Faces at the Tokyo Game Show, originally uploaded by jasohill.
One thing I should mention is that it was ridiculously hot this year. I walked around in a soaked shirt most of the day. Not that this was bad enough, but the stench of fanboy order was also in the air. Japan doesn’t like deodorant, and this is a fact you could smell. I might just consider saving my pennies next year.
What started out as a pleasant trip to Sendai, almost turned into a nightmare in my sleepy little prefecture. This all steamed from an email we received from a friend living in Morioka, advising us to come home as soon as possible. We only got a taste of what was to come when the bus driver told us the highway was closed and we would be late by over an hour.
It appears that Typhoon 11 left more damage than anyone could have anticipated. Many of Iwate’s rivers, already near overflowing from the storm, unleashed their fury yesterday, forcing evacuations all over the prefecture. My former home, Ichinoseki was under about fivefeet of water, and many parts of Hanamaki and Morioka were almost evacuated due to rising waters levels. I was very lucky to be living on higher ground. My home wasn’t damaged.
The secondary effects of this flooding weren’t even noticable to me until today. It appears many parts of the rail between Hachimantai-Matsuo and Hanawa were washed out completely. If I didn’t already have a car or the ability to drive, I would been unable to get to most of the schools I teach at. Even the road I use to jog is lying under water. Many of the rice fields in my town are now submerged as well.
I’m sure there will be more to tell about this story. I will will update you as information becomes available. I am attempting to get information of people that were evacuated and casualties.
Update 1: This article tell of two people carried away by flood waters in Morioka. The search is continuing for them today.
Update 2: An article from the Asahi shinbum gives a quick summary of the people involved so far.
This is the latest episode of Transplanted. Transplanted is a podcast I do about people living abroad. I like to talk with ex-pats and ask them about their experiences abroad.
This week, I speakwith Dean Ruetzler, an English instuctor working in Japan. He talks about his life in Japan and his former life in Finland. If you are planning on living overseas, you may wish to listen in and find out what he has to say on the subject.
