Rocked by a 8.8 Earthquake

[gocchin]

Here in Japan, people are obviously still shocked, emotionally drained and uneasy but at the same time very calm.

People try hard to go on with daily life though most neighbors including ourselves have a couple of bags packed with essentials and stuff ready to go if we have to.

The stores and supermarkets are returning to more normal operations now and the initial fear causing stocking up of food and shortages seems to have subsided somewhat.

Besides the reactors, one thing that concerns me is the constant aftershocks and tremblors.

I know the experts have said this is normal but there was a 6.2 last night in Shizuoka which is south of Tokyo and just an hour ago a 6.0 right off the east coast of Chiba here which shook our house for about 15 seconds.

These mini quakes are occurring in different spots which makes me wonder if another larger scale quake could hit inland or here in the Kanto region.

As for whether I will evacuate.

It is a very tough call.

I call Japan my home now and I love Japan very much.

I moved here with the intentions of staying permanently.

We purchased a house here and put all of our interests into Japan.

It is not so easy to leave your home though we have certainly thought about it (especially if it got to the point where there is no home left).

My wife's parents are also here as well as her brother which makes it harder to leave.

We are on top of a mountain here about 15km from the east coast so we are safe from any Tsunami but its the quakes and reactor that worry me as no mountain will stop our house from falling down or radioactive winds.

The daily rolling blackouts here continue which make it hard for me to work since I need to sit in front of a computer.

Deliveries are still going and I've touched base with a few brands we deal with and naturally there are delays with shipments but in the most part, southern Japan is functioning as normal (though with a heavy burden on their hearts for sure).

I continue to receive many many emails from all of you and even customers whom I haven't helped for nearly 2 years.

Its great to see so many people care so much and I thank you for your support as it gives us all strength.

[+TourSpecGolfer]

Been watching the news for hours each day. So far the best source has been NHK World, Fox has poor coverage as they don't really have solid representation in japan like CNN does and CNN is reporting opinion and speculation which leads to fear and missinformation.

The SDF, U.S military, and IAEA should get involved like now.

One option vs leaving Japan is to take a trip to Kyoto, Osaka, or Hiroshima to get away until things calm down.

On a positive note, Sony is starting to re open factories, Toyota opened up a couple today and should have another by the end of the week along with many companies getting back to business.

[shacco]

I know a lot of the media is blowing up the story. I lived in the states for a while and I know how unserious media coverage can be. But I live now in Germany and usually the covarage on serius events is good and honest. Especially on this topic (nuclear powerplants), there is high awarness in the population here. That is because we have been having a political debate on the safety of nuclear powerplants for quite some time now. Long before the events in Japan. The fact that most of the helping institutions are stopping their operations (i.e. Germany, US,...) tells me a lot about the danger in Japan.

[bogeydog]

We all have been watching the news. Even though we may not have shared a beer with each other, we are emotionally attached to fellow members and it is tough for us to sit and wait for some unknown result (good or bad) to happen. All we know if life is different that it was 2 weeks ago. If we are scared from afar, those living I it must be terrified.

The media in the US is fsamous for poor reporting of the facts. They carefully choose the use of words including omitting key words iwhich changes the message. The constant repeating of messages can cause people to take what they say as fact. Yesterday there was much public debate about the seriousness of the reactor issues, however nothing was discuss about the unstable plates of the earth and possiblility of another large EQ event, etc.

To leave the area or not isn't clear cut for most. If Gocchin leaves and something more serious developes he made a good move. If it doesn't get worse he still maybe has made a good move. If he stays and it gets worse, then he has a problem. A short term answer may be to relocate for a short time to the south. Watch the next few weeks and make the next decision. In either case make a decision and set you mind free. Don't second guess yourself. Be smart, use the facts as you know them, and consider what is best for you amd the family.

[+TourSpecGolfer]

The fukushima reactors were built in the early 70's. Lots has changed since then, I'm still for nuclear power just built in non earthquake prone areas. It can be a safe source of energy when managed properly in my opinion.

Good news guy's almost every JDM golf brand is back in working order and shipping.

[Blader-X]

It is crazy the roller coaster of emotions this is having on my situation. My daughter currently in Yokohama is not all that far from such chaos. However for her, its life as usual and she in no way wants to leave. She's made some really good friends in such a short time. Not to mention she's being spoiled by the grandparents. She was scheduled to come home next month but we've got so many family members telling us to bring her home. For the past few days I really was fine with her staying put, but these last couple big tremblors in Shizuoka and Chiba have got me reconsidering. Watching the news, its seems so crowded at the airports that it might prove too difficult to try. So, I think in the short term we are thinking we will most likely send her down to other relatives in Kyushu. But still its very difficult to decide because so much is just so unknown.

