Yokohama after the quake?

[bushy]

Hi
We moved to Yokohama 2 days before the earthquake and so ended up leaving to come home to Australia after only a few days there. We're now considering whether to go back as my husbands company needs him back in his office there and,also all our stuff is still there in our apartment.
Just wondered whether anyone there can give us some advice on how things are at the moment regarding food/water supplies and also, are they still having blackouts so save power? Our apartment is in Minato Mirai and wasn't damaged luckily. It was a bit surreal seeing the awful devastation further north when we saw nothing...so sad:-(
I would love to hear from anyone there

[larabell]

Originally Posted by bushy

Just wondered whether anyone there can give us some advice on how things are at the moment regarding food/water supplies and also, are they still having blackouts so save power?

The panic buying seems to have subsided so, for the most part, staple supplies are available again. There was never a problem finding food -- at least not in Kanto. What people were snapping up were things like bread, instant noodles, gasoline, batteries, toilet paper -- you know... all the stuff you'd like to have a closet-full of when the next big quake hits ;-).

There are a few things that are still hard to find. Apparently yougurt and natto are in short supply because the manufacturers don't want to start a batch until they're reasonably certain they can complete the process without a blackout. Also there are some supply-chain issues like paper cartons for milk and spray triggers for perfume (I heard the latter from a friend who works for a cosmetics company).

As for the blackouts, they have been suspended for now. Turns out people and businesses have been very cooperative with saving electricity. The flashy signs in front of pachinko places and large stores like Yodobashi Camera have mostly been turned off and with the arrival of warmer weather, people are switching off their heaters as well. So, for now, TEPCO has announced a suspension of their rolling blackout plan. But... they say that when summer comes and people start using more AC, they may have to re-implement the blackout plan. We'll see...

Trains are pretty much back to normal except for those running to Tohoku (and, for some reason, NEX isn't running yet). But local lines seem to be running, though some are on a reduced schedule to save electricity.

[bushy]

Originally Posted by larabell

The panic buying seems to have subsided so, for the most part, staple supplies are available again. There was never a problem finding food -- at least not in Kanto. What people were snapping up were things like bread, instant noodles, gasoline, batteries, toilet paper -- you know... all the stuff you'd like to have a closet-full of when the next big quake hits ;-).

There are a few things that are still hard to find. Apparently yougurt and natto are in short supply because the manufacturers don't want to start a batch until they're reasonably certain they can complete the process without a blackout. Also there are some supply-chain issues like paper cartons for milk and spray triggers for perfume (I heard the latter from a friend who works for a cosmetics company).

As for the blackouts, they have been suspended for now. Turns out people and businesses have been very cooperative with saving electricity. The flashy signs in front of pachinko places and large stores like Yodobashi Camera have mostly been turned off and with the arrival of warmer weather, people are switching off their heaters as well. So, for now, TEPCO has announced a suspension of their rolling blackout plan. But... they say that when summer comes and people start using more AC, they may have to re-implement the blackout plan. We'll see...

Trains are pretty much back to normal except for those running to Tohoku (and, for some reason, NEX isn't running yet). But local lines seem to be running, though some are on a reduced schedule to save electricity.

Thanks for that Larabell, my hubby said he'd heard that expats returning to Japan were being allowed to bring some foodstuffs with them so I'm going to see if I can confirm that...we were going to bring some stuff like spices as we found it rather difficult to read some labels to see if it was what we thought it was lol Maybe we should bring toilet roll too
We are hopefully flying next Tuesday night then we'll see how things go there, I'd already planned on coming home to Oz in June anyway for the summer so will probably still stick with that.

[larabell]

I'd suggest batteries and a flashlight if your apartment here isn't already stocked up. Maybe some toilet paper since it's fairly light. Bottled water was popular for a while but I've seen it back on the shelves recently and you probably can't carry enough to make any real difference, anyway. And even when there's no shortages, it's not a bad idea to bring along personal supplies of products whose labels you can't read. When I first came over, I didn't think of that and my first opportunity to shop for shampoo was a real challenge .

[bushy]

Originally Posted by larabell

I'd suggest batteries and a flashlight if your apartment here isn't already stocked up. Maybe some toilet paper since it's fairly light. Bottled water was popular for a while but I've seen it back on the shelves recently and you probably can't carry enough to make any real difference, anyway. And even when there's no shortages, it's not a bad idea to bring along personal supplies of products whose labels you can't read. When I first came over, I didn't think of that and my first opportunity to shop for shampoo was a real challenge .

Ha ha, I know what you mean, took me ages to find makeup remover as I'd forgotten to pack some! Also we couldn't find dishwasher tablets but,during the upheaval from the quake I met a Belgian girl and she's taken a photo of a packet and sent it to me!
Rechargeable torch is on our list of must-haves

[larabell]

Originally Posted by bushy

Rechargeable torch is on our list of must-haves

If you have a choice, make sure it's the kind that you can replace the batteries with normal ones -- ie: not rechargeable. In the event of a worst-case scenario -- like Tokyo or Yokohama being whacked by an 8.0 quake, you may not have power to recharge the batteries. If you accumulate a box or so of normal batteries of the proper size. you're probably better prepared for a long-term blackout.

I just ordered some power-outage lights. They plug into the wall and only come on if the power goes out. But the batteries are a special size and only last 3 hours on one charge. So I figure they're good for getting out of the house or to help with finding a real flashlight in the dark -- but not for much else.

[bushy]

Originally Posted by larabell

If you have a choice, make sure it's the kind that you can replace the batteries with normal ones -- ie: not rechargeable. In the event of a worst-case scenario -- like Tokyo or Yokohama being whacked by an 8.0 quake, you may not have power to recharge the batteries. If you accumulate a box or so of normal batteries of the proper size. you're probably better prepared for a long-term blackout.

I just ordered some power-outage lights. They plug into the wall and only come on if the power goes out. But the batteries are a special size and only last 3 hours on one charge. So I figure they're good for getting out of the house or to help with finding a real flashlight in the dark -- but not for much else.

They sound like they could be a good thing to have in, where did you order them from?
Also, good thinking about the torch, not sure if my hubby's thought of that:-) Just had our flights confirmed for Tuesday 12th so will be back there then and see how we go.

[larabell]

Originally Posted by bushy

They sound like they could be a good thing to have in, where did you order them from?

Search amazon.co.jp for "停電ライト" (teiden light -- teiden means blackout). There's a model made by Nittan that's not too expensive. You can find a "Red Cross" model on amazon.com but they won't ship it to Japan. If you have time to order them at home, you might find cheaper (or better) versions but they don't seem to be available in any of the brick-an-mortar stores in Tokyo (Shimachu had a display for a Panasonic model but none in stock).

BTW, Maglights are generally available here, too. Those are the flashlights (torches) made from aluminum so, in theory, you could use them to pry windows open if need be .

[SarahNB]

Hello....hope you don't mind me joining in here. Would love to hear any updates about what life in Yokohama is like now (2 more months have elapsed since this converstaion 'ended')...are there any obvious signs/issues relating to the earthquake? Any issues regarding food safety etc? Are you still drinking bottled water? Are batteries available now? Are you sticking with imported foods and avoiding fresh produce? So many questions!

One can access information about these issues via the media, but it would be great to get real information from people who are actually there (and who probably know a lot more than anyone else!). We are in Australia still 'waiting' to go...not sure when that will happen, as yet.....still keen to find out as much as we can about everyday life in Yokohama. Thanks a lot!