[Regular Speculist readers know THE JAB as an occasional commenter on the site and chatroom participant on FastForward Radio. THE JAB currently resides in Tokyo and here provides his account of the past couple of weeks. The role that technology plays is really quite remarkable.]
Hi Phil,
We’ve had light conversation in the past and as I am in Tokyo I wanted to give you my experiences being in a catastrophe in one of the most futuristic cities in the world.
I’ll save from extolling the virtues of the Japanese people who are stoic and incredible in the face of the disaster. There is no panic here, apart from foreigners getting aggitated calls from home urging them to leave. Many have now.
I’ll also refrain from the HOW COOL IS JAPANESE ENGINEERING!!!! thoughts saturating my brain. But as I listen to the show all the time I just wanted to write to you guys to give you an insight to the way that my technology has reduced this time from catastrophe to minor inconvenience.
I’ll try to do this chronologically (i’m not a writer so bare with me).
When Fridays quake hit here, It was exactly the same as being on a large ship in very rough seas. It was impossible to stay standing unless holding a doorframe. I couldn’t believe the building was still standing, let alone unphased, but this was true for all buildings in Tokyo. Electricity, internet, water and gas in the metropolis were unaffected and
believe me: This was a hell of a quake in Tokyo.
Within about 30 seconds after I had a torch, passport, penknife, iphone in my jacket pocket and was out the front door. I was out on the street when the second quake
hit a few minutes later.
All trains in Tokyo stopped seconds before quake hit so many of those people who had been on trains we walking around in eerie silence.
All mobile communication went down and it was impossible to call or message people. This remained the situation for the rest of the day and night. I think this was mostly overload on the services.
Back at the house (after 30 mins) we watched tv in horror as the waves took out town after town up north.Later that night after dark we walked around Ikebukuro (the closest city/town), as we are central and many people were walking from one side of Tokyo to the other,
the streets were crowded. Huge queues of people were waiting for buses and hard-line phone booths.
I felt a little guity walking past them SKYPING IRELAND. I found out later that the mobile phone companies had all opened their wifi zones for free. But the paid phone net
was also working fine.
Back home again FaceBook became an amazing and necessary hub. Within minutes of logging in I literally knew the locations 90%+ of my friends (And their state of mind).
I think over the last few days I have received or sent over 2000 messages. Although there were a lot of panic posts and concern it was actually possible to calm people, and be calmed. Certainly this would not have been possible a few years ago. Gallow humour abounded too. But that was very necessary.
I think SKYPE helped a lot in the hours after the quake and FACEBOOK was most useful after. Google also within hours has a page dedicated to Gaijin like myself who’s Japanese
needs a little improving.
I was on SKYPE to foreign countries on my phone while walking past 200 people queues for phone booths.
Facebook allowed me to know where and how most of my friend’s were.
Google had a page up for Gaijin who’s Japanese isn’t fluent. HOWEVER, in shops I was able to use JIbbigo and google translate to ask questions and understand answers in realtime.
On facebook I had conversations with people in at least a dozen languages (using google translate).
There have been many quakes since but I get NOTIFICATIONS on my iphone 10-20 seconds in advance with apps.
As the country hasn’t stopped moving in 4 days most people have a little motion sickness. I can check the wobble with Seismographs ON MY IPHONE4.
I get nhk english newsfeeds to the phone as they don’t sensationalize and interview scientists and nobel lauriates for their opinions (which quickly set your mind at ease)
Not like Reuters which for a whole day went with the headline NUCLEAR REACTOR EXPLODES, 2000 BODIES RECOVERED. Which was actually 2 different stories.
(Don’t even talk to me about SKY & FOX)
Currently my girlfriend had to travel to her college (she’s doing a phd here) but I know where she is at any time within a few meters using GOOGLE LATITUDE on our phone. I also use skype to check my apartment after an aftershock (when I am out an about).
Can’t sing the praises of that little light on the iphone 4 enough either.
It needs to be said that most of the above would have been possible if we had lot all power. I can power my iphone with aa batteries and I can charge those batteries (I have a lot) fully in 15 minutes with my Uniross power charger.
Read the list above again. But as yourself, 5 years ago. (I think charging batteries is all I could have done).
Thanks Phil, This is a personal list. But my mind is blown, by the videos, information and pictures on the web.
JAB (Tokyo)
PS: Tokyo is running on about 30% electricity draw at the moment, unnecessary lights and ac are off, it’s a site to see I can tell you.
Thanks to Google: For apps, info and their emergency page.
Thanks to Skype: for skype and making all services free for Japan.
Thanks to Docomo, Softbank, and the others for the same.
Thanks to Facebook: For all the rest!
And thanks to Apple, for putting it all in my POCKET.
