Email from a friend in Tokyo:
Please pass the words on, share what really is like (the following) to your friends when you have chance to talk about this Japan Earthquake, that it is not all `disaster!``horrendous!` but there are more of incredibly positive action going on too in quite Japanese style.
Please say `Hey those Japanese are truly so quirky that they would pull through... crazy!`
.
The nuclear thing is of course scary but hey, whatever happens, it happens. I want to believe in the positive action, and I wish the same for you.
What are happening simulteniously:
*tsunami aftermath
*death toll (rising hour by hour)
*nuclear plant accident
(pouring sea waters into the plant to cool it down, die it completely off)
*resque / frantic family search
*surviver`s aid
*electricity blackouts due to the nuclear
*afterquake (very frequent)
*possibility of another quite big quake for next 3 days
How they are reacted:
*Right after the quake lots of offices, restaurants and bars opened the door for free for anyone to shelter. Those infos were shared on twitter. Many people went to izakaya (bistro) to cheer up and get ready for hard night. Majority of Tokyo commuters walked home.
*Eldery people stuck in the almost-breaking-down house middle of the flood for 3 days right after the rescue: `We are fine. Lets just re-construct all again!` with smile.
*People in non-critical areas like us Tokyo try to save electricity (turn off heaters, less lights, wear jackets at home) for those in more critical needs, calling it "Project Yashima" on internet in homage to the blackout project in `Neongenesis Evangelion (massively popular animation series)` in which the nationwide boluntery blackouts occurs for the hero robot to fight off the monster.
* `Ultraman` (the fictious national hero as popular as Doraemon and Godzilla. Equivalent of Super Man) on Twitter cheered up kids assuring that `Ultraman and other adult people protect kids and Japan, so sleep well`.
http://twitter.com/#!/m78_ultraman
(>so that parents can show the tweet to kids to assure them)
*NHK has released ALL of entertainment contents on youtube for free so that kids can be relieved watching their usual favourites.
(It is all about the disaster on TV and kids start to feel the anxiety repeatedly watching that tsunami etc).
*March 14th monday, today there is a planned blackouts to save electricity in big regions around Tokyo (except Tokyo)(was planned but avoided so far). But people try to go to work/ work from home. Because we want to maintain the Japanese economic activities as well as everyday life. I too went to meeting for a TV advert planning yesterday.
*That nuclear plant is the fear, but there isnt much we (norms)can do except stay focused on news and get PROPER informations about the nuclear itself(never really thought about it till now). What is happening is beyond imagination so gotta believe in the professionals working so hard right this moment at the plant to avoid the worst case scenario.
*A friend of mine made NON-OFFICIAL radioactive monitoring map.
If you are too worried, just in case I copy the link here:
http://maps.google.co.jp/maps/ms?ie...044438,139.790039&spn=16.936988,39.111328&z=5
*what was useful in the situation like this:
Twitter.
Soo useful. The mobile were all dead. It still is, frequently.
SMS/ MMS are OK. Imagine the New Year Eve mobile traffic jam, that is similar.
The Japanese gov is so stupid, but we think and act ourselves.
