Personal report from Japan

[Helga Scow Stern]

from a friend of my son's, from last night. He asked us to spread the word.

Here is what Kotaro wrote--

It was really frightening. The northern part of Japan is really annihilated.
Especially, Miyagi Prefecture, Fukushima Prefecture, and Iwate Prefecture above from Gunma Prefecture where I live are nightmares.

A part of town has sunk under seawater. Shape in the map will change because the part in the land decreased.

The aftershock is terrible now.

The most frightening thing is the state of the nuclear plant in Fukushima Prefecture. It is a range where my town is influenced, too.

The storehouse of gasoline in Japan has blazed up greatly. There is little gasoline left in my town.

Japan above from the Kanto area where I live continues in a very dangerous state.

The power failure starts systematically today because the electric power is insufficient.

I'm thinking of running away to Osaka depending on the condition of the nuclear plants.

As for the northern part of Japan, the food scarcity, the shortage of water, and the blankets are insufficient. We need help.

The thing that I want you to do to help is to speak of the conditions surrounding Japan for a lot of people.
Japan is requesting people's all over the world cooperation.
Thank you very much!

[Hell Hath No Fury]

1. I will keep Kataro -

and the Japanese people in my thoughts. Their suffering is unimagnable. :(

[Helga Scow Stern]

4. Thank you. That might be the most we can do at this point. n/t

[Blue Owl]

2. Stay strong, Japan

I hope our President does everything possible to help your nation recover from this tragedy...

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Thank you for this report.

It is just heart-rending to read of the devastation...

[Helga Scow Stern]

5. And heart-warming to see and feel the support. n/t

[1776Forever]

6. From Japan Times: Train runs cut, store shelves empty, gas pumps dry

Commuters confused by outages
Train runs cut, store shelves empty, gas pumps dry as residents prepare for darkness
By JUN HONGO

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110315a4.html

Effects of Friday's earthquake-tsunami double-punch in the Tohoku region remained tangible Monday in Tokyo as commuters tried to get back to work but were faced with closed train lines, empty store shelves and looming electricity shutdowns...

Supply disruptions: An employee at an Eneos gas station in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, posts a sign Monday saying the station is sold out.

"I am trying to get to Ueno but I might have to walk from Asakusa," a woman in her 40s, who asked to remain anonymous, said at a bus station in Koto Ward. While in line an aftershock rattled light poles by the stop, which hit magnitude 6.2 at its epicenter off the coast of Ibaraki Prefecture. "I have no idea what is going on; everything seems to be falling apart," she said.

Later in the day some railways, including the Keikyu Line, opted to shut down all operations as well....

Meanwhile, those who rolled out their cars to get to work still faced serious traffic, in addition to being told at some gas stations that they were sold out.

........

I thought I would post this to reinforce the news. It is so heart wrenching to read these accounts but like your son's friend says we need to hear them so people can tell how bleak it is getting there.

[Lefta Dissenter]

7. oh my

my heart continues to be broken for them. :cry:

Thank you for sharing that with us.

[TomClash]

8. They should evacuate if they can nt

[aquart]

9. The hardest thing is getting supplies into devastated ports

and transported on washed away, broken roads. The help is coming as fast as we, the other nations of the world, can get it to them.

[Liberty Belle]

14. Why don't they do airdrops of supplies?

[AtheistCrusader]

21. Because we are busy elsewhere in the world.

[AtheistCrusader]

20. Well, if we weren't ass-deep in Afghanistan and Iraq, and eyeballing Libya, Air Mobility Command wou

ld have a lot more resources to airlift in all sorts of supplies.

Two carrier groups and an LSD are nice for the search and rescue, and some medical care, but they need bulk supplies of all sorts.

The sooner we un-ass from afghanistan, the better.


Edit: I apologize for a political anti-war rant in this sort of thread, but goddamnit, we have the best tools for this job in the world, and they are committed to other things, and it's pissing me off.

[spooked911]

27. nothing to apologize for

of course you are right

[snagglepuss]

10. Thank you for sharing this. The number of lives lost, the ongoing fear and

and complete devastation is beyond comprehension. My thoughts and prayers are with the Japanese. :cry:

[suffragette]

11. Thank you for posting this

and healing thoughts to Kotaro and all in Japan who are coping with this devastation.

[Tsiyu]

12. Here's a kick for you

:kick:

And my best wishes for your son's friend.

[donheld]

13. k & R

[felix_numinous]

15. Here are two relief sites that look really good:

Mercy Corps https://www.mercycorps.org/donate/japan?source=55400&gclid=CIPPpuPn0KcCFcJx5QodompVaQ

World vision: http://www.worldvision.org/worldvision/eappeal.nsf/donation-item?Open&amt=50&num=371&campaign=113655219&cmp=KNC-113655219

It's tricky to find a non religious one, many of them are.

[MH1]

19. Please avoid religious orgs unless you support their views. Try instead -

Oxfam Japan - http://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressrelease/2011-03-15/tsunami-appeal-oxfam-japan-fund-two-partners-helping-mothers-and-b

Doctors without Borders (Medicins sans Frontieres) : http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/donate/overview.cfm (not necessarily earmarked for Japan but they are doing work there)

[Ignis]

23. +1 for Oxfam Japan

They could really use anything you can spare right now. :(

[felix_numinous]

30. Great, even better. nt

[AsahinaKimi]

16. Ganbatteyo Kataro san! Honto desu!!

頑張れ日本 !!

[One Voice]

17. K&R

This is just so sad! :cry:

[myrna minx]

18. K&R

:grouphug:

[yellerpup]

22. Stay strong, dear friends.

What can be done we will help you to do. Our hearts are with you, and our determination is strong that you shall thrive and be happy again. Peace, love, and hope.

[james0tucson]

24. Refinery fire

Not much is being said about it, but the air, water and soil pollution from a refinery fire is likely to have much more severe and much longer lasting health effects than anything the nuclear plants will do.

[dbackjon]

29. No doubt

It is being ignored completely

[Helga Scow Stern]

25. Kotaro went to Osaka, away from the radiation.

He said he's afraid no place safe in Japan.

[caseymoz]

28. I hear the roads going south are jammed.

Panic is setting in.

[nolabear]

26. So what organizations are actually organizing efforts to help?

Emotional support is great but they need services, food, warmth, and transport away from radioactive areas.