Shibuya's streets are empty this morning, as it only happens during O'Shogatsu (New Year) when really all the Japanese are on holiday, finally together with their families. But today is not exactly party in Tokyo, is rather spooky atmosphere: you can not see cars, people and all the coffee, even Starbucks, are closed.
People are tired, very few have been able to sleep because of continuing aftershocks and because of the shock. And 'now beginning to realize that fear. Some are leaving the capital to go south, Kyoto and Osaka, in an attempt to move away by the tidal wave and the smoke of nuclear radiation.
The feeling of many is to be trapped: they passed the Jishin (earthquake) is true, the buildings held, tsu (harbor) Nami (wave) can not hit Tokyo, but there is a tidal wave across psychological called awareness of the disaster, arrived in the Japanese capital with the power of ten feet of water that have killed at Sendai.
But the fear is receding as you want. Manzini Elizabeth, lived in Tokyo since 1988, worked in the Italian language in the drafting of Radio Japan (NHK) and teaches Italian at the Italian Institute of Culture. Here is his story: "I can not say it's okay because now there is the danger of radiation.
The cooling system does not work, there is a great danger of contamination. We feel trapped. The airports are closed at this time. The experience was terrible. In 23 years Japan had never heard of a shock so strong and long. I was in the 9th floor of the Bell Commons (department store in Aoyama) better than home.
I live on the 44th floor! In fact, when I returned I found that she had fallen a part of the library and several things were damaged. The quake was very strong and very long and you could not stand. I read the fear in the face to the Japanese, perhaps for the first time so clear. I thought it was the Big One and that maybe I'd be dead.
I just thought it was better to die quickly rather than remain powerless and crushed under something. After the first shock long, they made us get down the stairs, but on the street came the second strong shock. The people had formed on the sidewalks with cell phones in hand that did not work.
"" The aftershocks are still continue until this morning, all night. The "Silver Haze" (small supermarkets open 24 hours out of 24) were emptied and credit cards did not work. The metro stop has caused incredible hardships, crazy traffic and the inability to find a taxi. I slept in a friend's house and now we are all waiting to see what to do.
Japan can become a time bomb for the nuclear facility. We are waiting ...." Beatrice Lombardi, Florence, lives with his family in Tokyo's Setagaya district. It 'was the organizer of the event "If Not Now When" of Italian women in Japan, February 13 last before the Italian Institute of Culture.
"Surviving an earthquake of a magnitude of 7.5 (one recorded in Tokyo) is in itself an extraordinary event. Everything was outstanding Friday, March 11. There had been two days of shock, rather than supported, but completely "harmless" and life had resumed its natural course. Full trains, congested roads, the buses were full frame of a usual, typical day.
I was on the ninth floor of a building when the earthquake hit us, me and my friend Chihiro, surprise, surprise hit like everyone else for that matter. We looked and we knew it was something different: never ended. We sheltered under a table, waiting for the earth to stop shaking. In those long seconds, we increased the life ahead, like when you're sure to die.
Chihiro And maybe he really was. She was desperate, he felt guilty for failing to show her husband and children all her love for breakfast that morning. But I do not know why, maybe because I am an optimist by nature, I just thought that in Japan you can not die under the rubble of an earthquake.
"" In the rest of the world yes, but not in Japan. After the shock we went to the stairs in a row, with no crowds. Nine floors of stairs that seemed to increase rather than decrease in the descent. The whole city was on the street. I thought this time was the epicenter of Tokyo. It could not be otherwise, this shock is too strong, too long, and the sky was too cloudy.
We took a drink to reduce tension, and we get in the car. Five minutes later, we were stopped at a traffic light while the second quake. The car danced like at the mercy of the waves. I put the handbrake and the gear stationary. Chihiro I was shaking like a leaf beside, I had to reassure her, I wanted to reassure her.
I also turned on the radio to get a little 'music. All the channels did not speak anything other than the earthquake. And so, we learned that the epicenter was 300 kilometers away from Tokyo, in the sea, 130 km from the coast, with a magnitude of 8.9 and that was a tsunami hit the coasts.
The radio can browse the sites affected and the strength with which the waves crashed down, carrying away houses, people and above all things. We were petrified. I was driving by force of inertia, in a deadly traffic, but not yet as congested as it was within hours. We retrieved the children from school and we came back home.
"" The night we all slept in the living room, dressed, ready to escape. Our backpacks, survival kits with the front door, even the shoes ready to be worn without difficulty. Jackets already arranged in order, in the event of an unexpected output. 40 aftershocks - all above five on the Richter scale - were recorded between 23 am and 8 am on Saturday, March 12.
The children slept, my husband and I we gave ourselves the rounds, although neither has properly rested. Surviving an earthquake of a magnitude so strong in itself is an extraordinary, extraordinary as it is these people who live with this disaster and always wins. Unfortunately, against the fury of water, what we call here O'tsunami, yet there is nothing to do: nature is still the boss.
