Fee in Japan

Today I was meant to travel to Ishigaki, Okinawa (2,000km south west from Tokyo, near Taiwan) for a nice tropical holiday but instead me and Jessi have decided to (at least) postpone the trip until the Tuesday, by which time we should know more information. Neither of us was comfortable with travelling during the uncertainty, nor leaving behind the infrastructure and safety in Tokyo, plus the weather down there is crap. Its going to rain for the next week :(

So we've tried to ring the airline to rearrange the flights, as their website advises, but one phone number is 'invalid' and the other is so busy we can't get through. Worrying. I also emailed our accommodation in Ishigaki yesterday asking for advice if we should travel and if they had been affected, to no reply.

A few of my friends have been panicking and leaving the country. As I said in my last blog, I heard that Austrian and/or German embassies had advised that their citizens leave the country. I now hear the German embassy advises that Tokyo is safe. The British Embassy advises that we shouldn't make unessential journeys to Tokyo or north of Tokyo, but no advice about travelling elsewhere. I have friends who are scrambling out of the country, either back to Europe or just to neighbouring countries like Taiwan or South Korea. This is another part of the reason I want to stay in Tokyo - if I should need to get out, Tokyo is surely the best place to be...? (Edit: Nicole has told me the Swiss embassy website now says for residents in Tokyo to consider if their prescence in Japan is necessary and, if not, to consider leaving the country.)

All in all, though, I'm doing fine. I'm unhurt, I have food, water, electricity, even internet and I feel lucky for that. And I am so so thankful for Tokyo's strict planning regulations, they have saved countless lives, my building and all of those I've seen in our neighbourhood are undamaged. 

What often goes unreported in the news are the aftershocks we are experiencing. The big earthquake was BIG, between 8 and 9 on the richter scale, which was felt as 5-6 in Tokyo (apparently). Since Friday there has been 228 aftershocks (in fact we're having one as I type, edit: turns out that was a 6.2 and nearer to Tokyo), many over 6 , by comparison the Christchurch earthquake was 6.3. Big stuff. (check out this map of aftershocks )

Anyway, I'll stop pretending like I understand tectonics, or geography, or nuclear science. I'll keep this blog up dated with what I'm up to or any news I get. Until this all either escalates or blows over, we just have the sit tight, get in provisions, and not panic. My new mantra: don't panic.