Shaking on the Inside

A week on from the largest earthquake on record to ever hit Japan and we Tokyo expats are trying to move on but our family, friends and acquaintances back home are more frightened than we are. Believe me, the rumors of our demise by way of nuclear holocaust have been greatly exaggerated, but boy does it make riveting reading -- which is the point.

Things have largely gotten back to normal. Supermarkets are restocked with almost everything but certain bread items and milk, although some are still hoarding toilet paper, tissues and feminine hygiene products for no good reason.

I've spent the last couple of days speaking with my parents and relatives in a bid to reassure them that what they're hearing overseas is bullshit. The fear-mongering going on overseas is so far removed from the reality on the ground that I feel myself shaking with frustration on the inside.

If you see pictures of Tokyoites wearing face masks, please understand that this is a common occurrence during the hay fever season and not us shielding ourselves from the coming nuclear apocalypse. Similarly, transportation (by rail, automobile and air) is routinely crowded, and is not indicative of a mass exodus. For the most part, we are dealing with a few inconveniences (which are nothing compared to the hardships being suffered by those in the affected Tohoku region) while we monitor up to date information from the government on their progress cooling the nuclear reactors.

Edit: This is my lovely wife relaxing on our sofa on Saturday afternoon.