Leaving Tokyo, NO Looting

March 16th

A number of my husband's business colleagues are sending their families to Kyushu, far, far from this area. They loaded up their cars with everything they could carry and got on ferries that go all the way to Kyushu. I was planning on going to Hakone on the 18th anyway, so I will go for my visit a little early.

Let me tell you about the mad, panic shopping scene I saw yesterday from. I had my beading lesson yesterday - yes, I am a mad beader!!!! My friend's husband gave us a ride to our lesson just down the street a mile or two. On the way, we pass a large shopping center that has a large supermarket, Espa. Well, the line to GET INTO THE PARKING LOT, started a mile and half from the store!!!! That was the route we wanted to take, but we knew it wouldn't move for a long time so we went round about. Got to the lesson on time, no problem.

Later, my friend and I walked to the supermarket after our lesson at about 3:00, expecting no food. Well, there was no milk, but I got the carton of eggs I wanted and some chicken and an cabbage. A lady at the check out counter said that the check out lines stretched 40 and 50 people deep at each counter..... Crazy!! By 3:00, when we were there, the store was almost empty of people and had an tired air to it. There was food to buy, just not milk! But, knowing the Japanese, it was a very orderly panic buying scene.

I just heard on CNN that people are amazed that there is no looting. Well, this is Japan. If looting started, other people would most likely go and stop them.... In the little towns where most of the damage happened, most people are related to each other or have gone to school together. What most people would do is go and help clean up.

BUT, people are very upset with the bad way things are being handled by the nuclear plant people.... Tokyo Electric has a history of lying about problems. And the executives that keep showing up at the press conferences are terrible communicators. Mumbling and what they say is not clear....