Just last weekend I had a lunch date with Prof Komiya, whom I have yet to meet since I came back to Malaysia. He was showing me around the Japan Club at Taman Seputeh and sharing his experiences adapting to life back here again.
He was one of the first few people I thought of to contact, as his family is back in Japan. In fact, the area where the earthquake and tsunami first hit, is where he had built his retirement home. He was telling me how he and his wife planned to open a B&B in their cottage-style wooden house, and showing me pictures of the vegetables they have harvested from last year's bounty.
So I was naturally concerned about his wife Takiko-san, who is alone there as their children are grown up and are living in different parts of Japan.
It was with great relief when he replied this morning :
Dear Sarah:
Thank you for your e-mail.
Yes, it was unbelievable disaster in Japan.
Regions attacked by earthquake and tsunami are ranging from Hokkaido to Okinawa. Still the death toll by this disaster is unknown.
However, all my family members are fine. I was afraid Takiko's safety yesterday because no telephone connections (becuase of traffic congestions) and no internet connections (because of power failure in Tohoku region).
But, her safety has been confirmed by in the following way;
(1) Takiko could make a mobile phone call to my daughter in Tokyo,
(2) My daugter (Noriko) sent me e-mails to let me know Takiko's safety and I could talk with Noriko by skype later on,
(3) Noriko told me that 20 minutes after the talk with Takiko, she tried to call back again Takiko's mobile phone, but it was not possible because of the traffic restriction by NTT DoCoMo.
In any case, all my family members are all right fortunately, but Tohoku area is still keeping on power failure so that she should tolerate incovenient life for some days.
Regards,
Komiya
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