Home » Travel & Places » East Asia Countries » Japan

Impressions of Japan: Supporting Rocketmoms for Japan

18 Comments
- Post your "Save the …
- Please leave a messa…

28 Like

Like 28

Pin It

Ranked #10,944 in Travel & Places, #273,968 overall | Donates to Save the Children

In Support of Aid for Japan

Like many people I watched in horror at the devastation of earthquake, tsumani and after shocks that are affecting Japan right now. So it was with enthusism I answered Bonnie of RocketMoms' appeal for us to dedicate a lens to support the charity Save the Children who will be heavily involved in the aid efforts. All proceeds from the lenses made by us will be donated to Save the Children and many of us are changing existing charity support to Save the Children.

For me this is slightly personal. I lived in Osaka, Japan from April 1984 - September 1984 and for the first time in my life experienced what it was like to live through an earthquake. There were constant small tremors you could feel all the time. My bed in the hotel was right over one of the supporting rollers that allow buildings in Japan to move with earth-movement, so I would be quite off hand about reporting each tiny one each morning. However, I did experience a couple of earthquakes that registered 4 on the richter scale and those were terrifying. I cannot imagine what the ones on Firday felt like to say nothing of the horror of 30 foot high waves first washing in land then carrying so much out again to sea.

I have always planned to write about my experiences in Japan and now is the perfect time to be motivated. I plan a series of pages all taken from letters I wrote to family and friends while I was there illustrated with some of my photos.

For now though, I want to start with my first impressions of Japan and with my account of an earthquake I experienced there.

Please give what you can to support the people of Japan.

[Image: Osaka Castle - all photographs used here are by me and have been scanned into the computer from the 1984 originals - ain't technology wonderful? ]

Every penny counts

Save the Children is the leading independent organization creating lasting change in the lives of children in need in the United States and around the world. Recognized for our commitment to accountability, innovation and collaboration, our work takes us

Letters from Japan: First Impressions

My first letter from Japan in April 1984

My dear ...

Well here we are in Japan: jet-lagged and haggard but in one piece. There is so much to tell you, it is hard to know where to start so I will just jump in.

Japan is a strange and exciting country - and my first introduction to that was the journey to get here. Travelling from London to Anchorage we actually flew back in time, arriving one and a half hours before we took off - if you get my meaning. That first flight was over seven hours long. Leaving Alaska, we crossed the international date-line, several time zones and arrived in Tokyo eight hours ahead of ourselves - well eight hours ahead of GMT anyway. To make it seem even stranger, all this flight time was in daylight, over twenty-three hours of it. It was something of a relief to fly the last leg from Tokyo to Osaka in darkness.

My first impression of Osaka is of pulsating life - literally. All the buildings are high so you feel quite small amid it all. Driving down wide boulevards I caught tantalising glimpses of narrow streets filled with activity (this very late at night). Neon lights marked eating houses, clubs and bars by the hundreds. Flashing neon displays advertise just about every conceivable commodity and activity from Piano Bars to Health Clubs to Cola. Shops are open late, in fact they never seem to close as far as I can see. There are many modern shopping centres and they all seemed crowded. The tall buildings disappear into the night sky and people surge in and out of doorways like great waves of humanity. It is a city vibrant and alive, another city that never sleeps.

Even after twenty-eight hours of travel we couldn't wait to become part of it, although I confess, for the first time ever in all our travels, I am experiencing culture shock. Nothing is in English: you can't even recognise signs for toilets or exits or banks. It will take some getting used to. Fortunately, the many, many resteraunts all have photos of each dish on the menus which is just as well.

The inherent courtesy and politeness of the Japanese people was evident from the start. Courtesy is inbred. Taxi drivers are honest and don't expect a tip. In fact no-one in Japan does: for many it would be an insult since good service is the order of the day. I suspect some of the younger generation would like to see that change though.

I feel almost overwhelmed by bowing, smiling people: immaculately dressed young women bow and press the button for the elevator for you; there is always someone to open a door and to carry bags and luggage. The cynic in me does wonder how genuine it all is but it costs nothing to return the courtesies.

Our hotel, Hotel Nikko, is like most of the hotels here, large, modern and very comfortable. Osaka is a commercial center and caters for business-men world wide - a demanding market I am told. The hotel was only built last year and is immaculate. Our room (one of 655), is large and airy with ensuite, coloured TV (with language preference!), radio and telephone. Unfortunately nowhere to make some tea but there is a small fridge and mini bar. The attention to detail is making us feel very welcome. For example, we are each supplied with a comfortable, fresh yakata, a cotton robe like a kimono. Even Derek is using one. The bathrooms are completely supplied so it has been easy to settle in.

