Japan, the Media, and You

Posted on March 21, 2011 by superhappyawesome

On Saturday, there was a question about the Foreign Media’s response to the recent events in Japan. Many have cited the fear-mongering whipping their families and loved ones at home into a panicked frenzy as one of the Continue reading →

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がんばって、日本! Ganbatte, Japan!

Posted on March 20, 2011 by superhappyawesome

Here’s an interesting cultural difference: In Japan, when faced with a difficult situation or obstacle, people don’t say “Good luck!” They say “Ganbatte!” which vaguely translates to “Do your best!” I think it’s interesting, because it Continue reading →

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I support Japan, and I’m not going anywhere.

Posted on March 19, 2011 by superhappyawesome

Yesterday I was having a conversation with a coworker, and it eventually came around to the inevitable. “No, I’m not going back to America. I don’t want to go.”

“Really!?” My coworker said with Continue reading →

Posted in Japan | Tagged | 19 Comments

Japan is (still) Beautiful!

Posted on March 18, 2011 by superhappyawesome

Hey guys–just a little reminder that despite everything, Japan is (still) beautiful, and there’s no place we’d rather be. It’s been a difficult week, and the current stress is watching so many of our friends leaving, but we honestly have no desire to go.

A huge thank you to everyone that’s been so supportive in recent days. It’s been overwhelming, and I still owe so many people emails and tweets and Facebook messages, but your support has been amazing, and this all would have been so much harder without it.

This entry is entered in this week’s Show Me Japan.
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Blackout Confusion

Posted on March 17, 2011 by superhappyawesome

As I mentioned previously, we’ve been having scheduled Rolling Blackouts as part of the post-Earthquake situation. Reducing energy is important in these difficult times, and if it’s one more thing to help the relief efforts, then we’re all for it.

Unfortunately, the implementation has been Continue reading →

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Tokyo International Anime Fair Canceled & Hashtags, Explained

Posted on March 16, 2011 by superhappyawesome

As I mentioned on Twitter earlier, in a tweet that got retweeted like nobody’s business (even William Gibson retweeted it!), it was announced today that the Tokyo International Anime Fair, or TAF has been canceled. This comes a surprise to Continue reading →

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Strange Days and Stressful Times

Posted on March 15, 2011 by superhappyawesome

It’s strange days and stressful times here in Japan. While the devastation in the affected areas is gut-wrenching, most of the country is trying to get back to some semblance of normalcy. Despite everyone’s concern (and multiple early morning phone calls) my bus trip this morning was not Continue reading →

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Day 3: Getting back to “normal”, and White Day During Hard Times

Posted on March 14, 2011 by superhappyawesome

In Japan, many cell phones are equipped with earthquake alarms that are activated 5 to 10 seconds ahead of tremors. The sound of 30-40 all going off at once in the teacher’s room this afternoon was possibly one of the most frightening sounds I’ve heard in my entire life, like an air raid and a flashback rolled into one. One teacher bolted for the door, and I Continue reading →

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Day 2: Even the Tokyo Tower is bent…

Posted on March 13, 2011 by superhappyawesome

No pictures of major destruction, just this sad little reminder that Japan isn’t feeling well right now. Even the Tokyo Tower is bent, just a little bit.

We’re still doing alright here in Japan. We’re ok on food and supplies, though  rolling blackouts are scheduled to start tomorrow.

It’s been pretty exhausting keeping track of everything–the plant in Fukushima is entirely too close for comfort, though probably far enough not to present any real threat, fingers crossed.

Our friend that works there is confirmed safe, which is a relief, but this whole thing has been impressively wearing. Still, we’re looking for ways to help, and have something possibly in the works. We’ll keep you guys posted for ways that you can get involved!

EDITED TO ADD:

Planned power outages from 6:20 – 10:00AM and 16:50 to 20:30PM in Gunma tomorrow.

More information on the rolling blackouts in Gunma is available here, but it’s all in Japanese.

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Day 1: Earthquake, the day after

Posted on March 12, 2011 by superhappyawesome

Hey all–we’re still doing fine here in Japan. It’s been a pretty crazy day/night, and we’re a little bit exhausted. The aftershocks seem to have calmed down Literally, as I finished typing this the alarm on the TV went off.

“What’s that?” Sean said.

“It’s an alarm for the earthquake that’s happening…NOW.” I said, as the couch, windows, and doors started rattling AGAIN. This constant rattling is really unsettling, and surprisingly exhausting.

We’re keeping a close eye on Fukushima, and hoping the wind continues to blow seaward. The shelves are pretty bare at the grocery store, and there’s a general uneasy feeling in the air. It’s strange times here in Japan.

Thank you all so much for your kind words, comments (here & on Facebook) and tweets. We’ll definitely try to keep you all informed & updated if anything happens. A number of people have asked how they can help–for right now, just be very careful about donations. We definitely recommend only donating to trusted entities like the Red Cross for now, and we’ll let you know if anything else comes up!

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