Things are quiet in Tokyo this week. My family left on Saturday, and this Monday I started my regular commute to work (I was staying at their apartment while they were here, which was only a 10-15 minute walk away from the office). The Tokyo Metro seems to be running almost normally for the most part. However, the darkened areas (due to efforts to minimize electricity usage) of the underground are a reminder that things are not back to normal – and are not likely to be for a while yet.
Efforts to contain the damaged nuclear plants in Fukushima continue, though right now it seems to be progressing at a rate of 2 steps forward, one step back as the radiation dangers around the immediate area force workers to proceed with extreme caution. There’s a sense of helplessness (at least from my part) since there is really nothing the average person can do expect hope and pray that things will come under control soon. We in Tokyo are safe, but not far away are people putting their lives on the line.
This is probably old news for all Japanese readers, but still thought I’d post the English information pages on the possible power blackouts. Energy usage now is fairly stable and the power blackouts are minimal, but as the humid summer months come, people are expecting that electricity outages will resume again in the near future.
The Tokyo Electric Power Company site (English)
Google Crisis Response Blackout Information (English)
General advice from Yahoo on how to conserve power (English)
Metropolis documentation of Iodine-131 and Caesium-137 in Tokyo tap water
Spring is definitely on its way, and the weather is getting nicer every day. However, just about 250km away, people are struggling to contain a crisis that has the potential to impact not just Japan but the rest of the world. It’s rather surreal.
I’ve uploaded a couple of pictures I took of early spring buds while my family was here. It is odd to realize how much more I appreciate their beauty in times like these.
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