Michele Benanti, Palermo has lived in Tokyo for two years and attended a specialized course in politics at Hosei University. He is doing a comparative study between the Japanese and the Italian mafia, with particular attention to mafia infiltration into politics. "I live in western Tokyo, when the earthquake happened I was home I was eating spaghetti and all that was on the table fell .....
Hey, right now there is another shock. .. ". "I dressed quickly and went to the station. To be honest, the quake was very strong, but I did not think that the Japanese were so impressed. Arriving at the station, however, I realized right away the real significance of the event. In Tokyo, they all use the train or subway as their principal means for moving and when it crashes the machine that runs the city, even the Japanese stop: queues of people lost, people were aware of what was and accadut , although accustomed to earthquakes, they did not know what to do.
An old man of seventy-five years he was scared. Nothing like this had ever seen. "" The shaking lasted all night and the morning had cut the gas to avoid further problems. Now after what happened in Fukushima's biggest fear is the fallout. If you still explode reactor that would be trouble for the entire nation.
Japan has always been prepared for the big earthquake but no one had thought of as advanced nuclear power plants that are yielding to the destructive force of nature. If such a thing had happened in Italy I dare not imagine the disaster. Now at least people in my neighborhood seems pretty quiet.
In supermarkets the basic necessities like drinking water, sugar and rice have disappeared but the rest is all normal trains also run to perfection. " "For me yesterday I tried to lend a hand around but I could not even do it: everything was perfectly organized: police stations, railway staff ready to answer customer questions.'m Not afraid, although there are continuous shock I feel quiet.
I was reading a newspaper online, said to have two reactors shut down the plant in Fukushima. This will have repercussions both in the region of Fukushima is in Tokyo, it is believed up to 14 days. The flow of electricity will decrease by a lot. not I want to return to Italy, I'm fine here, are strongly determined to finish college.
" ******* Meanwhile, the Italian Embassy has issued guidelines that recommended in the next few hours go by car to the airport in Narita, because the highway is blocked for verification. The airport, which is currently fully functional and can be reached only through the Keisei line from the station Nippori as even the limousine bus service has not yet been restored.
On the issue of release of radiation from nuclear power plant in Fukushima, the embassy reported the first findings from the investigation in progress between the EU and scientific attachés of embassies with the Japanese authorities. There are no Italians in the range of 100 kilometers.
Today the Italian Institute of Culture held a concert of music by Traetta scheduled in the Auditorium at 14.30. Stabat Mater will be performed only while the Servant Mistress will not be represented. An attempt to restore a short sort of normality, but it's hard. 
People are tired, very few have been able to sleep because of continuing aftershocks and because of the shock. And 'now beginning to realize that fear. Some are leaving the capital to go south, Kyoto and Osaka, in an attempt to move away by the tidal wave and the smoke of nuclear radiation.
The feeling of many is to be trapped: they passed the Jishin (earthquake) is true, the buildings held, tsu (harbor) Nami (wave) can not hit Tokyo, but there is a tidal wave across psychological called awareness of the disaster, arrived in the Japanese capital with the power of ten feet of water that have killed at Sendai.
But the fear is receding as you want. Manzini Elizabeth, lived in Tokyo since 1988, worked in the Italian language in the drafting of Radio Japan (NHK) and teaches Italian at the Italian Institute of Culture. Here is his story: "I can not say it's okay because now there is the danger of radiation.
The cooling system does not work, there is a great danger of contamination. We feel trapped. The airports are closed at this time. The experience was terrible. In 23 years Japan had never heard of a shock so strong and long. I was in the 9th floor of the Bell Commons (department store in Aoyama) better than home.
I live on the 44th floor! In fact, when I returned I found that she had fallen a part of the library and several things were damaged. The quake was very strong and very long and you could not stand. I read the fear in the face to the Japanese, perhaps for the first time so clear. I thought it was the Big One and that maybe I'd be dead.
I just thought it was better to die quickly rather than remain powerless and crushed under something. After the first shock long, they made us get down the stairs, but on the street came the second strong shock. The people had formed on the sidewalks with cell phones in hand that did not work.
"" The aftershocks are still continue until this morning, all night. The "Silver Haze" (small supermarkets open 24 hours out of 24) were emptied and credit cards did not work. The metro stop has caused incredible hardships, crazy traffic and the inability to find a taxi. I slept in a friend's house and now we are all waiting to see what to do.
Japan can become a time bomb for the nuclear facility. We are waiting ...." Beatrice Lombardi, Florence, lives with his family in Tokyo's Setagaya district. It 'was the organizer of the event "If Not Now When" of Italian women in Japan, February 13 last before the Italian Institute of Culture.
"Surviving an earthquake of a magnitude of 7.5 (one recorded in Tokyo) is in itself an extraordinary event. Everything was outstanding Friday, March 11. There had been two days of shock, rather than supported, but completely "harmless" and life had resumed its natural course. Full trains, congested roads, the buses were full frame of a usual, typical day.
