Give up on the hostels

I have to accept it. A mix of being 50+, alone, and not a conversationalist tends to make me stick out like dogs balls in the hostel setting.

K's House Tokyo, Kuramae

At K's House Kuramae (Tokyo) the hostel was very nice. The foyer and lounge area however was quite small, and filled with young, well traveled and connected people - eying each other off as well as providing recommendations about places to go to.

So where does a grey haired guy, old enough to be father of most of the travellers, sit in a room crowded with youngens? I felt like a Toolie at Surfers Paradise. And anyway, my hips don't allow me to squat on the floor like a yogi.

I know, off to my private room! Very nice in the scheme of hostels, but really, really small, with a small TV. Atleast it was not a bunk room. And the toilet is shared. This cost 3,900Y which was a fair hostel price (about $60A).

But then in Nara I got a room at the Fujita Hotel - probably 4 stars - for 5,000Y (about $80A), the room had a big double bed, desk, lounge, and its own shower and toilet.This hotel had its own bar and restaurant as well. Too expensive for me to use though.

Fujita Hotel, Sanjo-dori, Nara

The trick with getting this hotel was to go to the information desk at the railway station. They had a list of hotels with rooms available for that night - all on special, and in any price range you wanted.

Most towns have numerous accommodation places, so its worth the risk not making a pre-booking and seeking out the last minute bargain.

I could help if I really wanted to - Saturday 12th March

I tend to shy away from aggressive situations, and have a particularly well developed disdain for violence, drunkenness and loutish behaviour. So how was I going to fit in with a bunch of rusted-on Sydney FC soccer fans? This question had troubled me in the weeks before the game, especially as I had read more and more of the fan forums. I was pleased I was traveling alone - I was expecting a few of them would be watching the game from the local Kaban (Police) station!

That sleep-depriving dilemma of mine was superseded by the real problems of the earthquake and tsunami.

Whiling away the time on a plane can be a challenge. My emergency service volunteer brain started to take over. Should I find one of the Kuramae or Ginza volunteer fire corps and offer my help? Should I make contact with my NSW Red Cross colleagues and say " Hey, I am in Tokyo, what can I do?"

While very noble of me, I also realise that the Civil Defence Forces, disaster volunteer services, Fire Departments as well as the volunteer fire corps number in the hundreds of thousands. And then there is the small thing of language!

The plane was somewhere over Guam when this sobering conversation with Veronica came to me:

T: "Hey, things seem pretty normal here in Tokyo. Yes, the Hostel is fine. Weather is nice. Haven't felt any after shocks"
V: "Kevin Rudd is advising all Australians to leave Tokyo. The Fukushima thing is getting more fuched. Apparently the water supply is contaminated and George Negus says there is a 150km exclusion zone"
T: "I found a volunteer Fire Corps station is Asakusa. Amazing. Volunteer sheds with human-pulled fire pumps all over Tokyo. Lovely ordinary people serving their communities, just like me"
V: "Your Mum is freaking out. Madeline says you are an idiot for going over in the first place. Go south for God's sake. Jetstar have flights out of Osaka. Get out of Tokyo. Change your ticket."
T: "I've got 4 days spare now I am not going north for the soccer. So I have volunteered with the Red Cross and will go up to Fukushima on Tuesday - or as close as we can with our paper protection suits."
V: "Do you remember when we got those macadamias from Basim. And I had to buy the heavy duty nut cracker...I suggest you don't go."

Fair call.

So you got to Tokyo. Why? - Saturday 12th March

There are a myriad of thoughts as news broke and the 'inconvenience' this might cause to my holiday....its more than 250kms from Tokyo...very little damage in Tokyo...I wasn't going to the affected area....I have spent a fair whack of money on this...

I also have taken a strong interest in the disaster management systems in Japan and was aware of very sophisticated warning systems for tsunamis and the like. I harboured a hope that warning did work and that casualties would be a minimum.

However, I got to see the news at the Mercure Hotel, and it looked bad.  I found the power of nature demonstrated in the tsunami enthralling.

I chatted to a Japanese/Canadian guy at dinner who predicted that power problems in Tokyo will immediately affect transport and general business. He said that workers would be stuck in Tokyo (Friday night) and that food will be short - having been bought by stranded office workers.

Texts started coming in from family and friends. "Tony's not going is he?" Veronica left the decision to me. At this stage I was comfortable with waiting till the morning.

Qantas staff were great in the unfolding drama at the airport. They put me up for the night at the Mercure Hotel nearby after I had said I could not get back home tonight. I got a single room, so Veronica stayed over with me.

I joined the line for the shuttle bus back to the airport. Qantas checked us in but would not confirm we would be leaving on time or at all.

Madeline sent me a text - "is it worth it just for a football game?" Well, as this blog title said before the disaster happened, is not just about the football. I did find out from a Sydney FC guy flying on the same plane that there was only a 20% chance of the game being on. (It was cancelled later in the day, as was a J-League football for a month).

