BUT!!! Please don't trust the Western Media so easily. Check CNN or BCC. And have hope! Tokyo is still pretty fine!!
I have arrived in Germany to calm down my grandparents who have gone nutｓ because of the wrong information which is spreading in Europe.
I'm hoping the situation will be calm down a little bit and I wish I can return on Friday or around 28th ~
In Narita there are still plenty of cheap flights back to Europe. My family and I could change tickets without problems. So please DON'T believe the Western media that easily...
Friday
It should be the day when my family would meet my boyfriend for the first time. They wanted to spend 10 days in Japan and enjoy a wonderful holiday...all these dreams were crashed down because of The Big One.
My parents arrived at 1pm at their hotel in Odaiba. We were preapring ourselves to get the next train when the BIG ONE surprised us...2.43pm....at first we were expecting a small earthquake, which always happens about 2 times every month...but then our whole stuff was flying arund and because we were afraid of getting burried under the roof we ran outside on the street. Just in underwear...I wasn`t able to put on shoes or a skirt, because I simply had to take Peko with me. Most of the people ran outside their houses and we all watched the houses shaking.
After a second earth quake, we decided to go in&check the FNN News which showed terrible pictures of a huge Tsunami...it looked like some kind of Hollywood movie. The cellphones weren't working and because the telephone at the hotel of my parents was dead, too, we decided to try to go to Odaiba by car or taxi.
My fahter is able to speak English, but it was their first time in Japan and most of you know that the English level at Japanese hotels isn't the best...I was afraid they would be in panic, just watching Japanese news without knowing what has happened exactly&if I was fine.
In Sangenjaya's 24-hour-car, the shop where we always have rent a car, was crowed with people and we had to give up. Thousands of people were on the streets, trying to get home. I simply hold on to Yoshi's hand and Peko.
We took a bus to Shibuya and wanted to get a cab...but this was impossible. We ended up walking 4 hours to Odaiba, but the cold wind and weather made us giving up. No way to get there. I could send a mail to my to my father. The building close to their hotel had a small fire and they were quite shocked, but ok (first time in Japan AND then The Big One...they weren't lucky...).
Around 11pm the trains started again. It was terribly crowded. We went home, totally tired. But all the aftershocks kept us awake. I could phone with my parents. They were fine and felt save.
Yoshi prepared a bag with clothes, a blanket, water and some candles. We needed to prepare to leave the house at any time to escape.
Saturday
The first pictures of North Japan in daylight. We were both watching TV and started crying. This was beyond our imagination. Yoshi already expected more than 15.000 people had died in The Big One...
And now a new, dangerous&heartbreaking news arrived Tokyo: Fukushima Power Plant was in huge trouble. Experts were trying to avoid a meltdown. Fear spreaded among the foreigners. Most of my friends tried to escape from Osaka airport. Panic was there, even in foreign communities in Tokyo...
The trains started to work again. We could reach my parents and had a dinner together. Everything was pretty fine...except the fear of a meltdown.
Sunday
Many shops were still closed. We visited various shrines in Tokyo and ate dinner in Shibuya. Some of my friends escaped to Kyoto to be far away from the dangerous power plant...
At night I had a talk with Yoshi. We decided to take out my family from Tokyo and bring them to Kyoto. Yoshi wanted to stay. His job had no holiday.
Monday~Wednesday
We spent some days in Kyoto. The earthquake was totally minimal in this city. A lot of foreigners were doing trips. Everything felt normal. Except the news in TV...
My grandparents and people in Germany got nervous, they called me and my family and begged us to go back as soon as possible.
Rumours were spreading and the fear of a meltdown was shaking my trust in the Japanese government...
But I couldn't leave Japan without seeing Yoshi again! And so we headed back to Tokyo. The radiation level was totally fine. Tokyo's shop had water&enough food. The Western media was abusing the terrible things of North Japan to fear the people in Europe. To calm down my family I decided to go back to Germany for some days. We could change the airplane tickets without problems. Furthermore there were still tons of free seats at reasonable prices...I'm shocked about the German News telling there was no way out of Tokyo...
At night I talked to Yoshi. We ordered some pizzas and realxed. His family lives in the South of Japan, 450km from Tokyo. In case of emergency he wants to stay with them. But at first he had a really important job interview on Friday and since the was no official holiday he wanted to stay.
I respect his decision.
