#A crosspost with the Cycle Tokyo! Blog

• National Police Agency : Countermeasures for 2011 Tohoku district - off the Pacific Ocean Earthquake - http://www.npa.go.jp/archive/keibi/biki/index_e.htm

The death toll as of this writing has exceeded 11000. It is expected to rise even more, as the aftermath becomes more and more open.

Though the living environement for the people in shelters are very very slowly becoming better, the speed is not enough at all. With the cold front refusing to move away from northeast Japan, people are freezing in cold shelters without heat, and some freezing to death. It is the most saddest to hear people suriviving the earthquake and tsunami, but not making it through the days of evacuation.
The police, fire departmant, self defense force, all medical teams work frantically at the sites to assist the victims, sometimes in worse conditions than the evacuees. They all share the same strong feeling to save the vicims, to save Tohoku, and save Japan. Nothing but respect.

The damage at the Fukushima Neuclear Plant is still far from relief. TEPCO is now saying that there is possible damage to the reactor pressure containers leading to leakage of water contaminated by high radiation. There is stil a long way to go until this neuclear crisiscan see an end.

Entering the third week after the quake, mental care is becoming more important. PTSD...Post Traumatic Stress Disodrer is occuring not just in direct victims of he quake/tsunami, but we now hear that all Japanese even outside of the quakke area constantly in contact with the media reporting devastation are subject to this stress. Added to the news are the continuous after tremors and alarms which come day and night. Even TV announcers and reporters face this mental illness. Mental care is deeply in need.

With this said, Tokyo and the rest of Japan continues normal life.
Trains operate on special timetables and suburbs face rolling power outages due to the power shortage. Night is quiet, and stores are mistaken to be closed because they turn off their signs and the lights inside are half turned off. Some meaningless panic here and there, with mineral water, cup-o-noodles, and rice being sold out here and there. Lines to get cars fueled up.
However, that's about it....everything else is...normal, system-wise at least.
The country is still mentally in deep shock, and it will take some time to get over it. Continuing normal life is the best way to cope with this, and I think it is the duty of Tokyo and the rest of Japan to do so.

• Quake and blossoms: Japan's reminder of mortality - http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110327/ap_on_re_as/as_japan_earthquake_cherry_blossoms
• To rebuild or not? Japan's tsunami coast wonders - http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110327/ap_on_re_as/as_japan_earthquake_dying_coast
  
• Nuclear Crisis Continues, But Not for Caregivers in Japan's Shelters - http://globalspin.blogs.time.com/2011/03/27/nuclear-crisis-continues-but-not-for-caregivers-in-japan's-shelters/

Asahi Shinbun(newspaper) updates the earthquake news as frequently as possible on it's Facebook page :

• FaceBook Asahi Japan Watch (AJW) Page - http://www.facebook.com/AJW.Asahi

Northeast Japan has been hit with a big earthquake on 14:46pm, March 11.
Tokyo had a big shake as well, but the situation is not as bad as the Tohoku area.
Though most of the railway system had stopped on the 11th, public transportations is currently operating normally in Tokyo.

However, the goverment expects that there will be a 70% chance that we will have another earthquake of M7 class in next 3days, which we wil have to prepare for.

Also, due to the shortage of electricity across eastern Japan, there will be a scheduled outage of electrcity in the Kanto area. Railways will be running fewer trains to deal with this situation, so train schedules will be drastically changed. Keep aware.

We and our family are OK.

A big earthquake hit northeast Japan on 3/11 2:46 pm
The earthquake hit Tokyo as well, not as hard as the Sendai/Aomori area, but very strong.
Northeast Japan has been hit really hard with this earthquake and Tsunami, devastating.

All trains have completely stopped yesterday night, at evening rush hour.
I walked 15 miles home...

The Pacific rim may be in an active state, with earthquakes in NZ, Japan, and volcano becoming active in Hawaii.