Arriving at Narita Airport on the evening of Saturday, 28 August 2011 (one year since I was last in Japan and ten years since I went on the JET programme) I was struck by how quiet the airport was and how few tourists seemed to be arriving in Japan, compared to this time last year. There had been very few non-Japanese people on my flight, with some of the other Australians I encountered explaining they were just in transit. Of course, this was great for me, as I managed to get through the notorious Japanese immigration queue in less than five minutes, whereas in the past I have waited up to an hour to clear customs. But it was a bit strange.
Later, wandering the streets of Akasaka with friends, we all commented on how eerily quiet it was, without the crowds of people and usual ‘buzz’ of the city. It was also dark – much darker than normal – with shops, restaurants and office buildings turning off their lights to conserve energy. In fact, the lack of bright, neon signs made it difficult for us to find the restaurant we had booked. When they’re not there, you come to realise how much the neon lights have become key landmarks in Tokyo.
Despite the somewhat sombre mood, my main impression from that first night in Tokyo was that everyone is playing their own small part in helping Japan recover from the earthquake. Convenience store employees are wearing ‘ganbaro Japan’ name tags, taxis are covered in ‘ganbaro Tohoku’ stickers, and collection boxes are in shops and hotel lobbies, raising money for the rebuilding efforts. And everyone is saving power.
I hope that in some small way, by revisiting Iwate and documenting my experiences there, I too will be able to play a small role in helping the recovery. Ganbaro Iwate!
See more photos of my trip here: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150772274820314.724698.749190313&l=3ff811ef83&type=1
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