If the worst-case really happens, Tokyo can't be evacuated...it's impossible to bring 30.000.000 out of town. And I respect their trust in their own country. We need to hope for the best.
Thursday
My family& I leave Japan.
I have a small suitcase with me...clothes for about one week. I won't stay. I can't. It's not a country I go for to do my shopping&getting a beach holiday...it's my home! My life is there. I would rather die early than living a 100 years unhappy and heartbroken.
In the worst case Yoshi&I will move to Koichi and start a life there.
My grandma was giving me a 30-minutes speech how dangerous Tokyo is and that I should give up Japan. No way. It's not Japan which I can't give...it's myself which I won't give up. I mean, I have something like a family there...and this is something which makes me believing!
Friday
I talked to Yoshi on Skype.You can find water&food in the supermarkets around our city. Schools&Jobs have started. The blackouts became more or less normal.
Yoshi went to the job interview this morning.The company sells extravgance houses in the Tokyo area&he should become an agent for it. The salary is amazing, although the working times will be a little bit hard, but still nicer than being a stylist (10am~20pm/ holiday on Tuesday and Wednesday).
Normally this job if for university graduates (he just attended a 2 years-college), but somehow his application papers impressed the company and so he was invited for the interview&test.
We were both really nervous about it, since this is a big chance for him. Anyway, he had an 1 hour interview and a general knowledge test. When he arrived at our apartment, we had a long Skype talk. He wasn't sure about the test, although the interview was pretty fine. The test included some stuff which he hasn't studied, but since he likes to read and went to a really good high school, he somehow made it.
While we were talking, the company called him AND!! He got this job ^-^ They loved him and even though he just 80% of the test, he was better than many university graduates.
Among all this tragedy, these heartbroken feelings, the pressure from my family and friends...I somehow felt happy today.
On next Friday he has a meeting and getting details where his work place will be and when he will start. Maybe around April 10th :)
We were both so happy. Life needs to go on! It has to be!
And for now, I just have one request: Please be positive for Japan! Don't think it's the end of the world! Believe in them! Pray for them! Suppport them! Concentrate your worries to the poor people in the Miyagi , Fukushima and Sendai! Send money, food, whatever! But please! Don't give up yet! And please don't trust the shitty News around you! Try to check BBC or CNN. And let's all hope for the best!
日本！！がんばて！！！！！！
And here are some pictures from the last days~
 | |
| 03-11-11 ~ Tokyo's life has stopped...waiting at a restaurant... |
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| Bread is sold out...03-12-11 |
 | |||
| The night of 03-11 ~ aftershocks give us no chance to sleep... But around 5am Peko&Yoshi finally get some time to rest... |
 | |
| 03-12 ~ water is getting inside the stations, but everything is still fine. Tokyo was lucky!!!! |
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| Peace&harmony in Kyoto... |
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| HOPE! |
dein bericht ist wirklich ergreifend und ich kann absolut verstehen warum du dein leben und deinen schatz nicht aufgeben willst. wir alle die solch eine liebe für dieses land empfinden denken, hoffen und beten dafür das der supergau nicht eintreffen wird. ich hoffe das du deinen yoshi und peko bald wieder in die arme schließen kannst.
AntwortenLöschenI am glad everyone is fine!♥
AntwortenLöschenand I am also glad that you say we shouldn|t trust the western media. It is very scary and confusing what german media says...I cried almost everyday because it was so horrible what they said.
But what happened in Fukushima sounds really scary...I still don|t know what I should think, although I learned to stay calm :D
The worst part is the german media almost totally forgets about the victims of the Tsunami...T.T
I am really happy you are fine and also updated I was scared^^
I hope everything will turn out a little normal in Japan soon...
♥~
@ Conny
AntwortenLöschenIch werde weiterhin berichten. Nach aktuellen Medienberichten werde alle Ausländer, auch die sonst sehr starken Chinesen, ausgeflogen.
Ich denke die Lage ist sehr ernst, hoffe aber, dass der Super-Gau verhindert wird. Würde dieser eintreffen, wäre Japans Wirtschaft am Ende, da dadurch auch Tokio unbewohnbar wird...dies würde weltweite, gewaltige Konsequenzen haben. Computer, Auto und alles würde viel teurer werden und es käme zu Shortcuts...Japan ist wichtig.
Ich hoffe, dass mehr Länder Atom-Experten schicken, denn der Gau wäre ein Problem für viele andere Länder&für die gesamte Weltwirtschaft.
