So, I'm enjoying the balmy first days of Spring in Tokyo, whereas two weeks ago I was sliding, knee deep in snow just two hours from here (managed to keep my feet if not my dignity). And then two days ago in central Tokyo the snow caught up with me, the temperatures having dropped to the lowest for many a moon. There was the fun of comparing snow depths around the area, a friend winning with 30cm, mine had been a more modest 18cm. And then another friend, in the throws of making a short movie in Niigata, north west Japan, extinguished all bonfires with a whopping two meters.

But as I say, we're now 24C and I may be able to switch off the yukadambo (under-floor heating) until next winter. With the extraordinary help of a good friend, my car is now re-certified (shaken) and instead of costing JPY1.4m as per the dealer, it only set me back ~JPY65k (that's roughly the difference between USD10k and USD500, if you were wondering) (and thank you, without you I'd be wondering lost around the testing station in downtown Shinagawa).

Hay fever season has kicked in in the Tokyo Metropole, although I'm lucky and don't suffer too badly, there are a lot of exploding people around me as I walk into town (I like to walk and when I say "town" I'm referring to the center of one of the largest cities on Planet Earth. Nice walk though. Flu season seems to have passed, it was mild this year but a few friends were laid low for a week or so (I acquired Swine Flu a few years back and that one knocked me sideways). And now waiting for hay-fever to subside, before the next round in May, we're coming to Hanami Season when the entire country sits under the Cherry Blossom, drinking beer and contemplating the world going by. Could be worse.

The Winding Streets of Shibuya

Shibuya is a district in central Tokyo famous for the "crazy crossing" and the statue of "Hachiko, The Dog" both stories I've covered elsewhere in TenguLife and you can look them up if you'd like to know more. It's also now home to an alleyway of a multitude of bars starting with the first one being Okinawa themed and finishing at the far end with the final chapter providing Hokkaido delicacies (you may need a map to figure out why if it's not obvious). And that's where I was last night though "delicacy" would be a little bit of a stretch but Anthony Bourdain style, try the food and meet the people.  

Life starts around 11.30am and sitting outside you're just in time to catch the sun and a slew of people carrying luggage from Shibuya Station to their hotels (this tide reverses by mid-afternoon). It used to be a pretty seedy carpark with a mud pile on the roof where the homeless slept, built in for the 1964 Olympics, over a local river. But it's now a fairly cool shopping plaza with a roof garden that breaks all regulations but no one really seems to mind.

And so last night saw me thirty minutes early, iPhone just incase my friends called and a copy of "Slaughter House 5" to keep me entertained. One of the great things about Japan is you can just sit and watch the world go by. The manager knows me though doesn't speak a word of English and my Japanese wouldn't hurt to be a little better, but we've built a friendship over the last couple of years. So if you see a westerner sitting by himself, reading a book, that's probably me. Feel free to say hello.

We didn't all come out alive

Some days go better than others. As we all know. No sleep last night and as I was dozing off at dawn I'd promised to wake my wife at 7.00 so had to stay awake. Wife up and out of the house but by now I'm wide awake and no chance of sleep again. And walking to the local store (they're everywhere in Tokyo, we have four within five minutes walk), wasn't watching what I was doing and tripped. Flat on the face. Not great.

Problem being I now have a video conference at 11.00am, running a mild fever, bumped up and banged around I managed to get through that and then I really, really wanted some sleep. But managed to do some UK admin specialised for residents of Japan. Except for time zone... And as I put my head down my FB Messenger started to ping. Of course it did. But getting up to check I received a sad message. A guy I recruited nearly thirty years ago had passed away.

He was a good man, willing to tell me when I was wrong, something rare here. He had a view and could communicate it without leaving people upset but very clear of the message. In Japan you rarely tell your boss he's wrong, but this guys had the bravery and honesty to do so. And so I respected him and we grew to be friends. And now I'm going to miss him.  

