Maybe not as bad as initially feared.
This is an important day, both in terms of the past and future. It was exactly a year ago that the
World Health Organization called the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. This the
51st day into President Joe Biden's term. I two days ago sent him a letter. No real response yet, although I saw the standard response one gets when you communicate with the White House.
However, I have one more piece of advice to give in reference to his address to the nation at 8PM EDT (
good a time as any to remind you that at 2AM on Sunday, or Saturday night, you need to spring forward your clock by one hour, or, effectively, lose an hour of sleep--Hawaii does not participate in this nonsense) tonight.
With VP Kamala Harris, walk side by side to the podium NOT wearing masks. Smile, and tell the people of the country that it has been two months since you took the Pfizer second dosage, and has been told by his doctors that both he and Kamala are SAFE!!! They don't need to wear masks anymore wherever they go.
For the Pfizer vaccine the immune response takes three weeks, Moderna about a month and Johnson and Johnson only 15 days. If you are among those who now are safe, he should say, go out and enjoy a restaurant meal, attend a basketball game if you're able to enter the auditorium and travel. You don't need to wear a mask anymore to avoid COVID-19. On the other hand, maybe you might continue, to prevent getting a cold or the flu or other respiratory transmission disease. However, if you have not gone through this protocol, you are both irresponsible and an idiot if you leave your home unmasked.
Or something like that. President Biden has a golden opportunity to do something decisive today for the good of the nation and world. Hope he does.
Today is the tenth anniversary of the Great Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami. I was already in the Orient when this catastrophe occurred, and I got intimately enmeshed in the fallout.
Certainly, this was my most memorable trip, beginning in 2011 on March 1, with a Honolulu return on April 10. I consumed 16 different alcoholic beverages from Honolulu to Bangkok, a record I will later break twice. In my grand summary, I summarized my five top experiences. #1 was that earthquake, tsunami and nuclear cataclysm:
1. The Great Tohoku Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear Catastrophe occurred on 11March2011, the eighth day of my trip when I was in Bangkok. I was scheduled to fly to Japan the next day, and did. This is now a nuclear accident level 7 disaster, equal in severity with Chernobyl. The Huffington Post has published several articles of mine discussing this tragedy. Fukushima Dai Ichi Nuclear Power Plant to left.
While the trip was at times treacherous and venturous, there nevertheless were incredibly enjoyable moments, such as:
But back to 11March 2011, I quote the first paragraph of one of my HuffPos:
This is part two of my reportage on the Great Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, which began with my post, “Hawaii Tsunami, Again.” To refresh your memory, a 9.0 earthquake struck off Tohoku (includes the Prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima), Japan with an energy value 600 million times more powerful than the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb, on the afternoon of March 11 (it was the night of March 10 in Hawaii), sending a 30 foot (later reports indicated a run-up of 124 feet) tsunami to the immediate environs, where thousands perished (in comparison, though, that slightly more powerful 2004 Indonesian earthquake killed more than 230,000) — triggering partial meltdowns of three Fukushima (a prefecture just south of Miyagi, where Sendai is located) nuclear powerplants and stored fuel rods — sending a tsunami up to five feet high as far away as Chile, where almost a year ago a similar 8.8 quake sent waves of about the same height to Japan. This was my HuffPost blog entitled, “Hawaii Tsunami?“
So here I was the evening of March 11 in Bangkok, wondering what to do about flying into Narita the next day. I checked and checked, but the feedback was that Japan was a total mess, yet Narita was taking incoming flights. So:
On Day 2 I flew into Narita. I can add that this flight was somewhat reminiscent of my Delhi to Munich journey a year ago, and I was supremely calm, with high anticipation of catastrophe. Click on Planet Earth and Humanity for this almost euphoric experience.
On this flight, it frankly occurred to me that I was probably at the peak of my life. One wonders when this will be, sort of like peak oil, but, no doubt, this was it. Things can only go downhill from here, and certainly must when I land in the chaos of Narita. I was mentally prepared for this next stage of my life.We landed at around 4 p.m. after a flight of a little more than five hours. I had four bags with me, one very large, for I’m on a six week trip through hot and cold countries. After the customs check I looked around for the usual sign with my name, for I had arranged for a hotel pick-up. I saw none, so walked carting my bags and asked questions. Half an hour later after determining that there were no taxis, no airport limousines, no NEX, and no Tokyo Westin pickup, I tried to call the hotel, but failed. There was only one option next to walking 40 miles — a very slow Japanese railway train from Narita to Tokyo. But thank heavens there was a way.
