodine which protect the thyroid in the event of radiation being in the air around us.

I must say at this point that last Wednesday was Ash Wednesday, and I always give up things for Lent. I have been very busy this term and got a lot of migraines, so had already given up wheat and dairy products. The shortages are not affecting me as much as they would have done! Also, my plan for the spring vacation was to relax at home, so the idea of not doing much while we wait to see how the situation develops is not house arrest for me.

There is something of an exodus from Tokyo among the foreign community here. The international schools started their spring vacation early and a lot of families left. I think the schools try to foster a strong sense of community spirit and so it is understandable that once people started leaving a lot of people followed. Other people have left Tokyo and have gone to Osaka or further west. Some have told me that they did not want to leave, but the sometimes excessively alarming media reports alarmed their relatives so much that they had to leave to calm them down. I am not leaving, but I want to assure you that I am thinking sensibly about it!  Of course, I am watching the news and checking responsible websites, but along with other good friends I have decided it’s not necessary at this time.

I have developed a new hobby / form of stress relief, and that is complaining to different news channels about their irresponsible reporting. The ones to feel my wrath so far are the BBC, Channel 4 (also in the UK) and CNN. It really is frustrating when they alarm people and we who are here have to use our frazzled emotional energy keeping people thousands of miles away calm. For a responsible site where you can access a lot of information, please follow this link:

http://www.telljp.com/index.php?/en/news_article/for_people_overseas_concerned_about_relatives_in_the_tokyo_area/

Please know that Tokyo remains calm. Under the surface of course we are anxious, but everyone is behaving sensibly; I think we would all rather have attention focused on the poor people of Miyagi. If you have any questions about anything I haven’t mentioned, please ask! Otherwise, I will send another update soon.

March 15th, Graduation Day

In the 48 hours since I wrote my last update the information and pictures coming out of Miyagi have been awful, and the state of the damaged nuclear power stations is extremely worrying. However, I think there is still a lot of unnecessary hysteria in the media and I want to update you on what life is like in Tokyo. This comes with the usual proviso that it is only my experience and what I have heard from other people, I am not claiming to present a picture of the whole city. It is a snapshot, but I hope it helps you understand some of what we are experiencing in Tokyo.

Before I go any further, and so you don’t have to read between the lines and worry unnecessarily, I will try to explain how I am feeling. First, of course I am worried, and can feel that I am more stressed than usual. It is frustrating knowing that there is very little we can do for ourselves, it is really a question of watching and waiting (and praying) to see what information comes out. With the worsening situation regarding the power stations, more people are finding their anxiety at a level where they need to leave Japan, either for a short break (it’s spring vacation now) or permanently.

Yesterday I either spoke to or received e-mails from 3 people feeling they needed to leave Japan while this situation continued. Dealing with their anxiety annoyed me, for 2 reasons. Firstly, I didn’t feel like being some kind of therapist for them, second, no matter how you keep yourself calm, another person’s anxiety coming at you does rattle you a bit. So while I was doing OK myself I ended the day feeling a little spiky towards those people.

Onto the power stations. CNN (yes, I know, I told everyone not to watch it, so why am I watching it myself? Answer, I watch for a few minutes, get disgusted and return to the BBC. I have no excuse.)  CNN is a disgrace to journalism, and anyone who is relying on them for news / information will be far more anxious than someone watching real news. They have big, scary graphics, big, scary music (dum! dum! dum!) and reporters being thick and / or lacking sensitivity and compassion.  Also lacking in cultural awareness. While the BBC seems to have sent in a number of people who I recognise as former Tokyo correspondents, (and of course some others), CNN has sent in their usual crowd who don’t appear to know much about Japan. (On seeing a wrecked house and the portraits still hanging high up on a wall of deceased relatives, someone said, there are the pictures of the people who lived here. Well yes, but they haven’t lived there for some time . . .) The dreadful Piers Morgan started his programme with the words ‘Apocalypse Japan’ and that was it, back to the BBC for me! Apocalypse? Really? Is that helpful? Is it any wonder people’s anxiety levels are rising?

The situation at the power stations does not look good at all, but Tokyo is 250km away  and the evacuation zone is 20km around the area, people between 20 and 30km away are being told to stay inside. The wind was blowing to the south-west the last time I saw any information (away from Japan) and the radiation levels at the plant are 4 times the legal limit (of course not good), not 400 times the limit, as I have heard on some news reports. Radiation levels in Kanagawa, next to Tokyo, are ‘9 times normal levels’ but that is not the legal limit, but compared to the level it normally is. We have to wait and watch enough news to get the information we need but not sit glued to the TV until we are wildly goggle-eyed with anxiety.