@サ～ラ
The German medie is spreading a lot of panic and they abuse the nuclear plant's problem in Fukushima for nuclear engergy discussions in our country. ARD had a TV-program talking about if food and air planes are still safe...I feel a huge egoistic wave of comments from the media in my own country and I'm highly disapointed in them.
Fukushima is a huge and big problem, but they should talk about the clear risk of radioation.
If you take a flight from Germany to Tokyo you already have a radiation of 0,09, which is similar to the level close to Tokyo. All in all, nothing is lost yet.
I hope the media will concentrate on the needs of the poor people of Miyagi-ken and around Sendai...those people need our whole concentration now! Japan is rich, but money became meaningless in those places! We need to make real plans of bringing them blankets, heaters&food. And the whole world shouldn't panic about Tokyo's blackout! Tokyo is a monster city. If they would put on the huge TVs and all those lights it would bring a big breakdown of the whole system. And especially the people around the Fukushima area need every little bit of energy! That's the reason why the blackouts happen and it's nothing to be scared about!
We need to calm down....I'm so shocked about the news here. Instead of giving hope to the many Japanese living here they are talking about worst-case scenarios. How about the best-case ones?!
I'm glad you follow my blog. I will update with news from Tokyo!!
Aww, you had to go back, well I hope you can get back soon!
AntwortenLöschenAnd congratulations to Yoshi! I'm glad good things are still happening and you can share them =]
Come back to Japan soon! Send me mail on my phone when you get back!♥
-Kansai♥ガール
http://nanairomiso.livejournal.com
I'm sorry to hear your family's visit was during that difficult time, but it sounds like you did the best you can. The more I read about Japan's current situation, the more I feel it will just be a continued slow leak at fukushima and probably Tokyo gets no effect ever.
AntwortenLöschen@Petite Devotchka
AntwortenLöschenThanks a lot!
Your mails helped when everyone in Kyoto was getting in panic.
Of course! I hope we will have a chance to meet soon :)
@さらまり
We all hope Tokyo will be fine. I don't believe in a Disney-movie-like happy end, because many foreigners won't come back...and Japan will have a huge missing of tourists. But I think we all will be able to drink a coffee in Shibuya someday soon, looking at the huge TV screens and saying "You remember? March 2011? ...."
And I hope Fukushima will be fine...at least that the cancer rate won't be too high...
Hello :)
AntwortenLöschenThis is the only way to contact you and I wanted to ask you:
I just listened to german news on ZDF and I wanted to say It's very hard not to believe the media...Again as I watched news I was really depressed about the situation.
Well acctually it's not a question but I thought you are the only one who is able to tell me something that I can belive.
I read this post again and I noticed I didn't leave any commet about your actual post...-.-'
I only wanted to say how I really really look up to your love to Japan...a lot of people said to me it was impossible for me to live my dream in Japan now. I think you are really amzing just living your dream no matter what happens...I also want to be like that but since I am still quite young the only thing I can do is work hard ^^ But you inspire me to never give up!
I think that you don't want to stay away from Yoshi must be real love...I am really happy for you and Yoshi :)
I think it is so great how you never lose hope...It helped me a lot (Gosh I sound like a teenager..well I am one xD)
I hope I don't disturb you with my long comments T.T But at the moment you are the person I look up to and thanks to you I will not lose hope in my dreams and will keep on hoping and praying for Japan...
It is really such a shame that the media is having such a big hype over this!! I mean I understand why of course, I WANT big hype about Japan, but not to the point of being mis-informed... my family + friends don't want me returning back in summer... but I'm still going ^^;;; especially since I am around kansai-area and not kanto~~a little but more settling, i think, for them.
AntwortenLöschenI'm happy he got the job! congrats~!! and such a cute little dog! :3
Kyoto is really such a beautiful place!! I love going there <333
@サ~ラ
AntwortenLöschenPlease read this:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12789749
And check out CNN ~~
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/
Even the worst-case wouldn't affect the world or Tokyo that much. And things seem ok for now...
We need to stay positive. I got some messages that because of the hype about the radiation some important things like cars, blankets etc weren't send to Ibaraki-ken or Fukushima. The foreigners living there update Twitter.
I feel so sorry for those people over there! Please tell your friends to check CNN, make posts at your blog or Facebook acount and don't trust the media easily!