While the next five hours were agonizing, this was nothing compared to how much the tsunami victims were suffering 150 miles north of me. A particular irony is that the ride on three trains to the Ebesu Station cost me all of 1,000 yen (about $12), the same as the 300-yard taxi ride to the hotel.I finally, finally arrived at the Westin at almost 9 p.m. It took me as long to fly from Thailand to Japan as to train from Narita to the Tokyo Westin. You need to go to my blog site to read about why I was in Southeast Asia. What an ordeal!
When I balance the good and the bad of the day, and consider that I am actually in this luxurious Tokyo hotel only a day after their largest earthquake in history, I feel blessed. I tend to shudder from a small aftershock every hour, one where my building actually swayed, but things are quickly coming together in this city.
I woke up the next morning to a hazy view of Mount Fuji, posted
THE CHICKEN AND CHICKEN LITTLE SCHOOL OF REPORTAGE.I heard that the French Embassy was urging its citizenry to get out of Tokyo as fast as possible. As most of their electricity comes from nuclear power, I can only speculate that they know something I don't.
Thus, I skipped breakfast to catch the last Airport Limousine from my hotel, which was departing in a few minutes, hoping Air China would allow me to leave earlier to Beijing. At worst, I thought I could stay at an airport hotel (this turned out not be possible as all rooms are currently taken). The bus ride was gloriously uneventful.
I made it to the Air China check-in, but their flights were all overbooked. So I went to United Airlines, and after a long wait, talked them into allowing me to catch their next flight to Beijing. They happened to have a seat, so got me on. As this was an emergency, there was no penalty.
What I'm leading to is that, while TIME magazine reporters and CNN staff are trying to get into the Sendai area (and I talked to several of them), I am leaving town, for the second explosion at Fukushimaconvinced me that the French, indeed, must know something. This is the Chicken and Chicken Little School of Reportage: take no chances and assume that the sky could fall.
In the
few days I spent in Beijing at the St. Regis, while Japan suffered, I visited the Great Wall and Forbidden City. Also had some outstanding meals and met a few interesting people. Of course I had Peking Duck.
I carefully checked the fallout from Fukushima, and it turned out that most of problem had to do with radiation leaking into the Pacific Ocean, and nothing much about Tokyo being threatened.
Japan has 55 nuclear power plants, while France has 58, with 80% of their electricity from these reactors. Many don’t realize that the U.S. has 104 nuke generation plants, with a MW capacity just more than 100,000 (France 63,236 and Japan 47,130). China has 10,234 MW, but has 27 new ones in some stage of planning and construction. The whole world has 220 in these stages. It is safe to say that the future of nuclear is now in great doubt.Determining it was safe, I stopped first in Seoul to get a re-calibration. The photos of what happened in Japan were graphic and astounding.
Day 9, I’m in Seoul, and getting advice on my Narita flight in three days. The death toll is now in the mid-7000, but all signs still point to five digits for sure, and, maybe even 15,000. This 9.0 earthquake and tsunami has shot past the deaths from the 6.8 Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995, which devastated Kobe. I was there only a few days after that disaster and the city was already recovering. It has been 16 years, and Kobe now looks completely normal and vibrant. However, the Fukushima nuclear fallout adds a tragic dimension that will not be erased for generations.
Well, this is Day 12, and I’m back at the Tokyo Westin, where the hotel occupancy is 12%. The Asiana flight from Seoul was almost empty. Coming in from Narita Airport I noticed only a few cars on the road. The economy in this country surely must be taking a hit. Fukushima #2 and #3 nuclear reactors remain testy. I fear the plutonium from #3. The seawater 100 meters south of this stricken site was finally measured, and, no great surprise, but the radiation level was from 16 (Cesium-137) to 127 (Iodine-131) times higher than government standards. With all the calamity around me, I felt guilty having dinner at Robuchon, located across the street from my hotel.
The Japan Times now shows radiation levels in various cities and Tokyo has slowly increased up to 0.155 microsieverts/hour. This means that if this exposure remains at this figure, you would accumulate 1358 microsieverts in a year, which, interestingly enough, is only about half the average annual exposure for ordinary people. Yet, I have chosen to leave Tokyo for Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Nara and Kyoto. I have a two-week Green Car Japan Rail Pass. The cherry blossoms should begin to bloom soon, I hope. Nagasaki Peace Park is both serene and beautiful at this time of year. One of my upcoming articles will attempt to link Fukushima, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, portending the future of Japan.So on Day 15 I begin a two-week
Japan Rail Pass journey away from Tokyo, with a first stop in Fukuoka on Kyushu. I get a good view of Mount Fuji. Back in Fukushima, officials raised the accident level to 6, making it the second worst nuclear disaster next to Chernobyl.
I go on to Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Nara, Hiroshima and Kyoto:
Dinner above with Yayoi and Takeo. Pearl and I had an evening with them in Waikiki the night before she went into the hospital.