I was on the ninth floor of a building when the earthquake hit us, me and my friend Chihiro, surprise, surprise hit like everyone else for that matter. We looked and we knew it was something different: never ended. We sheltered under a table, waiting for the earth to stop shaking. In those long seconds, we increased the life ahead, like when you're sure to die.
Chihiro And maybe he really was. She was desperate, he felt guilty for failing to show her husband and children all her love for breakfast that morning. But I do not know why, maybe because I am an optimist by nature, I just thought that in Japan you can not die under the rubble of an earthquake.
"" In the rest of the world yes, but not in Japan. After the shock we went to the stairs in a row, with no crowds. Nine floors of stairs that seemed to increase rather than decrease in the descent. The whole city was on the street. I thought this time was the epicenter of Tokyo. It could not be otherwise, this shock is too strong, too long, and the sky was too cloudy.
We took a drink to reduce tension, and we get in the car. Five minutes later, we were stopped at a traffic light while the second quake. The car danced like at the mercy of the waves. I put the handbrake and the gear stationary. Chihiro I was shaking like a leaf beside, I had to reassure her, I wanted to reassure her.
I also turned on the radio to get a little 'music. All the channels did not speak anything other than the earthquake. And so, we learned that the epicenter was 300 kilometers away from Tokyo, in the sea, 130 km from the coast, with a magnitude of 8.9 and that was a tsunami hit the coasts.
The radio can browse the sites affected and the strength with which the waves crashed down, carrying away houses, people and above all things. We were petrified. I was driving by force of inertia, in a deadly traffic, but not yet as congested as it was within hours. We retrieved the children from school and we came back home.
"" The night we all slept in the living room, dressed, ready to escape. Our backpacks, survival kits with the front door, even the shoes ready to be worn without difficulty. Jackets already arranged in order, in the event of an unexpected output. 40 aftershocks - all above five on the Richter scale - were recorded between 23 am and 8 am on Saturday, March 12.
The children slept, my husband and I we gave ourselves the rounds, although neither has properly rested. Surviving an earthquake of a magnitude so strong in itself is an extraordinary, extraordinary as it is these people who live with this disaster and always wins. Unfortunately, against the fury of water, what we call here O'tsunami, yet there is nothing to do: nature is still the boss.
Michele Benanti, Palermo has lived in Tokyo for two years and attended a specialized course in politics at Hosei University. He is doing a comparative study between the Japanese and the Italian mafia, with particular attention to mafia infiltration into politics. "I live in western Tokyo, when the earthquake happened I was home I was eating spaghetti and all that was on the table fell .....
Hey, right now there is another shock. .. ". "I dressed quickly and went to the station. To be honest, the quake was very strong, but I did not think that the Japanese were so impressed. Arriving at the station, however, I realized right away the real significance of the event. In Tokyo, they all use the train or subway as their principal means for moving and when it crashes the machine that runs the city, even the Japanese stop: queues of people lost, people were aware of what was and accadut , although accustomed to earthquakes, they did not know what to do.
An old man of seventy-five years he was scared. Nothing like this had ever seen. "" The shaking lasted all night and the morning had cut the gas to avoid further problems. Now after what happened in Fukushima's biggest fear is the fallout. If you still explode reactor that would be trouble for the entire nation.
Japan has always been prepared for the big earthquake but no one had thought of as advanced nuclear power plants that are yielding to the destructive force of nature. If such a thing had happened in Italy I dare not imagine the disaster. Now at least people in my neighborhood seems pretty quiet.
In supermarkets the basic necessities like drinking water, sugar and rice have disappeared but the rest is all normal trains also run to perfection. " "For me yesterday I tried to lend a hand around but I could not even do it: everything was perfectly organized: police stations, railway staff ready to answer customer questions.'m Not afraid, although there are continuous shock I feel quiet.
I was reading a newspaper online, said to have two reactors shut down the plant in Fukushima. This will have repercussions both in the region of Fukushima is in Tokyo, it is believed up to 14 days. The flow of electricity will decrease by a lot. not I want to return to Italy, I'm fine here, are strongly determined to finish college.
" ******* Meanwhile, the Italian Embassy has issued guidelines that recommended in the next few hours go by car to the airport in Narita, because the highway is blocked for verification. The airport, which is currently fully functional and can be reached only through the Keisei line from the station Nippori as even the limousine bus service has not yet been restored.
On the issue of release of radiation from nuclear power plant in Fukushima, the embassy reported the first findings from the investigation in progress between the EU and scientific attachés of embassies with the Japanese authorities. There are no Italians in the range of 100 kilometers.
Today the Italian Institute of Culture held a concert of music by Traetta scheduled in the Auditorium at 14.30. Stabat Mater will be performed only while the Servant Mistress will not be represented. An attempt to restore a short sort of normality, but it's hard.
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