What I find so interesting in watching the footage is the evacuation camps. When you watch you see a lot of the older people sitting still with looks of despair. While at the same time you see a bunch of kids in the background playing and laughing as if they were all at summer camp or a giant sleepover. Ah, the carelessness of youth and how wonderful it is to be able to feel that way. That whole scene though really is poignant for me. I have many relatives calling me to ask about my daughter and when they all first call I can hear so much fear in their voices. You see the all they know, not having been to Japan is the images they see on the TV and they have a perception that ALL of Japan has been thrown in chaos. When in reality, so much of Japan is still intact and so much of it is doing just fine. The devastation is by all means vast and I'm not trying to take away from that, its just crazy to think how extreme it is there right now. In one area all is well and in another total anhilation and between the two you have so many varying degrees of each. The one common bond is the empathy that I think most share and that is the well being of every person affected. I myself don't have a large family and even a very large contingent of friends but its been amazing how many phone calls I've received over the past days in regards to all of this. It does feel good and it is helpful.

So while I sit here and ponder what the next step is for my daughter and my family, I will sit here and think of those kids at the evacuation shelters. But my toys and my playfulness will be focused on the things many of us here love so much. JDM clubs. I've already got a list of items I want and to me its no better time to start getting them and in turn helping a country that means so much to me in so many ways.

[supo]

here what the british embassy issued last nigth .......,

might help with "real " issues not CNN and skys absoutely fkkn horendous scare mongering reporting

they shuid be banned for reporting fkkn idiots!!!!!!!

small rant but what they are saying to the world is pathetic!

\most of us have switched off cnn and in the office only bbc a is shown

real stuff on neucs.........,

The view and analysis of the British Embassy

The chief spokesman was Sir. John Beddington, Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government, and he was joined by a number of qualified nuclear experts based in the UK. Their assessment of the current situation in Japan is as follows:

* In case of a 'reasonable worst case scenario' (defined as total meltdown of one reactor with subsequent radioactive explosion) an exclusion zone of 30 miles (50km) would be the maximum required to avoid affecting peoples' health. Even in a worse situation (loss of two or more reactors) it is unlikely that the damage would be significantly more than that caused by the loss of a single reactor.

* The current 20km exclusion zone is appropriate for the levels of radiation/risk currently experienced, and if the pouring of sea water can be maintained, the likelihood of a major incident should be avoided. A further large quake with tsunami could lead to the suspension of the current cooling operations, leading to the above scenario.

* The bottom line is that these experts do not see there being a possibility of a health problem for residents in Tokyo. The radiation levels would need to be hundreds of times higher than current to cause the possibility for health issues, and that, in their opinion, is not going to happen (they were talking minimum levels affecting pregnant women and children - for normal adults the levels would need to be much higher still).

* The experts do not consider the wind direction to be material. They say Tokyo is too far away to be materially affected.

* If the pouring of water can be maintained the situation should be much improved after ten days, as the reactors' cores cool down.

* Information being provided by Japanese authorities is being independently monitored by a number of organizations and is deemed to be accurate, as far as measures of radioactivity levels are concerned.

* This is a very different situation from Chernobyl, where the reactor went into meltdown and the encasement, which exploded, was left to burn for weeks without any control. Even with Chernobyl, an exclusion zone of 30 miles would have been adequate to protect human health. The problem was that most people became sick from eating contaminated food, crops, milk and water in the region for years afterward, as no attempt was made to measure radioactivity levels in the food supply at that time or warn people of the dangers. The secrecy over the Chernobyl explosion is in contrast to the very public coverage of the Fukushima crisis.

* The Head of the British School asked if the school should remain closed. The answer was there is no need to close the school due to fears of radiation. There may well be other reasons - structural damage or possible new quakes, but the radiation fear is not supported by scientific measures, even for children.

* Regarding Iodine supplementation, the experts said this was only necessary for those who had inhaled quantities of radiation (those in the exclusion zone or workers on the site) or through consumption of contaminated food/water supplies. Long term consumption of iodine is, in any case, not healthy.

The discussion was surprisingly frank and to the point. The conclusion of the experts is that the damage caused by the earthquake and tsunami, as well as the subsequent aftershocks, was much more of an issue than the fear of radiation sickness from the nuclear plants.

[+TourSpecGolfer]

Yea CNN and Fox are painting a picture like there is an exodus leaving Tokyo, Everyone I know in Tokyo is reporting the opposite, schools are opening, shelves in the grocery stores are being restocked, factories and companies are opening up. I also know first hand because our products are shipping out daily now.

I watched solidad o'brien on CNN it's 10am and she's saying theres usually a huge line outside this restaurant and the streets are bare. Most restaurants aren't open at 10am

I watch anderson cooper say the U.S wouldn't stand for the side stepping and lack of detail in the answers of the JPN government. Cut scene, we have our own elected politicians doing the exact same thing.

Don't get me wrong its the most horrific tragedy in my lifetime but enough is enough with the sensationalizing and trying to hype up events for the sake of ratings.

[daamartin]

Yea CNN and Fox are painting a picture like there is an exodus leaving Tokyo, Everyone I know in Tokyo is reporting the opposite, schools are opening, shelves in the grocery stores are being restocked, factories and companies are opening up. I also know first hand because our products are shipping out daily now.

I watched solidad o'brien on CNN it's 10am and she's saying theres usually a huge line outside this restaurant and the streets are bare. Most restaurants aren't open at 10am

I watch anderson cooper say the U.S wouldn't stand for the side stepping and lack of detail in the answers of the JPN government. Cut scene, we have our own elected politicians doing the exact same thing.

