To my family and friends outside of Japan – please rest assured that I am completely safe following the recent earthquakes and tsunami in Japan. Please do not be so alarmed by what you’re reading for my sake – everyone here in Minami Uonuma is fine. No one here or elsewhere in the country that I know has been harmed, and here in Niigata we avoided fatalities and damages. If you are worried for anyone here in Niigata, please refer to the official disaster page maintained by the university. It is vigilantly updated with the latest information that affects IUJ students and residents in the Minami Uonuma area.
As the president of our university Mr. Mori said recently in an internal statement to the students, IUJ buildings are safe, as the Niigata prefectural government is well prepared for any new crisis that may unfold. We are located more than 300 kilometers away from the epicenter of the most serious quake, and 189.18 kilometers away from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. We are following both Japanese and international news sources very closely here, and our emergency evacuation plan is well practiced. We each have our own personal evacuation kit including a hard hat because Japan is very earthquake prone and Niigata itself suffered a large earthquake in 2005 (at that time there was little damage and no casualties here at IUJ). Outside of the very hard hit Tohoku region, the trains are running again. TEPCO has planned power outages which do not affect us here, but we are contributing to a nationwide effort to conserve electricity.
Of course, I do not mean to say that everything is okay everywhere in Japan. As anyone who has caught a few moments of any major news program lately will know that there has been a terrible disaster off of the north eastern coast of Honshu, Japan’s main island. There was an absolutely massive (8.9) earthquake off of the coast of Sendai followed by a series of powerful aftershocks and a huge 10 meter tsunami which has destroyed people’s lives and wiped entire villages off of the map.
Update: If there is any doubt in your mind about the scale of the disaster here in Japan, please take a look at these satellite before and after images of the post tsunami and earthquake’s impact. Move your mouse across the image to reveal the before and after comparison. Especially look at Fujutseka, Noriaga, and the absolute devastation of Minami Sanriku. (Thank you Donna for sharing this link.)
We are still reeling from the shock of the images on tv and weeping with the interviews of survivors and people who are still looking for their loved ones in northern Japan. If you have the means to help, please consider donating. Global Concerns Forum at IUJ is running a donation drive on campus and you can donate to us through Pay Pal as well (see the button below). We are also collecting goods needed by those in the most seriously affected prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima. All donations will go directly to relief efforts here in Japan.
Alternatively, Mercy Corps is accepting donations for Japan, and Google’s emergency response page includes an easy to use Red Cross Japan donation box. Please keep your thoughts and prayers with those still in need. Only today my boss received news of her sister in law’s family who live in Sendai and had been unaccounted for, and many others across the world are still waiting to hear from their loved ones.
For those who are looking for information about the status and safety of affairs in Japan, please refer to the US Embassy website. Here is an excerpt from the latest message from the American Ambassador in Tokyo (March 13, 2011 at 16:30):
This warden message is to inform U.S. citizens residing or traveling in Japan that they should notify family and friends of their status. This information is also being posted on the Embassy website to help family members learn the status of the person they are looking for. The U.S. Government is communicating closely with the Japanese Government on events as they unfold. We have and will continue to mobilize all appropriate resources. The U.S. Government and all necessary experts are fully engaged in analyzing the issues, including the Fukushima reactor issues, in close consultation with the Japanese Government. We are committed to providing you with all necessary information as we receive it. There is no double standard – what we advise our Embassy personnel will be provided to all U.S. citizens.
Please understand that there will continue to be substantial misinformation in the public domain. We urge U.S. citizens in Japan to follow the instructions of Japanese civil defense authorities. The Japan Nuclear Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) has recommended that people who live within 20 kilometers of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in Okumacho evacuate the area immediately. No other measures have been recommended by Japanese authorities at this time.
U.S. citizens in need of emergency consular assistance should send an e-mail to JapanEmergencyUSC@state.gov with detailed information about their location and contact information. We also recommend U.S. citizens in Japan make contact with loved ones in the United States. Please continue to monitor the Embassy’s website for updated information and the U.S. Department of State’s website at http://travel.state.gov.
U.S. Embassy Tokyo
Also, flights have mostly resumed:
Flights have resumed at all airports that were closed by the earthquake, except Sendai, Sado, Iwate-Hanamaki, and Misawa Airports. In Tokyo, most public transportation including trains and subways are operating. Many roads have been damaged in the Tokyo area and in northern Japan, particularly in the Miyagi prefecture where government checkpoints have been established on damaged roadways. In Iwate Prefecture, toll road highways are restricted to emergency vehicles only. (Source)
General Information:
- Official Statements from NHK and the Japanese Government (live and in English)
- Volunteer to be a Translator to assist in rescue and relief operations if you have the necessary language skills
- Japan’s Strict Building Codes Saved Lives
- American Embassy in Japan
- NASA has released the following image of Tohoku Earthquake Shaking Intensity
Nuclear Power Plant Situation:
- Offical Reports about the Nuclear Reactors
- MIT NSE Nuclear Information Hub
- Q&A About the Nuclear Plant
Please stay safe, and stay calm. Much love!
Edit: Here is an enlightening website maintained by MIT Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering that thoroughly and clearly explains about the Fukushima Nuclear Plant situation. MIT NSE Nuclear Information Hub (information is available in English, Japanese, German and Spanish)
Edit: The recent episode of NPR’s Talk of the Nation discusses the state of things in Japan: Search and Rescue Continues in Japan Disaster