I understand you...my grandparents were crazy about getting us home as soon as possible just because wrong information is spreading around.
And ~ losing hope is something which happens really fast in sad situations like the one in Japan right now. But all those people, who don't have enough food or who are cold at nights still try to think of the community first instead of themselves. No fighting about the food rations, they don't even need the police to organize their life. In a catastrophe like this Europe would simply break-down. But the Japanese are trying to move on. Their hope and their strong social bonds should be an example for the media to focus on the things which should always stay alive: Hope&humanity.
I believe you can live your dream :) Just never stop believing.
@xannyinjapan
Oh yes ~ I believe my grandma will kick my XXX when I go back XD
But you know, it's ok. They see those videos in TV, listen to the news and they are afraid to lose you.
Try to talk to them. Show them the reports on BBC and CNN.
And let's hope the whole nuclear plant stuff will be ok in a few days.
Your parents came to tokyo and then the first day bam, quake?! Talk about a good first impression! D:
AntwortenLöschenIt's nice seeing you be positive about it though, I sure am and as apparently now it's getting better, I can see that we're right about it. Unfortunately, many people have total trust in what the media says here in the west, which I find difficult to understand as it's all about dramatic words thrown out recklessly, and inventing future catastrophe scenarios to get more viewers. That's what I call info..
I do not entirely rely on the japanese media though, I think they might not be telling us enough BUT what they tell us are facts, and that's priceless.
It's interesting that now they've got it pretty much under control, the medias here do not really talk about it anymore..
Oh and congrats for Yoshi! That's seriously great, I hope he'll like the job~~ and that's at last a proof that not all japanese company's think only about degree's, they can actually appreciate a person as a whole x)
Well, Japan-land, you can do it <3
I'm glad you and everyone is fine. And congrats to Yoshi for the job! This was a great post that I was happy to read, yes, let's bring hope! I'm 100% sure Japan will recover, but the worst case scenario western media is talking about all the time is NOT helping.
AntwortenLöschenwww.japanprobe.com is a great site too. I hope you can return soon! For me, I plan to go back in the end of march as well.
@Anchu
AntwortenLöschenMy parents loved Japan even though it was really stressful getting tons of calls from our family in Germany telling us Japan will die in the next 24 hours XD Somehow we manged to surive and in Kyoto and Tokyo the mood of the foreigners and Japanese people were really optimistic.
My family wants to visit Japan next year again and hopefully have the chance to enjoy everything without any worries and troubles :)
But I've met some Americans who arrived on Friday and were really upset and told me they will never come back again since the earthquake destroyed their holiday...
Sorry guys, but that's not the fault of Japan...
sometimes I'm shocked about the egoistic thinking of Western people.
Yes. We need to talk about facts. Everyone knows about radiation, but most people believe it's a kind of dark cloud with a lot of posion and when you enter it you die in one second...
I've read an interesting article about the whole situation. Western cultures believe in the individual power or everyone. They love stories when one person is fighting survive in a world of chaos. Japan is working perfectly fine in catastropes. You won't find people stealing food or making trouble...everyone is quiet, calm, hoping for the best. Western cultures can't understand this. They want a "hero", a great story to tell, drama. They can't understand the fact that the whole Japanese community is being a huge, amazing hero right now, who is working together and trying to make the best out of it.
And because of the missing drama, they abuse the N-Plant facts, spreading fear across the countries.
Everyone knows that the chances of getting cancer is 25%. Everywhere. Even without a N-Plant accident. Even if Fukushima will have a meltdown, there won't be cancer everywhere. The cahnces of getting cancer will be higher. Some experts think of 0,5% up to 1% in case of a meltdown.
People living in big cities like Hong Kong or Tokyo already have a higher chance of getting ill due to polluted air...
Anyway, I also think this won't be a 100% happy end. But on the other hand I'm really positive and believe in the Fukushima50 Team!
@Quarter Void
Oh yes! I totally understand you.
Especially if German News are talking about "polluted fish from Japan". Most of them have ran out of ideas I feel...
Sounds great! We need to meet for sure and drink a nice cocktail :) I don't have your keitai mail, but you can find me at Facebook "Sarah Harr" and send me a mail with your address.
Let's hope for a beautiful spring!
First of all thank you so much for following my blog! ♥ I shall follow you back if you don't mind.
