Grace under pressure
Everyone was reacting calmly, with discipline…
ANUJ JODHANI
It's a pleasant afternoon and I'm walking the streets of Tokyo, one of the best cities in the world. I hardly experience such welcome weather in Mumbai and I'm browsing through shops and sights around Chiyoda-ku area. On crossing a traffic junction I suddenly feel the road vibrating and think it's the acclaimed Shinkasen (Bullet train) passing underground. I move on but observe an electricity pole swinging peculiarly. A parked car is shaking as well. Then comes the shocker: high rise buildings are swaying. I am stunned. It's an earthquake! People around me stop in their tracks surveying it all but no one is shouting or screaming in panic. People begin exiting buildings, quietly and in order. Some are capturing images and videos of the happenings on their mobile phones.
I'm near my hotel and rush back to try and find comfort among other guests. Everyone is glued to the television news of a tsunami alert. Soon I feel another tremor, about 30 minutes after the first. Immediately the hotel staff begin locking cupboards to prevent contents from falling out. Anxious guests are gently assured and requested to relax even as extra seating is quickly arranged in the lobby. The news bulletins mention trains being halted and some airports being shut.
In a haze
It is all a blur for me, so fast do the events unfold. I am shaken. But surprisingly, even I'm not alarmed as no one around displays signs of fear. I try making a few calls but telephone networks are jammed. Luckily the Internet is working and I dash off a message to family in India about my safety.
A couple of hours later the tremors subside and I'm back on the streets. There's bumper to bumper traffic; the GPS system in cars indicates traffic with a red line and at this instant the entire road network is exhibiting colour red. Thousands of people are walking as local trains have stopped. They're proceeding to their destinations and incredibly everyone is following rules! The cars stop the moment the signal turns red and pedestrians cross only when their signal is green. I'm amazed at the discipline.
I return to the hotel. The elevator has been temporarily stopped and the only access to rooms is the flight of stairs. Mine is on the 16th floor so I prefer staying put in the lobby. By 8 p.m. I'm famished and opt for the in-house restaurant. I'm a vegetarian and it's challenging finding food of my preference in Japan. I wonder if I'll get anything today. The steward checks and says I can be served boiled vegetables, potatoes and bread. On asking the price of the items I'm stunned to hear, “It's free tonight for all our guests.” I'm touched by this heartfelt gesture. The hotel could have done immense business. But this is Japanese ethics and hospitality that has charmed the world. Today I'm a witness to it.
Past midnight I trudge to my room. No sooner than do I arrive than I feel another aftershock. I'm uneasy on the 16th floor and run down to the lobby. It's been a long day and I fall asleep by 4 a.m. hoping I can see tomorrow. I do, waking up with the daylight to a calm Tokyo.
Anuj Jodhani is Director, Maido Enterprises Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai, in the business of bringing Japan closer to India through food, art and culture.
“Everything was swaying”
It was an unsettling experience.
CAPTAIN ASHIS DUTTA
I have been in Tokyo for a few months and have got accustomed to tremors. Experiencing a minor earthquake once in 15 days is part of life here. On March 11, I was at work and as usual dismissed the initial jolt. However, within a few minutes I realised this was not a regular one. It was something big. Very big! Our office was shaking violently. Immediately we were told to evacuate. Most of us grabbed our laptops and charged out. Some of our Japanese colleagues though preferred staying back. They were confident it would pass.
Scary sight
The streets were packed with people. It was a sight to see everything around swaying…the road, buildings, buses…but the public was astonishingly calm. When an earthquake of this scale occurs all underground metro/train operations are suspended till safety checks are carried out. As with most locals, the metro has been my only mode of commuting. I’m not confident with buses due to the language barrier; so the taxi was my second option but none was available. I had no choice but to walk home. My office is in Naka-Meguro area and my residence 18 km away at Higashi Ojima. Using Google maps I traced my way home. A metro commute of 20 minutes took 4.5 hours on foot. It was a relief to be united with my family.
As reports of radiation from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant filtered in a few days later, I was a tad worried as my wife is expecting our second child. I shared the concern with my bosses who immediately sanctioned my going to Kolkata and asked me to disregard the ticket price and book seats on the first available flight. I was overwhelmed by their gesture.
I’ll be returning to Tokyo to rejoin duty in a few days’ time. I’m confident Japan will handle the crisis and the nuclear radiation fear will turn out to be nothing but a paper tiger. Such is the level of commitment and accountability of that society.
Ashis Dutta is a Master Mariner with a Tokyo-based shipping company.