Next, the shortages. Some people in Miyagi and Iwate are in evacuation centres and even the ones who aren’t are struggling with food, water and petrol shortages. There and in neighbouring prefectures there are people who have lost water, gas, electricity or some combination of all 3. I heard a report that the petrol is being diverted to emergency services, which sounds sensible.

In Tokyo we have all turned into giant hamsters and have made trips to the convenience stores and supermarkets to stock up. Apparently bottled water, tofu and toilet rolls are what we need, so I can be a very satisfied hamster because I have all of those. The shelves of convenience stores are extremely depleted, especially when it come to things like bread and rice balls etc. I think it may be just because the resources are being diverted elsewhere so it’s difficult to re-stock. Anyway, as soon as they re-stock the human hamsters return and buy it all up.

I am unclear why we are doing this in Tokyo. I think it may be because historically that is what people needed to do, but in urban areas these days no one is going to starve. I understand the need for water, but I don’t know why people seem to be stockpiling so much – unless they are all watching Piers Morgan of course. I have asked all the friends I know who have also done it, why are we doing this? and no one can tell me why, we are just doing it because everyone else is.

Next thing, the rolling power blackouts. You may have heard that power in Tokyo has been turned off. Not true. There are 2 things being reported here. Firstly, parts of Tokyo that are a riot of neon lights are turning them down, and Tokyo Tower has been dimmed. Theses are voluntary measures. Secondly, yesterday was the first day of rolling power blackouts around Tokyo, but not the 23 wards that make up most of Tokyo. In fact, the 23 wards may be protected from even scheduled blackouts because the power company is unwilling to cause such disruption to businesses etc. That seems unfair to me, since we in the 23 wards are gobbling up energy like Godzilla, while a few people at home during the day in areas around Tokyo are hardly draining the grid. I am trying to keep as many things turned off as possible, but at this point it doesn’t sound like anything is going to be imposed on us. I don’t know of anyone in Tokyo who does not have water, electricity and gas.

Onto earthquakes. We continue to have quite strong aftershocks, and there is a likelihood we could get another big earthquake in the next few days. This is a horrible thought and there is nothing we can do about it. We all know this is a possibility and we are all just staying calm and waiting to see what happens. Since Mother Nature will do whatever she wants in her own time I can tell you no more than that.

Finally, school. As I said at the beginning, today was Graduation Day, normally a big, long day of celebration. Yesterday the school decided to amend the schedule for this week, which is actually the last week of the school year. The students should have been in school yesterday picking up their exam papers, but the decision was made early in the morning to close the school. Some teachers were in, because there is still grading etc. to do and there were some preparations for today.

They decided to go ahead with Graduation, but to scale it back. Usually, the entire senior high school (4th, 5th and 6th years) would be there, but the 4th and 5th years were told not to come this year, only the graduating 6th years were there. Their parents came of course to watch the ceremony. All the teachers were asked to come if at all possible, but the train service is still patchy and unreliable, so I think a few didn’t make it. Usually, each student goes up to receive her diploma, but today the names were read out and then just one student from each class received her diploma, the others carried theirs into the hall because they had already received them in their classrooms.

Of course, the headmaster mentioned the earthquake and all its horrible aftermath in his speech, and the mood was certainly not as excited and emotional as usual. I think we all felt quite sombre. After the ceremony, the students all assembled for their commemorative photo and they sounded happy and excited. Normally we would have then gone into the school gym to have lunch and listen to more speeches, but that wasn’t possible this year; the students have not been in school so they have been unable to decorate it and make preparations.

Tomorrow is the teachers’ deadline for grades (by 9am). I have already submitted all of ours, but I have to be there tomorrow morning while the computer processes everything, in case there is a problem. Thursday will be the lunch for teachers who are leaving, and again, as many teachers as can come in should be there. Of course, I live next door to school, so I will never have any problem getting there!

The school will be closed on Friday, and then on Saturday we will have the junior high school graduation and closing assembly, and the students will receive their test papers and report cards. We should have done it on Friday but it has been changed to Saturday. That is our last day of school, and then we don’t have to be in until April 7th for a staff meeting. The entrance ceremony for the new 1st years will be on the 8th, opening assembly on the 9th, then classes will start on the 11th. In between we have the cherry blossoms to look forward to, and anything else that might come our way.

So that is everything up to today. I will send another update soon. Than you for all your prayers, good wishes and just keeping in touch. This has been written as a general e-mail, so if I have explained anything that you already knew because you have lived in or visited Japan, my explanation was for others who also received this. As I said before, if you know of anyone else who might be interested to read this, please forward my e-mail to them.