Hard to now talk about Day 24 of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake, the latest version of what this cataclysm will be called. The death toll has pushed past 12,000, with 15,000 still missing. The bodies of two Tokyo Electric Power Company workers were found today. Attempts to plug the leak failed, and speculation is that this could take months. In the meanwhile, the Oyashio and Kuroshio Currents will be taking this radioactive iodine and cesium in the direction of an important Japan fishery, so...
Then
I went to Hokkaido. I first stopped by Fukushima, but couldn't get close to the radiation site. I stayed at the Sendai Westin, and paid only $45/night.
A few interesting facts about the Great Tohoku Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear Cataclysm. Tokyo Electric Power Company is screwed (their stock dropped a bunch today, again, and from a year high of 2495, it is today down to 337) and has lost 86.5% of its value. More so, everyone is worried about what will happen in August and September when people expect to use air-conditioning. It turns out that Western Japan cannot send electricity to help out because they are at a different frequency. Also, there is minimal wheeling between Hokkaido and Honshu because the cables limit transfer. Thus, all the escalators at Hokkaido train stations work and there is a vitality to this economy.
Caught the Shinkansen back to Tokyo and stayed at the Tokyo Station Four Seasons. Ordered room service and a
7.1 earthquake shook the room for 3 minutes.
Day 28 of the Great Tohoku Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear Cataclysm shows a tally of 12,596 confirmed deaths. 14,747 are still missing. While I initially a couple of weeks ago thought the toll would get up to 15,000, more recent reports are such that a sum of 25,000 will eventually be the number, although many thousands will never actually be found. TEPCO is now pumping nitrogen into Fukushima reactor #1 to purge the hydrogen, but this means that radioactive gases will need to be released.I then moved on the
Park Hyatt, for this was my favorite hotel for a long while. I tossed some of Pearl's ashes at the base of a Sakura tree next to the hotel.
I posted on:
WHY WORRY ABOUT FUKUSHIMA WHEN NAGASAKI AND HIROSHIMA ARE SAFE?
(I thank several colleagues--Tom Burnett, Gary McMurtry, Jay Hanson, Chuck Helsley and Hal Helsley--for contributing to the below discussion. I am confident about the details mostly because of their input. The emphasis in the discourse seemed to shift to fusion, so in a later follow-up posting I will review this "better" nuclear option.)
The last full day before returning home I reported on the
cherry blossoms at Jindaiji and Shinjuku Park. If you clicked on that posting, if you want to have a beer with your bento in the park, here is what you do if the weather is cool enough. Wear a heavy overcoat and put the drinks in your pocket. They check what you are carrying, but not you. There were 100,000 people inside that day.
Pity the homeless and casualties of Tohoku, certainly, but want to appreciate what it is like to live in and around Tokyo? One can take many things for granted. I now am so appreciative of the Airport Limousine bus service, which picks you up at your hotel and drops you off at the airport. My Japan arrival on March 12 and emergency departure four days later were nightmares. Today, with comfort and ease, I am delivered to Narita Airport for about $35. A taxi would have cost at least $250. At the airport, another aftershock, this one again 7.1 as the one three days before. I was worried about my flight getting canceled, but the all clear signal came and I celebrated in the First Class Lounge with a Santory Yamazaki whiskey over ice, Bailey's Cream and snacks. I hate these overnight trips coming back from Japan. Even in a First Class bed I can't sleep. But comparing landing in Honolulu to that Narita arrival from Bangkok, it was really nice to come home to security and comfort. I will never forget that trip, and today very much value that experience. Exactly what I don't want on my coming global adventure.
Click on this link to view 24 really old actors between 90 and 106 years old, how they looked in their prime and today. Apparently, they are all still alive. To close, here is a frightening article about the tribulations of the
Grand Princess a year ago. I did not realize that while infected, it had a Kauai stop. Also, get this:
Cruise boats continued to leave various ports loaded with American passengers for ten more days after the Grand Princess outbreak was declared an emergency. Eventually, the cruise industry voluntarily suspended cruising on 13 March, but outbreaks occurred on dozens of other ships. In all, according to an analysis by the Miami Herald, 87 cruise ships experienced outbreaks and 111 passengers and crew died. Worse, this is the ship that was supposed to take us from Los Angeles (
or Vancouver) to Singapore if there was no pandemic, as the first leg of our around the world trip. So have we learned a lesson? Well, we now have two options:
- If we go in the Fall of this year, we have paid the deposit for a Celebrity cruise from Tokyo to Singapore.
- If in January of 2022, a 52-day cruise from Los Angeles to Dubai and the World Expo.
- But hey, we both have now taken both shots are are safe.
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