Veronica's eyes and tears said more than her words. I was aware that she would rather me not leave. However, in those hours on Saturday morning before the flight boarded I did consider the uncertainty my trip would bring family and friends.

Would I be trapped? Would I get to Tokyo and then be trapped by transport problems? I was going to be staying in Tokyo for 4 nights, and had intended to walk around most days. So transport problems were not a real barrier.

Would I be a burden to Japanese society by being there? To me this is a significant issue to consider. If power and resources are scarce for locals and those affected by the disaster, am I just one more mouth to feed? Yes, but relative tot he size of the population, miniscule.

Would I just be a disaster tourist - in reality or perception? In reality I was going to be going about 150kms north-east to Mito, which was affected by the earthquake by only minimally by the tsunami. But given the transport issues, Mito was off the agenda. Whether I was percieved as a disaster tourist, well thats for others to decide.

Risk of after shocks. Yes, a significant concern but one that would be shared by some 25 million others in Tokyo. In the previous 2 trips to Tokyo, Kyoto and other places the signs of potential disaster are everywhere. Active volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, typhoons.

Travelling to Japan at anytime has an underlying level of risk of natural disaster. Is it an unreasonable risk? Probably not, and one that I am willing to accept.


In hindsight I must say I underestimated the extent of concern for my well-being, even if some aspects of that concern was misplaced by exaggerated reporting by Australian media in particular. It is comforting to realise that many people were genuinely interested in how I was getting on.

Back in Australia safe and sound, the ongoing problems with the Fukushima nuclear power plant strengthened the reasoning for returning home. Who knows how difficult it may have been by Sunday 20th to access and leave Narita Airport.

I have no regrets about firstly going over, and then coming back early. Sure, it was an expensive long weekend, but just money was lost and not my life. My experience needs to be put in to proper perspective with the (probably) 30,000 people who perished in the tsunami.

And I can get to Japan again if I want.

A necessary change of plans - Friday 11th March

The earthquake and tsunami north-east of Tokyo on Friday 11th March was breaking news as Veronica drove in to pick me up from work, to take me to Sydney Airport for QF21 leaving at 10:05pm.

As Veronica rang with the news I was in earnest conversation with my office buddie about disasters and the volunteer emergency services structures in Japan. Another work colleague had just spent 10 days around Tokyo on a disaster management study tour.

We got to the airport about 7:00pm, with news reports describing extensive damage from the tsunami and likely significant loss of life. About 8:30pm Qantas advised passengers that the flight would be re-scheduled for 10:00am next morning.

Ultimately I did fly to Tokyo, arriving at 6:00pm on Saturday 12th. Given the changing and escalating scale of the disaster and the uncertainty that brings for family and friends - I decided to fly home early. I left Japan on Monday evening from Osaka, about 500 kms south of Tokyo - having spent about 50 hours on the ground.

The Blog posts have been done belatedly. The good intentions of setting up a Blog beforehand came to nought, and soon as I arrived hone I was back into the work grind.

Those 50 hours started with hours of uncertainty and contemplation, and ended with the delights of Nara Park. I hope you enjoy these stories.

Will the coat be necessary?

Just been looking at the Tokyo weather forecasts for the next 14 days. Amazing how the weather forecasting can be so reliable nowadays. Tokyo looks good. Low chance of rain (less than 30%) on each of the five days I will be there.

Not so good for Mito and game day versus Kashima Antlers. 80% chance of rain, and getting down to 2 degrees in the night. Wet weather jacket plus the good old Katmandu jacket, the RFS beanie, topped off by the newly acquired Sydney FC ACL scarf. Chances are the Sydney shirt will be outside the jacket - the same look as Feb 09 for the Socceroos against Japan. Might finally get good use out of that XXL shirt I bought than swims on me.

For the last 2 days in Nikko - the weather looks pretty rough. Nights are ranging from -2 to -5 over the next fortnight, but only low chance of rain. Days will hover around 10 degrees, so for a Blue Mountains boy that will be just nice. The mystery is how much colder Lake Chuzenji will be out from Nikko. Considering the ski season goes till end of March, got a fair chance it will be freezing.

So, does the big London Fog jacket get packed for one day's use? I am flying Qantas, so checked baggage weight is not an issue (no Jetstar Light this time). I like travelling light. Maybe a few layers of shirts will do the trick.

What I wil be taking will be a good pair of walking boots. I have a day trip to Mt Mitake west of Tokyo planned which includes a good 3 hours walking. If it does rain or snow, atleast I shall be safe on my feet. Nikko too is a place where the boots will come in handy with a fair amount of walking planned. Boots will keep the footsies a bit warmer (compared to joggers) when standing out on the terraces for the football games.