Tokyo - 25 Years Later

There's something of a golden rule in Tokyo "only ever do three things in one day". I may have mentioned this before but it runs pretty true and is a good guide to not breaking down along with the world around you. Unfortunately, I'm not aware of one that refines to how many activities are a good idea in a week, or even four. And excluding a number of other mornings, the last few weeks would really benefit from something of a guiding light. It's been an interesting interlude.

Kick off related to an old friend arriving with four others I last saw at his wedding some twenty five plus years ago. It was a genuine pleasure to see them after a beach in Hawaii in the heady days of 1996. For a couple of them it was their first trip to Tokyo, so naturally, when then end of the evening arrived, we hit the karaoke. I sing like a donkey but turns out two of the ladies had beautiful voices. We also managed to (legally!) source something for one of the guys collection (he didn't have a Japanese one). And they had a wonderful time. Especially when I told them my "looking after Tom Brady in Tokyo" story...

And the following day it was the turn of another family of friends that I probably hadn't see for another twenty years visiting from overseas. The two boys, now teenagers, who I was meeting for the first time, were great, one a dog whisperer and the other an academic. The interesting issue was with both sets of friends, we didn't reminisce on old times, we chatted, laughed and talked about the future. The only history recounted was swimming with turtles off the shores of Maui and trying to call a friend after I'd dropped his phone into a pint of beer. Seemed like a good idea at the time but apparently HR weren't too pleased...

My Life in Japan - U2, the Morphing of a Nation

I quite often hear the phrase "Japan never changes" however given it is the only country in history to completely eradicate the gun (they're let few back in now before you say it), Samurai no longer practice sword skills on the occasional unlucky passing peasant and voyagers are allowed on their way without being crucified, this is something of a stretch. Japan has changed significantly, and that includes the modern iteration as much as anything in past history. So, in reality, Japan is actually in a constant state of flux, and when you look closely, you can see these morphisms in action.

In 1994 U2 came to town, playing at the Tokyo Dome (a baseball stadium with, it has to be said, the acoustics of a baseball stadium but, at something around 55,000 seats, the largest gig in town). I'd been extorted for many years by friends from Europe and the US that it was going to be the best show of my life. And it sucked. I mean sucked in biblical proportions. The band could feel it too and as the final video of Lou Reed singing "Satellite of Love" arose across the screen, they walked off. No encore, no "thank you Tokoyo" no "goodnight", nothing. And for the next nearly twenty five years this one night remained the singularly worst show on earth to me.

Until 2019 that is, same band, same venue and pretty much the same set list. And it was one of the greatest shows I'd ever seen. And the difference, this time, was the crowd rather than the band, which could engage with the heaving masses, who loved the night and rocked with every tune they delivered. And there was an encore(!). Which the crowd loved. The main difference appeared to be, given all else remained essentially equal, Japan had changed. In this instance, a significant element of the crowd had never known the world without the inter-web and the global communication and exposure it carried with it. At the 1994 show the internet was barely spreading its wings. But Japan embraced it with a fervor in the years to come and, as a result, the people changed. And all it took was U2 to make me realize just how much. I wonder, it has to be said, just what's to come...

My Life in Japan - Tell them we said "Sayonara"

In 1954 James A Michener published a book by the name of "Sayonara". It tells the story of a US Air Force Captain in the Korean War, stationed at Itami, the main military base near Osaka in western Japan. Itami per chance, is also close to the city of Takarazuka, home to the famous (still) Takarazuka Review, a theatre company renown for all the roles being played by (very beautiful) young women. And, within the story, it is only a matter time before the Captain is introduced, through a mutual friend, to the lead dancer of the review. This could have been the end of a beautiful story, except she spoke no English and he, no Japanese. And of course, in those days, inter-racial relationships were deeply frowned upon by the military...

I've simplified this telling, all beyond recognition, however one aspect of the story is something still prevalent today, the belief that you need to speak a common language to make a relationship work. Reality though, has a differing view point, when you find "that" person and you know you should be by their side for the rest of your life, "you figure it out". And somehow they figured it out. [An aside, if you do read "Sayonara" you'll find a world that I haven't included from both a Western and a Japanese perspective. And although elements remain, you realise Japan and the rest of the world are changing but that is for another day.]

