Government issues travel warning, sends navy to Japan, braces west coast

by Chris Owen on
In the anticipated travel alert issued after an 8.9 magnitude earthquake struck Northern Japan today, the U.S. Department of State is urging U.S. citizens to avoid travel to Japan through the end of the month. Offering condolences for loss of life and damage caused by the event, President Obama ordered mobilization of military disaster relief sending the U.S. Navy to aid early this morning and directed FEMA to go on high alert in anticipation of damage to U.S. coastal areas.

“Strong aftershocks are likely for weeks following a strong earthquake such as this one” the Department of State said in today’s travel alert. Those in the affected are are urged to move to open spaces away from walls, windows, buildings and other structures.

Navy ships USS Essex, USS Blueridge, USS Tortuga have been deployed and are on their way to Japan to help in anticipated relief efforts. U.S. Navy ships in Guam had been told to head out to sea for safety reasons earlier in the day.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said today “I join President Obama in offering our sincere condolences for the loss of life and damage caused by the earthquake and tsunamis in Japan. We are closely monitoring the tsunamis that may impact other parts the world, including Hawaii and the West Coast of the United States.”

In California, residents are preparing for the worst. Under an advisory, not a warning, those who live on the water have been told to sail 3 miles off shore for safety concerns.

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Photo: Huffington Post

Wall of water threatens U.S. west coast

by Chris Owen on


The biggest earthquake to hit Japan in recorded history sent a series of tsunami waves across the pacific stopping by Hawaii on its way to the U.S west coast. A tsunami warning continues in effect as an ocean surge of one to three feet is anticipated.

A full coastal evacuation is underway in Hawaii as the first waves arrive and raise sea levels. Touching the North island of Oahu and moving down the island chain, the massive waves are anticipated to disrupt communications, transportation and power grids.

Hawaii, though is somewhat prepared for unusual surges in ocean levels, with first-hand experience just over a year ago when a tsunami struck Hawaii after a 8.8-magnitude Chile earthquake.

CNN’s Chad Myers warns this is nothing line a wave you might surf.

“A five foot wave heading ashore can go miles inland, causing untold damage” which is the fear of the US Coast Guard, preparing for the worst as the wall of water heads toward the coast of North America.

U.S. Coast Guard rescue crews are making preparations throughout the Main Hawaiian Islands to provide post-tsunami support. Coast Guard cutter and aircraft crews are positioning themselves to be ready to conduct response and survey missions as soon as it is safe.

“Ships transiting coastal areas fronting the Pacific Ocean [are advised] to take maximum precautionary measures and/or to take shelter as necessary, and to continue to monitor further information on alert level,” Coast Guard commandant Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said earlier in a statement sent by text to media outlets.

Much stronger than the earthquake that hit New Zealand just last month, the magnitude 8.9 offshore quake in Japan that occurred earlier today was followed by more than a dozen aftershocks of more than magnitude 6.0. Areas along a 1,300-mile stretch of coastline were shaken by violent tremors that reached as far away as Tokyo, hundreds of miles from the epicenter.

In Tokyo flights have been canceled including Nippon, Virgin, British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France and Malaysia Airlines which have have all canceled flights to and from both of Tokyo’s airports.

Japan’s All Nippon Airways Co. told the Wall Street Journal that “131 domestic and international flights were canceled, grounding 32,700 passengers. Including flights which changed destinations, the earthquake affected 162 flights and 37,800 passengers”

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Photo AP/Huffington Post


Big in Japan: Bullet train set to beat domestic rail speed record

by Matthew Firestone on


With the possible exception of the perfectly conical Mt. Fuji and the humble cherry blossom, there is perhaps no greater symbol of Japan than the shinkansen (新幹線) or bullet train. Racing across the archipelago at veritable race car speeds, the bullet train is the technological manifestation of performance, precision and elegance.

The statistics behind the bullet train are certainly impressive.

First debuting in 1964, the bullet train now runs along more than 1,500 miles of high-speed track. The rail system connects most major cities on the islands of Honshu and Kyushu, with planned extensions to Hokkaido starting in 2015.

Although world-speed records for conventional rail belong to the French TGV and the Chinese CRH, the Shinkansen is anything but a slow workhorse. The Nozomi superexpress, which runs between Tokyo and Hakata, reaches speeds of up to 180 mph. But there is a new bullet train in town that is about to change everything.

On that note, allow me to introduce you to the Hayabusa (はやぶさ) or Peregrine Falcon.This past weekend, Japan’s first new high-speed train in 14 years departed Tokyo station en route to the northern reaches of Honshu. Sporting a slick paint job of green, pink and silver, the Hayabusa will carry passengers up to Shin-Aomori at speeds of 180 mph.


By 2012 however, this upper limit will be raised to 198 mph, breaking the current domestic speed record for conventional rail travel. This is not to be confused with the newer maglev technology, which can reach an astonishing 361 mph.

Beyond standard and slightly more spacious ‘Green Car’ seats, the Hayabusa is also equipped with a brand new ‘Gran Class’ car. As a throwback to the grand old days of rail travel, Gran Class passengers can enjoy reclining leather seats, free alcoholic drinks and limited-edition bento box lunches.

