Coverage from TOKYO: Reporting from Shibuya, Saturday, 26/March
News Updates shared by Seki Satoko, Tokyo, Japan
I went to Shibuya, one of big cities in Tokyo to let you know what is really happening here. Government execute the rolling blackout in Kanto/Tokyo area right now and lots of lights are turned off in the city. One of the noisiest town in the world, Shibuya – Tokyo, is now very quiet and a bit dark.
Today’s coverage is from the street in Shibuya. I will update more on our daily life in Tokyo.
This is Shibuya station on Ginza line of Tokyo Metro. As you can see, most of fluhorescent lamps on the ceiling and the light for station signcard have been removed due to power saving. In the train, there are rarely lamps on the ceiling. I sometimes feel chilly as train turns off air conditioner inside.
This is a machine for train ticket and it says ‘Sale discontinuance’. All the train companies closed lots of ticket machines to contribute to saving power. Today, I found a half of thicket machines that set at Shibuya metro station are closed.
People are coming together to ask for donation for those who refuge in northern coastal area. We can see lots of organizations and people standing at Shibuya street as well as people offering their heart as donation.
This is the world famous Shibuya cross road. The big screens embedded on the building used to broadcast lots of visuals, but now they are turned off. Very quet and I kind of like that. I also found not many people are walking on crossroad for Saturday noon.
News Update: As of 21:45, 26/March, TOKYO
Japanese Royal Family volunteering to execute blackout in their own house, Tokyo
It is revealed that Japanese Royal Family has been executing blackout in their house since 15/March straight thru today. The area where they reside is not the target of rolling blackout which government executes after the quake, but the Emperer, the Empress, the Prince and his family turn off all the energy in their houses to execute blackout volunteerly even on the days TEPCO, Tokyo Electric Company called off the blackout.
The Emperer recently took a serious operation on cancer. Their servants gently recommended to not be hard on him, considering his health condition. However, he insists to continue living in the darkness with candles, saying ‘If it is cold, I would only put on extra clothes.’. He executes voluntary blackout twice a day as government scheduled for residents in Kanto/Tokyo area.
He also opened their Villa in Nasu, where they spend with their family every summer, to the refugees from Fukushima. Tomie Tada, 80 year old lady, said ‘It is too much for me to be alllowed to take a hot bath in their villa.’