Don't get me wrong its the most horrific tragedy in my lifetime but enough is enough with the sensationalizing and trying to hype up events for the sake of ratings.

Agree totally Chris, true evidenced-based reporting is very hard to find these days....

[Shambles]

Agree totally Chris, true evidenced-based reporting is very hard to find these days....

Not necessarily for all but world wide 24 hour reporting has pressed the available budgets of the enormously enlarged news organizations.

Fox, on the other hand, only makes the most shallow attempt at being a news organization. It is an opinion channel that makes a conscious attempt to appeal to the lowest common denominator. It's not even really an organizations of opinions as the commentators repeat each other the whole day long.

Watch one minuit of Fox and you have the whole day.

Shambles

Edited March 17, 2011 by Shambles

[Blader-X]

Completely agree with everyone above. In my situation, my daughter's school is still open though they (the school) have decided to only be open for half the day. There is one week left and my daughter is staying. She doesn't want to leave, her grandparents feel good about things as they've more than enough food and really life is going on there as it always has. For my wife and I being here on the other side of the Pacific the decision is agonizing and the news doesn't really help. In fact its blogs like this and others that my wife goes on that help us get real info about the goings on over there. The other part of it too is that the school my daughter is going to really went a long way to allowing my daughter to attend for the last few months. We feel we have a commitment to see it through and while yes it may be scary, there really are no guarantees whereever you go in life. Disasters happen and they happen everywhere and at anytime. All one can really do is live life to the fullest and have no regrets. Just prepare, make exit plans for if things go wrong and then just do you best and live with a strong spirit.

My thank yous to everyone here at this site who has posted all info, thoughts, feelings and well wishes. Its times like this that can really bring strangers from all over the globe closer to one another.

[ant]

in addition to what TourSpecGolfer has said on the status of different manufacturers in Japan i just wanna add that Royal Collection seems to be operating as normal as well. just got an update that my RC order, placed just before disaster struck, has been shipped. dunno where are they based tho but here you go.

[supo]

Well im back in Jp, aprehensive at first when we landed this am, heard another big shake occured yesyerday and another tsunami warning was issued and that the water in fukushima is and i quote ten million timesover accpetable........., no mention it was in the reactor seriouly

WHAT A LOAD OF S.....T!

Its perfectly ok here in tokyo, everyone is fine and the new shake want felt in tokyo if at all.

Ive turned off the foreign run info services and if i ever meet a reporter form one of the american news wires theybetter start running bec they are nothing more than scaremongering vultures, absolute rubbish reporting!

Not one guy over here that stayed had anything bad to report the news tells it like tokyo is "on the brink"

the worst news is my favourite course in ibaraki old orchard is beat up and wont be playable for a month the ground cracked open ShEEEESh....!

Us tokyoites are fine and dandy and i shud have come back days ago.

Sure ur restricted to 2 bottles of water at a timebut all the lights are on and tokyo is hummingall be it somewhat more dimmer , everyone is so good about energy conservation

and going about thier lives as normal i dont know whatplanet thise morons are on that are reporting but it isnt here, if id had the facts i would have been back ages ago.

Helps when ur wifes brothrr makes x-ray machines for a job and he sends u an email stating the facts!!!!!!

The north is in trouble and its still cold up therr but its sakura season right now and its absolutely beautiful in the. cApital as we speak.

Lord knoews the.north needs our help the tokyo ice hockey team drove up to sendia last weekend with3 lories of supplies for the people always rely on the canadians when it gets tough.

The country is rebuilding as we speak and e veryone believes they will fix that. Bloody leak!

Cmon japan!!!!!

Edited March 29, 2011 by supo67

[Eca]

This is very pleasing to hear rather than the doom & gloom from the world news. It's exact same type of reporting that stopped me from visiting my hometown for 25 years and when i finally braved it, i felt so relieved and at the same time felt such an idiot.

[gocchin]

Welcome back Stew!

I of course as everyone knows did not leave and I am glad I didn't as there was no need to.

Things are very normal here these days and even TV is back to normal in other word not the round the clock reporting on quakes and shakes and radiation.

Back to normal programming.

Of course this does not mean that anyone has forgotten what has happened or people aren't still suffering from the disaster.

It is just not as bad now as many overseas news outlets seem to report ie Tokyo is a ghost town, all the foreigners have left (only one I personally knew who left is Stew (^_^))

Yes CNN repoorted a 6.3 quake just a couple of hours earlier, we felt nothing here.

6+ are normal here in Japan and always have been!

I'm glad you are back Stew but yeah you should have come back earlier. (^_^)

[ant]

unfortunately its not just the news who are cashing in to fill their non stop 24 hour programming. politicians are cashing in as well. its disgusting to watch people try to turn somebody else crisis and tragedy into their own advantage going witch hunting on nuclear energy. what a bunch of hypocrites. sorry, nothing to do with golf or jdm gear so not a good place to vent but its very frustrating to see all that going on. i hope more people will hear sane voices telling how it is directly from Japan even if it comes up on a golf related forums.