We travelled out with a BP visitor and were met at Osaka airport by Joe, you remember him from Norway, so we had company for our first meal in Osaka. There is certainly no shortage of places to eat. This hotel alone has nine resteraunts. Every possible taste is catered for, and some you never imagined. There is an obvious American influence with do-nut houses, grills, steak houses and, of course, MacDonalds, ( the increased protein intake from Big Macs is being blamed for the increasing height of young Japanese). Every other nations cuisine also seems to be represented so we won't starve.

I gather there is a whole other city underneath this one. It consists of complete shopping arcades with fountains, gardens and everything else you could possibly need. Not that I have explored any of that yet, I am having a hard enough time adjusting to what is above ground. Every where is spotlessly clean and everyone immaculately dressed, not a single pair of jeans seen so far. Joe tells me they have the best dressed drinkers in the world.

Going back a bit, on the journey down from Tokyo it was pretty obvious that the land near the coast is fairly flat while the interior is very mountainous, high verdant mountains that reminded of Scotland in places. From the air you see tiny patchwork fields and huge swathes of urbanisation. Coming into Osaka, it is HUGE and I mean huge. In fact it is hard to separate different towns, they all blend into each other. I believe there is something like eight and a half million permanent residents in an area roughly only twelves miles wide but sixty miles long.

I'm getting a bit disjointed so I'll leave it there for now sending you lots of love until next time.

[Image: view from our bedroom window]

Japanese Yakata

Simple cotton robe

Comfortable cotton robe in a kimono style.

Kimono Yukata, XLarge Size #K294L

Amazon Price: $79.00 (as of 06/02/2012)

This is so comfortable to wear, you never want to take it off.
Other sizes available.

Rocket Moms for Japan

The inspiration

All proceeds from this lens go to
Save the Children

Books about Japan

Save the Children

Every book purchased through this link will benefit the Save the Children appeal

On my First Earthquake

Extract from a letter from Japan

... Derek has had to take a Norwegian party down to the yard on the southern island so I'm on my own for a while. I didn't think I minded until we had an earthquake this morning.

I believe it registered about 4 on the reichter scale, not a huge one, but it was pretty scary. I'm not sure I can explain what it was like. You desperately want to hold onto something to steady yourself but there IS nothing to hold onto. Everything is in constant movement, you can't even get any relief by lying on the floor since it is heaving. I remembered my drill and got into the doorway of the bathroom, they tell me that is where you have most shelter if anything comes down.

They say there isn't much danger in these modern buildings. They are built on rollers so they roll and flex with the movements, nevertheless, I expected the whole thing to come tumbling down on my head. I really wanted to pick up the phone and ask how long this was likely to last, but how much sense did that make? No one would know and I'm sure the last thing the hotel staff needed was for a hysterical Scottish woman to be bothering them.

[Image: a typical Osaka street - a really quiet one though!]
The after shocks went on for about an hour afterwards and most people just seemed to take it in their stride. I'm getting used to the little ones that go on all the time, but this was something completely different. The Japanese probably have the best building technology for earthquakes so most modern buildings can withstand pretty intense quakes. I did hear that the reason for paper walls in the traditional Japanese houses was linked to the ease of rebuilding and of course how much less damage paper does than brick when it falls down. It's hard to know how much is true of the things we hear...

Windchimes on Amazon

Save the Children

One of the things I loved in Japan were the windchimes.
Every purchase made through this link goes to Save the Children

Children's Memorial Hiroshima

Decorated with tradtional paper chains

This photograph shows the memorial to dead children in the Peace Park at Hiroshima, commenorating children killed by the automic bombs and those later born with defects or with fatal illnesses as a result of the radiation.
It seemed appropriate that I include this image here.

Please help by promoting this web page

Bookmark

Add this to your lens »

Japan Earthquake Appeal

Japan Tee

My Heart Is In Japan Disaster Relief T-shirt by enchantfancy
Create a customized tee shirt at zazzle

Support the children of Japan

Please give what you can

All money made from this lens goes to
Save the Children

Japanese Music

Save the Children

Every purchase made through this connection will benefit the Save the Children appeal

Impressions of Japan: Supporting Rocketmoms for Japan

In Support of Aid for Japan

Contents at a Glance

Contents at a Glance

Supporting the Children of Japan

Every penny counts

Letters from Japan: First Impressions

My first letter from Japan in April 1984

Japanese Yakata

Simple cotton robe

Rocket Moms for Japan

The inspiration

Books about Japan

Save the Children

On my First Earthquake

Extract from a letter from Japan

Windchimes on Amazon

Save the Children

Children's Memorial Hiroshima

Decorated with tradtional paper chains

Please help by promoting this web page

Bookmark

Japan Earthquake Appeal

Japan Tee

Support the children of Japan

Please give what you can

Japanese Music

Save the Children

Post your "Save the Children" lenses here.

100% of the royalties from these lenses support the Save the Children charity.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

50