Another Earthquake

I don't want to write about these anymore. They're depressing. But I'll uphold my duty and write about it because otherwise who knows what will appear overseas. Plus, this is a sort of catalogue of my time in Japan, so I should at least catalogue correctly I suppose. Another earthquake just hit Japan. The Japanese news says that it was a 6, about 74 miles from Fukushima. Reuters says it was a 7.4 at the epicenter. There's a tsunami warning, but it looks like it's only around .5 m in the Tokyo and Touhoku areas. Near the reactor though it's closer to 2 m. No worries. Obviously, I still remain nothing of an expert on the topic of earthquakes and tsunami prevention, but the Fukushima Daiichi Plant is on a hill. So things should be ok. I was skyping Tai when it hit. The camera was shaking pretty bad in Tokyo where it registered at a 3, but otherwise it seems like things are ok. The only worry is that it really was a long earthquake. Like it seemed like it went on for a couple minutes. I don't know what's the earthquakes here recently, but the earth should never shake for a couple minutes, get stronger, and then weaken in strength. It's just wild.

Don't be worried though. To be honest, we expected this. The chance of us having another M7 earthquake this month was about 50% or so.

Is there any other news? I'm not sure. It's almost 1 am and I'm exhausted.

Japan is trying to get back on its feet, but these earthquakes are making it more difficult. I urge everyone to continue to donate in order to help those affected.

Still felt nothing in Kyoto. Everything continues to be safe here. Though I almost wish that it would hit here rather than continuing to hit those who are already affected and struggling to return to normal.

Miami apparently cancelled their trip to Japan. They do something called PacRim every year where they go to China, Korea, Japan, but they're not coming to Japan this summer. It's normally only a week that they spend here but it's a shame. In order to fully appreciate the business world, especially in this region, one needs to understand how Japan influences and is influenced by the surrounding countries. They still continue to support us who are studying abroad. No problems there. I understand they don't want to necessarily assure the safety of a large group in an area which has had so many natural disasters recently, but it's a shame. Japan is being hurt by the lack of tourists. Normally, Kyoto would be teeming with tourists who want to see the cherry blossoms. But there are significantly less than normal. Sure it makes the commutes easier, but it's depressing in a sort of way. Japan needs the tourism in order to boost its economy. But taking care of tourists right night would also be a mess. So who knows what the right decision is.

Is my English bad right now? I feel like it is. My grandpa just skyped me and I swear I almost spoke to him in Japanese...That's amazing honestly because my Japanese speaking continues to be at the top of the lousy scale.

Had classes today. It was nice to start class again, but more on that in another post. I'm going to class again tomorrow. Luckily they don't start till later (round 4). Sure the current earthquake will be the topic of conversation there. If you have questions, comment in the posts. I'll do my best to answer them and prevent more unfounded panic. More soon.

Michelle

Of the Loan

So I really don't want to focus on the nuclear situation this post, but I'll mention it just to keep you all updated. It definitely looks like this will be a process of months to get this plant under control in Fukushima. To try to find all the leak, TEPCO resorted to using bath salts the other day to produce a milky color in the water that could then be traced. The superabsorbent polymer method did not work. I'm not sure when things will be under control. I have a quick revision to my last post. I had mentioned that three mega-banks were going to give a loan to TEPCO. This loan is extremely risky, even for them. The amount that they're loaning is equal to their consolidated net profit. This was actually in that NIKKEI article, but I had to learn the word 匹敵する(hitteki suru) first.

Radiation levels in the ocean have risen significantly. Fish must now be checked in order to be sold.

I attended the Ritsumeikan Entrance Ceremony yesterday. The first half was full of serious speeches. The second was more light-hearted with music, interviews, and club recruiting. It was interesting. I managed to get a high-five from one of the football players.

I also went to 花見 (hanami), flower-viewing, tonight. The cherry blossoms 桜 (sakura) are blooming, so it's really beautiful. It was nice to just spend time with friends, make new friends, and for a little bit just appreciate the beauty around us. It's a stark contrast with the news that we're being surrounded with every day. On campus, the main topic is still the earthquake and what we can do to help. Everyone is checking on their friends, making sure they're ok. What we're finding is that often our friends our ok, but their families and homes are not. However, order remains. And the most common phrase you'll here now is 無事でよかった (buji de yokatta), I'm glad that you're safe.

I have to go to class tomorrow to figure out my classes. The semester starts Thursday.

I'm off now to get some sleep and prepare for a new day. Everyone take care!

Michelle