One-way normal fare to Aomori costs ¥16,870 ($205), while Green Car and Gran Class seats cost ¥21,360 ($260) and ¥26,360 ($320), respectively. If you’re planning on splurging for Gran Class, book well in advance as they’re a hot commodity right now amongst Japanese rail enthusiasts.


Aomori itself is a rather non-descript industrial city with a few decent art museums and a famous morning market. But the surrounding countryside is home to world-class ski slopes, secluded onsen (hot springs) resorts and some of Japan’s best sake.

What are you waiting for? Spring is just around the corner, so layer up and head north into Japan’s famous snow country before it’s too late.

** All images are courtesy of the Wikimedia Commons Project **

Big in Japan: Cheating your way into university

by Matthew Firestone on


Over the next few weeks, high school students across America are making one of the biggest decisions of their young adult lives, namely where to attend university. In Japan, the situation is no different, though this year the annual ritual has been marred by the country’s largest ever cheating scandal.

For anyone out there in high school – or anyone with less than fond memories of being in high school – the SATs can be a painful rite of passage into semi-adulthood. The Japanese version is colloquially referred to as ‘exam war,’ and necessitates sitting for grueling entrance exams at multiple universities.

With the Japanese economy in the doldrums, and the pressure to succeed higher than ever, there is certainly temptation for youngsters to cheat. This week, the prestigious Kyoto University is embroiled in a battle with a prospective student, who is accused of sending and receiving messages from an online forum during an exam.

The Japanese media is having a field day, and the stress-stricken 19-yo from northern Japan is now a national pariah.Cheating on an exam is certainly nothing new, and there have been many ingenuous methods perpetrated over the years by crafty if ill-prepared test takers. But what distinguishes this scandal from others is the use of mobile phones and internet forums in a failed attempt to game the system.

According to reports

– and a few dodgy *dramatic re-enactments* that have been appearing on Japanese television – the student hid the phone between his thighs while texting with his left hand. Exam questions were sent to an online forum where possible accomplices were waiting to text back the answers.

What surprised many was the speed and deft at which the student was able to text. In true Japanese fashion, this subsequently prompted a few television shows dedicated to scouring the streets of Tokyo for the fastest texters amongst us!

Back to the story: the student was caught after Kyoto University received an anonymous tipoff. Police traced the posts from the website through the mobile phone provider

and back to the offending student’s mother.

Kyoto University officials and police were less than lenient. Rather than simply disqualifying the student’s test results, he was subsequently held under the charge of obstructing university business by fraudulent means.

It remains to be seen what will happen next to the offender, and it’s likely that Japanese universities will need to rethink their entrance exam policies.

Moral of the story (in English and in Japanese): Winners never cheat, and cheaters never win. ずるをする人は決して勝つことがなく、勝者は決してずるをしません。

** All images are courtesy of the Wikimedia Commons Project **

Coming face to face with history in Hiroshima, Japan

by Gadling Staff on

Hiroshima.

Just saying the name can often evoke a strong emotion or reaction. When I told people I intended to visit Hiroshima on my Japan trip, the response was usually the same.

“Why would you want to visit there?” my friends asked.

“Why not?” I quipped. “The city is home to one of the most epochal events in modern history!”

Despite the admonishments and the bitter winter temperatures, I now stand before it — Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. There are no children playing, only a few tourists snapping photos nearby. The neatly manicured grounds seem to merely provide a cover for the somber history located here.

The clouds part, allowing sunlight to stream through the crumbling walls and cragged ruins of the A-Bomb Dome, regarded as one of the most recognizable remnants from World War II.

Located a mere two blocks away sits a nondescript gray and blue tile building with only three Japanese characters at the top and a small plaque on the side that reads “Hypocenter“. As we approach, we spot a group of local Japanese surrounding the plaque, deep in conversation. Not wanting to intrude, we wait quietly behind, but their guide stops talking and motions for us to approach.
Switching from Japanese to English, she exclaims, “Please join us! I will share with you about the Hypocenter.”

Almost seemingly out of nowhere emerges an older Japanese man from the group. He is well-dressed, looks to be in his early 60’s, and has the most charming and inviting smile.

He walks over to us and asks, “Where are you from?”

I stutter and stammer, finally managing to answer, “The United States.”

Much like the rest of the group, he warmly welcomes us to Hiroshima. He begins sharing interesting details, details not regurgitated from any tour guide prompt. Instantly, I realize we are reliving this horrific event through his eyes — the eyes of an atom bomb survivor. Obviously not as young as he appears, the man tells a chilling account of the events that took place on August 6, 1945.

He was just a kid living less than two miles from the hypocenter. His father and brother worked right across the small alleyway, just feet from where we now stood. After the bomb was dropped, he rushed to the hypocenter to search for them, but was met only with a sea of death and destruction. Bodies were strewn everywhere and it was impossible to find anyone or anything — including his brother and father, who, he ultimately learned, had perished in the blast.

Talking to this man was the chance to live an important piece of world history — something that no high school or college textbook could’ve ever prepared me for. His words were filled with emotion and pain, yet he never uttered a negative sentiment. Although tragic, he seemed almost accepting of those day’s events. “Ultimately,” he said, “no matter where we are from, we both have the same goal — to live in peace.”