AntwortenLöschenI can't believe it happened the day your parents came! What bad luck. ;__; If that happened to me I have a feeling my parents wouldn't have been as calm; they have a hard enough time dealing with me in Japan already much less before all this.
But I think it's nice to come home and give your family some relief. That's what I did, too. Plus I'm coming back on Friday (if everything goes well) so we're almost the same there.
And congrats to your bf on the job! :3
Your dog is so cute, too ;____;
My roomie and I want a pet so badly but our apartment is so strict...
@miss waaave ♪
AntwortenLöschenThanks for following me ^-^ Hope we can become friends and maybe meet someday in real life, too ^.^
I'm blessed with wonderful parents...but I also have to admit that I was worried about the whole situation...meeting my boyfriend the first, being in Japan first time...having one of the worst catastropes in the world history for the first time... XD Too many first times. But they are doing perfectly fine and they will let me go, although I know inside they will worry much more than before.
But they are planning to come back to Japan next year and hopefully spend a wonderful holiday then :)
Oh perfect!! Hope we can meet then. Since I need to wait for scholarship from my university I think I can't return before Sunday or maybe April, but I definetly will be back in 2 weeks if the situation won't change and if my university still supports me and my plans.
Do you have Facebook? If yes, please add me :)
Sarah Harr ~~
Thanks a lot ^^ We're happy he has finally made it...and we hope we can start our life know with 10000%.
I'm not sure if you have read all entries of my blog, but Peko was at one pet shop, really sick and lonely and they gave him out for free. If you're thinking to get a pet in Japan, please consider to take one which isn't that young. Most dogs and cats around 6months are cheap...and if nobody buys them they end up with euthanise....so please support those pets!
Taking them back to your country costs about 500$~700$+3~4 visits at the doc+Narita qurantine station (immunization, letter from the animal hospital etc) and they need to be older than 6 months at the time of the trip back to your home country. I know a good&cheap vet close to Shibuya which offers you a lot of support.
Our apartment doesn't allow pets, too :) But it worked out fine for the past 3 months and we change apartments next month ^.^ If you know you have the responsibility for the next 10 years and longer I would highly recommend you to save a dog or pet...since Japanese pet shops are a cruel hell and thousands of pets die every year because nobody takes them home...
Let's keep in touch!!
Oh man, da fällt einem ein Stein vom Herzen, dass es euch gut geht ^^
AntwortenLöschenIch war ganz schön überrascht, als du schriebst, dass das deutsche Fernsehen die Lage in Tokyo um einiges schlimmer darstellt, als es eigentlich ist. Man, dem Fernsehen kann man echt nicht trauen ^^
Und herzlichen Glückwunsch an Yoshi, dass er den Job bekommt ^^ Ich freu mich für euch ^^
Ich kann es auch echt gut nachvollziehen, dass du dein Leben in Japan nicht aufgeben willst und ich finde es wunderbar, dass du daran fest hälst und dir von Keinem reinreden lässt! Selbst auf die Gefahr hin, dass sowas wieder passieren könnte! ABER das wollen wir NICHT hoffen!
Ich bin auch aktiv dabei was für Japan zu tun! Demnächst starte ich eine Art Spendenaktion und eine Freundin von mir, die in der Nähe vom Fuji-san wohnt, bat mich einen Brief zu ihr zu schicken, in dem ich ihr und ihren Freunden/Mitschülern etc. Hoffnung gebe. ^^
Natürlich hab cih das sofort gemacht und ich hoffe der Brief kommt endlich mal an ^^°
Jedenfalls werde auch ich weiterhin ein Fan von Japan sein und hoffe, dass ich irgendwann in der Zukunft auch mal hinfliegen und meine Zeit verbringen kann ^^
Dir, Yoshi und Peko wünsche ich jedenfalls nur das BESTE weiterhin!!!!
Liebe Grüße von
Koko =)
@ Koko
AntwortenLöschenSuper!!! Ich finde eine Aktion und deinen Optimismus in Zeiten der Krise total toll und denke, dass Menschen niemals an Leid und schlechten Neuigkeiten Interesse finden, sondern an Hoffnung und Kraft, neu anzufangen und dabei aktiv mitzumachen.
Ich hoffe du wirst bald Japan besuchen und beweisen, dass nicht 90% des Landes verstrahlt ist und die Lebensmittel bereits im Dunkeln leuchten XD
Gemeinsam schaffen wir das!!
Beatiful!
AntwortenLöschen