Things That Proved Essential

Was the magnitude 7.3 earthquake on March 9th merely a prelude?
At the time of the earthquake on March 11th, the small tremors we felt two days prior seemed like aftershocks. Suddenly, the shaking intensified, becoming long and violent. Bottles of sake tumbled down one after another. In the darkened store, plunged into darkness by a power outage, the scene was a nightmare, reminiscent of the Miyagi Prefecture offshore earthquake I experienced as a child.

Stepping out onto the street in front of the shop, cars had stopped, pedestrians sat slumped, and an eerie silence had fallen. It was like a scene from a movie, a terrifying stillness that clearly masked panic.

With the electricity out, we couldn't get information from the TV, so we relied on the radio. Since the phones were also down, I confirmed my family's safety via email. Once I had some peace of mind, I tidied up the store a bit and headed home. The extinguished traffic lights and the only illumination coming from car headlights created an surreal, otherworldly scene. At that point, we had no idea of the immense and devastating scale of the tsunami...

As time passed and information trickled in, the scale of the tsunami's devastation was almost unbelievable. 'No way,' we thought. 'It really reached that far?' Seeing familiar places, shops we'd frequented, transformed beyond recognition left us speechless, the reality too surreal to comprehend.

First and foremost, for my family

I consider myself fortunate that my family and I were spared from the tsunami's direct impact. However, securing food, gasoline, and kerosene immediately after the earthquake proved incredibly difficult. While adults can endure hardship, I couldn't let my growing middle school son and three-year-old daughter go hungry. We spent two to three hours in line at supermarkets, unsure if they would even open, grabbing whatever edible items we could find. Yet, there were restrictions, like 'limit five items per person.' Still, we'd celebrate as a family, 'We managed to buy bananas today!'

We also lined up at gas stations from 9 PM the previous night until they opened the next morning, not knowing if we'd even get fuel. The relief of finally getting gasoline and kerosene is something I will likely never forget. The gas was also shut off, so we couldn't bathe. For a while, we kept our spirits up, telling ourselves it would be okay, but by the tenth day, we reached our limit. We traveled to a ryokan in Akiu that had opened its baths. The moment I stepped into the hot water, I was overwhelmed with emotion – I never realized how wonderful a bath could be.

At the same time, bathing every day began to feel like a luxury... all the time spent queuing—We must have spent over 40 hours in total.

Looking back now, the things that proved essential were a portable phone charger for the car, a kerosene heater (which provided warmth, boiled water, and could be used for cooking), and, of course, emergency food supplies (canned goods, instant noodles, drinking water). I now keenly feel the importance of having disaster preparedness kits ready.

Of the essential utilities, we struggled most with water, even more than electricity or gas. It's crucial to conserve water, at least enough for bathing. Earthquakes can strike when you least expect it; we must never let our guard down. Please, everyone, stay vigilant.



Abehachi Sake Shop Co., Ltd.
4-5-35 Miyamachi, Aoba-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture
Tel. 022-222-6433
Fax. 022-262-3225