Update on the situation in Japan

I would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the IAVE’s friends for the messages with sympathy and encouragement. I put these messages on web site of the “Japan Civil Net” that is a newly established organization by some 80 NGOs on March 14 for information sharing and rescue activities by volunteers.

What made us fear is the radiation hazard. Chief Cabinet Secretary told a press conference “there is no doubt these radiation levels may pose health risks to humans”. Attempt has been taken to pour volumes of water into reactor containment vessel to cease the fire and cool off. Restoration work for damaged electricity has been taken at speed. Electricity power shortage affected and a larger scale of power cut is required from now on.

For the victims, securing the lifelines should be done at first priority. Under a cold snowy weather, they need kerosene for heating since electricity is damaged. Relief food from outside is approaching and arriving at their places as far as the road open. Local and government officials, policeman, firefighters, members of Self-Defence Forces, media representatives and overseas teams are doing everything in their power without much sleeping and resting.

The following is an article on the newspaper. It is a bit long, however I would like you to look over and know what was happened on March 11, 2011 in the north Japan.

When the earthquake occurred at 2:46 p.m. Friday (March 11), I was at the Yomiuri Newspaper office in the central area of the Kesen’numa city in Miyagi pref. First, a vertical jolt hit me – I felt I had been shoved toward the ceiling. Then, the building shook horizontally and violently, forcing me to go down on all fours. When the tremor subsided, the office floor was completely covered with things that had fallen off t he shelves. I grabbed my camera, personal computer and communications equipment and rushed outside.

I drove my car to the Kesen’numa Central Community Center, since it was designated as an emergency evacuation site. One after another, residents were arriving at the community center. I was asking questions of some residents there － I guess it was about 3:30 p.m. － when I heard someone shouting, “Tsunami coming!”

I turned back and saw a white line on the water of Kesen’numa Bay. Soon the tsunami reached the land, washing away houses and marine product factories. The water was approaching the building. I rushed up the stairs to the rooftop of the building with the residents. The tsunami hit the center. The building was surrounded by water and wreckage of houses and buildings. The water reached as high as the ceiling of the second floor.

It was apparent that the tsunami had hit the apartment building where I’d been staying. I had lost my place to live in. My car was washed away, too. I sent the tsunami photos to the company through my computer, and reported the situation to my boss. I was able to use my mobile phone several times, but soon the network went dead. I realized that I was a helpless victim, rather than a newspaper reporter － all I could do was wait to be rescued.

When the tsunami lost its movement at about 6 p.m., I went down inside the third floor with the residents for shelter from the cold. The 450 evacuees spilt into four rooms － a storeroom, a cooking room, a conference room and a corridor － to pass the night.

I was among about 100 people who stayed in the storeroom. We huddled up and pressed our bodies together. One reason was because of the cold, but the other reason was more simple － there was no space to stretch our legs or keep any distance from each other. We found blankets stored for an emergency, sharing one between three or four people. We cut up cardboard to put on the concrete floor, but most people did not get a piece. I sat on some documents I had received the day before from a person I had interviewed. Some people slept standing up because the floor was so cold.

During the night, I once again went the rooftop. The water surrounding the building was burning here and there － oil patches had caught fire. The scene was sur-real. I felt I was watching a science fiction movie. I went to a bathroom and found that all the toilets were covered with rubble. The building was repeatedly hit by aftershocks, which woke me every hour. I was anxious about the possibility of old building collapsing.

My growing anxiety was relieved by ordinary small talk I had with a woman who sat next to me. “Where are you from? Chiba?” That’s really far away. I’m sure your parents are really worrying about you.” The 56 year old woman said. I had just met her for the first time, but talking with the woman, who was of an age similar to my mother, made me relax.

By Saturday morning, the water level had fallen to the ceiling of the first floor. There were various things floating on the water － cars, frozen bonito and saury that apparently had come from warehouse. Suddenly, something floating by caught my eye － was it a branch or a human arm? I instinctively shut my eyes. At 9:40 a.m. a rescue helicopter of the Tokyo Fire Department arrived, and began picking up people one by one with a rope. Dinner on the second day was a piece of a biscuit. The 400 people still in the center had to share a couple of bottles of water that had been delivered by the helicopters. I gave my allocated water to an elderly person who was showing signs of dehydration.

Our stress level seemed to have reached a peak when, at about 6 a.m. on the third day, we found that the water outside had receded. Soon, three helicopters from the Tokyo Fire Dept. and Self Defense Forces landed one by one on the square in front of the community center and shuttled people out. After the sick people, children and the elderly had been transported. I boarded a helicopter. At about 10 a.m. I landed safely in Kesen’numa. I was able to become a reporter once again.

By Keiichi Nakane, Yomiuri Newspaper Staff Writer (It is reported later that tsunami grew to heights of over 10 meters.)

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(Photo: Roberto De Vido)