I met my wife ~8.00pm, December 17th, 1993 (husbands get very nervous when I answer that at a dinner party). I was with friends in a bar that no longer exists (the building itself has long since departed this mortal coil) in Nishiazabu, central Tokyo. It wasn't an exciting night, that is, until the most beautiful girl in the world walked in. My two friend were having an argument and stormed outside to continue (sticking me with their check I might add) and I was left with the girl. And she spoke no English, and I, close to no Japanese (some things don't change...). You have to remember these were in the days before internet, texting, Line, mobile phones, basically anyway to communicate except payphone. But somehow we figured it out. And more than thirty years later, she's sitting next to me reading a book as I complete this post. Sayonara.

The Big One. What'll it be Like and What to do!

Having been through March 11, 2011 M9.1 earthquake and missing the Kobe event of 1995 by weeks but having friends who were directly impacted and gave me feedback, the Nankai quake recently was a  reminder that a little preparation goes a long way. I hope you find this useful, especially for those new to Japan, and feel absolutely free to ask any questions!

 

The Emergency Medical Number is 119

 

First things first: Take a deep breath! Your Earthquake alarm will have made you jump!

 

So what will happen in the event of a major earthquake?

 

1    The ground around you will shake (a lot) and you will have difficulty standing and                             furniture will fall;
2       Mobile phone services will be unavailable within a few minutes of the quake (internet based communication may still work: Skype, FB Call, Line Call, What’sApp Call etc);
3       Traffic will be log-jammed with in a few minutes. If you’re on the highway they may not allow you to exit, train stations will not allow you to exit either until the external facades are declared safe;
4       Hotels will fill quickly and you may have to share a room with a stranger or sleep in the lobby etc;
5       Trains will stop until tracks have been confirmed safe (possibly next day);
6       There may be tsunami; coast lines and river valleys will see the main effect; 
7       There will be aftershocks and these may continue for several weeks, but they will eventually fade. You'll find after a time you become used to these and may start to video the impact.

 

 

Home Preparation

 

1       Prepare your house / apartment and relocate anything over the bed such as heavy pictures, re-arrange furniture so it will fall away from you, avoid placing any glass on the route between bedrooms and the front door;

2       Identify safety zones in the house especially for the kids to move to quickly;

3       Prepare an earthquake bag including water, rain-poncho, some clothing, a stack of 10 yen coins as pay phones will probably still work funnily enough, yen notes, pet supplies, wind-up radio;

4       Check the school evacuation policy, (do you pick the kids up, are they released to come home on their own, is it ok for a friend to pick them up?); 

5       Know where your gas meter is. In a severe earthquake there’s a safety trip which will cut the gas automatically. The reset button is the small red one next to the meter, press it and you'll have hot water again;

6       InterFM will probably be broadcasting updates in English; (Tokyo 89.7; Yokohama 86.5)

7       Ensure you have an Earthquake alarm on your phone, there’s a lot you can do with a few seconds warning, you’d be surprised;

8       If you live, or are vacationing near the coast, know your route to high ground and run (remember high ground includes tall buildings not just hill sides);

 

Office Preparation

 

1       Act quickly;

2       Try to stay in the office unless there’s a concern the building is no longer safe. FYI        the highest concern is falling glass and building fascades;

3       Keep a pair of comfortable shoes under your desk. Walking home in heels or leather soled shoes will become painful very quickly;

4       IT: Create an email account that includes all staff including temps, you may need to send “All Staff" communications over the next few days

5    If senior level, your teams will be watching for guidance. They’ll need your reassurance;

6       Know the route how to walk home, if you always travel by Metro, you may not know;

7       The first items to go in Combini will be battery powered phone chargers, good idea to keep one in your desk draw; Next will be bottled water, buy what you think you need, the next person may also need some;

8       And finally, to paraphrase FDR (and The West Wing): When your neighbour's house is on fire, you lend them your bucket. Help where you safely can.

 

If you have any additional thoughts, please leave in the comments below: