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Typhoon strands several thousand commuters in Tokyo

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Yes, Zichi is right. And let none of you be surprised when it causes another disaster. The potential harm and further release of isotypes could be astronomical. The "road map" is a PR play on words, and so is "cold shut down". Now we're down to hoping the wind and rain blow in another directions, otherwise more radiation will affect us. Yeah, Hosonom that is stability.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

The gods really have it in, for fukushime, Earthquake, tsunami, meltdown and now a typhoon, i feel sorry for the people in that area, and i hope that the temporary housings are up to spec.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Yes, Zichi is right. And let none of you be surprised when it causes another disaster. The potential harm and further release of isotypes could be astronomical.

Geez, lots of things COULD happen but probably not much will. The storm will have lost much of its power by the time it hits Fukushima.

It's silly to send out of waves of alarm over what could happen. We all know what could happen. I think some of you with agendas actually want something bad to happen so you can sit smugly and nod your heads. How about hoping things work out well? Tried that?

4 ( +5 / -3 )

It's looking pretty bad here in Tokyo. Just going to nip out and check the Edogawa isn't flooding. Back in a minute.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Outside of the house, it looks like storm. What a surprising level of the water. I hope not to harm here in Japan, especially, Fukushima, and other devastated area.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I can only pray for Fukushima and all you guys down there. We are enjoying picture perfect waves with almost no offshore wind and hardly anybody surfing today in Hokkaido. Looks pretty rough on Kamakura's Ustream web cam. Be safe.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@Foxie

You surf too? Here is a web cam for down at Shonan. Tons of surfers there but not today. The cam is really hard to view now, but this morning the waves were beautiful.

http://cam6067746.miemasu.net/CgiStart?page=Single&Language=1

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Local primary school already send all the pupils home. Shortened their study day. Rain and wind is picking up now.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Kids sent home from school, no wind, sunny. Hope they retest all the rice again after the storm in Fukushima. All the results before will be out of date.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

I'm in Hamamatsu, and we've strong gale force winds here. I battened down the hatches last night but one of the tarp covered outbuildings I use for storage might lose it's covering. Tried to reinforce it again but the battering wind and rain forced me back inside after about five minutes. This is a hell of a storm.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Wasn't bad here at all, though we had a strong wind warning (now lifted).

"Takeo Iwamoto, spokesman for Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), the utility that operates the plant, said the cooling system for the reactors, crucial to keeping them under control, will not be endangered by the typhoon."

Yes, well, the plant was also safe against earthquakes and tsunamis, according to TEPCO, if I recall correctly (until the thing 'nobody could have forseen' -- save for the scientists who warned TEPCO), so forgive me if I'm skeptical.

That said, I'm with zichi and others -- I hope there is no further damage to the plant, and no flooding that will result in contaminated water and debris leaking and/or running out to other places.

Dennis: the gods had nothing to do with the meltdown -- that was simple incompetence by TEPCO, and the people are paying the price, with no end in sight. The rest of it, yes, it does seem that Japan is being hit rather harshly with natural disasters (more than normal, that is).

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@Foxie: I live in Hokkaido too. It's a big place. Interesting how you know how many people are surfing all over the island. :) As for the topic at hand, Japan sure has had a tough year. What always strikes me with the evacuation notices on TV is that the number of households and the number of people evacuated seem to show that a lot of people live alone. In rural areas, I think a lot of those are senior citizens. I hope they can ride out this storm. Also, why do people feel the need to go check the river/ocean when there is a typhoon coming and why do their loved ones allow them to do this?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Hey! Oikawa! Dont worry about the Edogawa - I can see it from here up on my roof (damned broken slates!) and it looks fine.....

2 ( +3 / -1 )

@Friendly Cove: Of course I know how many surfers are out everywhere because we got hotlines.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2w5kffJnq8 : p

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Really windy ATM

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I was forced back to my office as I left too late. Oimachi and Denentoshi lines down. This is terrible.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Blowing a gale here in Asagaya! Won't be venturing outside tonight! Take care everyone!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Well it's blowing like hell here in Chiba. Wind is really whipping through my apartments.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

My son lives in Nagoya and I am a little bit worried

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Too late to go home. Many train lines are stopped. Now I'm stuck at work until the typhoon passes.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I'm in Ota-ku and the winds here are really blowing strong. I never been through a typhoon before, so it's a little scary for me. Thank God my hubby came home early.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I am in Oota-ku too and this is by far the biggest that has hit us in Tokyo in the last 10 years or so.

Still a delivery guy from a supermarket brough us our order. He had dropped the eggs and was worried that some are broken but we told him not to worry. He wanted to bring us new ones still today! :)

Tamagawa seems to have swolled quite big but that was to be expected. I just hope the trees behind us will not decide to fall down...

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Trains-lines started shutting down from around 15:00 today. Strong gusty winds here too in the west of Tokyo, reckon we will hit the peak in 2-3hrs.

Stocked up with food and beverages yesterday, nicely tucked in and won't move.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Trains-lines started shutting down from around 15:00 today.

Mine shut down at 13:00, but that's not unusual for the Keiyo. Good thing I had my car today!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Wind's blowin', rain's whippin' around, wine pours easy-

Amongst tomorrow's damage assessments, I predict a a hangover.

11 ( +10 / -0 )

Hey Ms Washida! Thanks for letting me know. I never made it cos I had to go for a run down the coast first and I was too tired to check on the river. How are your slates? It's better to check at night so the light of the moon can help you see.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Happpy to see all posters on thes site are safe, and hoping the rest of the Japanese population are fairing the same

1 ( +1 / -0 )

is expected to move toward Japan’s tsunami-ravaged northeastern coast, approaching a nuclear power plant crippled in that disaster

...double troubles...:(

0 ( +0 / -0 )

All this has given me a real bad hair day :(

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I was just outside with my parents when it began! we were in ginza and I really was scared! Now again i the hotel I heard th ewind blowing and everything is shaking ouside! the rain began at night and its does not sop! the sirene's are still to be herad;( I hope it will stop .. i am so sceard!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

So people watched the new last night and saw the floods in Nagoya and thought that... staying at work with the warning of the typhoon coming was a good idea and are now stranded? Thump on the heads to them and their companies. Am sure it will just be a lot of wind and rain as it was here. No flooding where I was even though we were on the evacuation list. Good luck.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Anita Ramnath if you remain in your hotel you'll be fine and it will be over very soon.

Strong winds to continue, but not much more rain for Tokyo. Clear skies by midnight, blustery winds to continue. Could be a nice day tomorrow?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Anita, the worst in Tokyo is over, so don't worry.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

tmarie, yes it is stupid isn't it.. I was sent home at 10am, It has been obvious for a while which way this typhoon was headed. No sympathy for anyone stuck at work on this occasion. I heard my father-in-law was still at work at 4ish and my jaw almost dropped. I get warned not to drive in tiny snow showers which is not inherently dangerous and a little common sense is all you need, yet the in-laws were thinking of driving half an hour to a different station to pick him up in a FRIGGIN TYPHOON! I just don't get it...

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Oikawa, My neighbour decided that seeing as it's collection day for burnable rubbish tomorrow morning, that she would put all her cardboard outside her front door tonight, so it's easy to take downstairs in the morning. There are now cardboard boxes spread for about 200m down the road. Some people don't think. Anyway, no damage here, and worst should be passing soon.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

oikawa/tmarie, at around 2.30 when I got the Toyoko line back it wasn't busy at all, and mostly it was shop workers, schoolkids etc. Almost no city workers at that time and the winds were already picking up. I pictured trains crammed with salarymen getting stuck between Tokyo and Yokohama for hours from about 4pm onwards. Just crazy to stay the extra hour or two with such an unpredictable event.

Now you see people queueing for hours at stations to get a packed train home - just go for a beer!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Just crazy to stay the extra hour or two with such an unpredictable event.

It is, but so many didn't have a choice because their companies made them stay.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

on the Uni campus many tree branches fell, some of them really big. the campus roads are blocked for the moment, they will probably clean them tomorrow. The winds calmed down, so in one-two hours I'll go back as well.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

My employer was kind enough to let me go at 4 pm today because of the typhoon. Regardless, took me 2 hours longer than usual to get to my place. An hour of that was spent packed like a sardine on the Yamnote line. Seriously, most unpleasant train ride I've experience Since Mar. 12

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Typhoons in Asia are hurricanes in the States. So the question I have for those of you in Japan is: Do they make the poor weathermen/women in Japan go out and stand next to the surf to report "live" on how dangerous it is to be standing next to the surf - like they do during hurricanes here in the States? Stupidest thing I see during hurricanes and it happens EVERY hurricane. :-/

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Japan, be strong!!!

In December I will go to Tokyo and help in any way possible=3

頑張って 日本!!!!!!!!!!!!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Of course, Fadamor, they do that here too. I felt so sorry for that reporter reporting from Shibuya. His hood flew off from the wind and he was just soaking wet. Those reporters sure don't have it easy.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Me and my wife were discussing this and she agreed. If a big typhoon is coming companies should give there employees a chance to leave early on the companies dime or there own. I watched as several thousand were stranded trying to get home. I wish the companies in Japan were a little more compassionate for there employees time and stress. Just got an update on TV a moderate earthquake up North. All in all it was not that bad just an inconvenience.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

It is, but so many didn't have a choice because their companies made them stay.

Is that really true though? I doubt anyone had the balls to say "Err boss, do you mind if I go home an hour or two early today because there's a massive typhoon hitting this area in a few hours which has already killed a lot people?". If they had they might have had some luck, and if everyone did it managers would have no choice.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Nice to end a day battling typhoon weather with a nice, little shaky shaky! Ibaraki folks hope you are okay?

Wonder what tomorrow will bring? Volcanic eruption... hurricane.....more good news from Fukushima.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

My coworker and I basically refused to go into work today, which was from 6-9 pm. Our boss kept saying "Well the head managers are not closing the company today so we have to work" and we both basically said "we won't be able to come in because the trains will likely stop, and it would be stupid to pay half our salary for todays work in taxi fare. Then, as we predicted, the trains stopped just as it hit Tokyo around 4:30 and she finally said "well, I guess you can't come in today"

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Is that really true though? I doubt anyone had the balls to say "Err boss, do you mind if I go home an hour or two early today because there's a massive typhoon hitting this area in a few hours which has already killed a lot people?"

Yes, it's really true. My office has people from several companies, a few were told "Sure, if you really want to go home, but we won't make you" which apparently means "You can go home but you're taking a half day holiday to do so." So they had to have a standoff with their bosses until the company would tell them to go (and they would actually get paid for the whole day).

Freaking goofy.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Agreed with @Samantha Zoe Aso interesting day. I hope all is well with our neighbors North of Tokyo that got a quake a few minutes ago.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

thank god mild storm is over.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I heard my father-in-law was still at work at 4ish and my jaw almost dropped. I get warned not to drive in tiny snow showers which is not inherently dangerous and a little common sense is all you need, yet the in-laws were thinking of driving half an hour to a different station to pick him up in a FRIGGIN TYPHOON! I just don't get it...

Yep, welcome to the psyche of Japanese salarymen!

I dropped the kids off at a friends and drove out to get my husband! A tree is down in Tsukiji, and the debris in the road (branches, broken umbrellas, a concrete block from a construction site!!!) was causing numerous jams. For me it was a case of doing that or sitting in my apartment on the 17th floor with the windows rattling and watching the poor bunny in his cage get physically lifted off the balcony floor (dont worry Cleo, we brought him inside and hes snug as a bug in the lounge now!). I have never experienced a direct hit on Tokyo before. It was pretty scary. We are all home safe now, and the kids thought it was a great adventure, visiting their friends place in our building in the evening - just because they have a Wii and we dont!

Ive never driven in weather like that before - not since England anyway! I wont be doing it again. Next time its the cube hotel for him and ILL be at the friends place on the Wii!

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Do they make the poor weathermen/women in Japan go out and stand next to the surf to report "live" on how dangerous it is to be standing next to the surf - like they do during hurricanes here in the States?

Oh, yes they do!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

thank god mild storm is over.

You obviously weren't trying to do anything outside in it. Plenty of wind gusts over 40 m/s.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Pawatan, that's what I mean though, a little negotiation can get you very far if you have the balls to just ask. And for something like a direct hit typhoon it's got to enter the general population as common sense that it's better to be home safe than not come home at all, just like it's better not to speed and be late than speed and not make it at all. Like in my previous post I don't get how major events like typhoons and radiation cause less fear and general panic than a little bit of rain or snow or similarly minor events.

NIcky, yeah next time definitely make him stay in a capsule hotel! I saw on the news tonight There were loads of trees and stuff down around Tokyo. That video of the people running out of the office building in Yokohama on 3/11 and being millimetres away form getting hit by falling debris opened my eyes to how dangerous urban areas can be in situations like these.

Now how's the edogawa doing.. I'll need a torch at this time of night.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Wonder what tomorrow will bring?

Frogs, locusts, boils, hail.

If we get three days of darkness, I'll be painting the front door with lamb's blood.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Several thousand stranded not because of the typhoon, but because the companies would not let them go until there was a warning serious enough to warrant their methods of going home being shut down. They'll be expected to work tomorrow at 100% despite having slept in their cubicles, and will probably be reprimanded for being slightly unkempt.

While not suffering like those who have lost a lot in this typhoon due to flooding or playing on roof-tops or what have you, I feel sorry for the people who get screwed by companies who refuse to let people go home despite serious warnings, and then get doubly screwed because they have to work again as though nothing happened the next morning. There are so many things wrong with the way things are done here.... no one should have been stranded given that the storm's path was broadcast so well in advance.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

cleo: "If we get three days of darkness, I'll be painting the front door with lamb's blood."

I doubt it... you'd no sooner kill a critter than have the world actually go to hell as a result, and I respect you for that. As for the bizarre phenomena you touch on, you do know it has already rained fish and tadpoles in various places around the nation. So, just use the left over stuff from the pork-chop back when you paint your door... no need to sacrifice anything except your lunch.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

lol You got me, smitty. No critter chops in sight, and lunch will be leftover veggie pot pie - d'you think ketchup would do?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I hope and pray all are safe from harm in Japan and that safety and the love of your neighbor and Higher Power embraces you in the days to come. I am from Pleasant Grove, Alabama and a massive tornado destroyed my entire city on April 27. 2011. I lost many friends and loved ones and most of us lost our homes. I say this to let you know I sympathize with all of you as a survivor of a disaster--of course nothing was near as bad as your March 11 earthquake and tsunami, but I just was saying that I know the fear of uncertainty of safety. Please know you are all in our prayers and thoughts.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

On a lighter note, I must say that to the posters who commented on panic during a little snow or ice--OH MY, you must be so much like my home!! We do EXACTLY the same here in Alabama!!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

We got an email yesterday from the halfwits in my office: "Staff should not leave early. If weather conditions worsen, a decision may be made on permission to leave early".

I sent back immediately, "I will be leaving at 3:30, or I won't be able to get home. I'm not being held hostage by inflexibility".

Within ten minutes, a message came back, "Staff may leave early., but will be regarded as having left early."

It just takes a bit of spine, folks. Still took me ten hours to get home, though.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

@sethsbosmom:

I am guessing you have little or no connection to Japan (sadly other than being a disaster victim yourself) so thank you for having the compassion to take the trouble to come here and post your message. I heard first hand just yesterday that among the disaster areas biggest concerns now is the fear that the outside world has moved on and forgotten. I know your thoughts and prayers are much appreciated.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I gotta agree with Patrick. My employer had the smarts to send us all home by 2 PM. A number of people left, but as I was leaving, I could still see some people just sitting there at work as if there was no announcement. I got home by 3:30 PM and missed a lot of the "excitement" - I have no sympathy for anyone who ignored the announcement to leave early.

Makes me wonder if some in Japan find being stuck in these horrendous situations (did you see Shinjuku or Shibuya station last night on the news?!) as being "fun" or "exciting"?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

My company allows employees to leave early when there is a typhoon/disaster (they provide a special paid leave to everybody for "exceptional circumstances"). Most of the employees left around 3 pm. It was obvious trains would be stopped from 6 pm. Unfortunately, many companies do not have such a system.

There is a very common misconception in this country that economic success is directly proportional to the number of working hours for the staff (which leads to situations where people have to keep "working" even though there is a typhoon). It couldn't be further from the truth. It is all a matter of organization, good planning and good management. With some organizational thinking, it is feasible to significantly decrease the amount of overtime for staff (especially for basic staff, for executives this is of course another story). Unless you have some administrative work to do, it doesn't make sense anyway to work during a typhoon, while the whole city is paralyzed anyway (clients could not be reached, business meetings could not be held, so why bother?).

I was a manager for a previous (crappy) company in Tokyo for a short time (I left after a few months), and I could not believe how bad organized they were, which led the company to ask for unpaid overtime for staff and rely on contract secretaries (no paid vacation, no insurance, cash payment). They did not have a proper client database (everything on various papers, e-mails and doc files), and accounting was done manually. With a few tricks (client database, online HR system for employees), we started to significantly decrease the amount of basic administrative work (to focus on the core business and marketing). The owners were morons though and I don't believe they implemented the necessary measures after I left.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

People need to grow some balls here. They can't be fired here of all things so... telling your boss you are heading home so you don't get stranded during a typhoon is def okay. Sheeple...

My school cancelled... 5th period. When all of the students were here already, they sent them home.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Godan and patrick, you did the right thing. I found the camera shot from the top of the people waiting outside Shinjuku station (?) waiting for the bus amazing. It was a sea of umbrellas.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Well, a lot of companies must have let their employees go early, because by 4 pm the Yamanote was a zoo; as in, people getting hurt and talking about feeling sick, elbows and knees in your ears kind of packed. And Ueno must have had thousands crammed into the station by 4:30. The Yamanote was seriously a nightmare - people and items kept falling onto the track and they were stopping the train every 30 seconds.

Oddly, the Keihin Tohoku was shut down for completely unrelated reasons for several hours.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

People need to grow some balls here.

I totally agree with you, tmarie. It didn't matter if it was here in Japan, or back in the U.S., I took days off when I deemed it unsafe to go to work (even when my company here or back home in the states didn't allow for it). Never affected my job standing as I still had a job after each case. People have to realize that while there will be some extraordinarily compassionate companies in the world which would have foresight to allow all of their employees to leave work or stay home, not all are. You just have to use your own common sense and stand behind your priorities in life. I remember when a couple of friends in California a couple of years ago were threatened by some wildfires near the north part of Los Angeles. Even though they had to go into work, they didn't because they had much more important things to worry about than work, like escaping the fires and saving their homes and family. They just said to hell with our bosses, we're not going in to work, and that's final. Good for them, and good on the people in Japan who did stay home and stayed out of the typhoon.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

That's just it erikaj. If people actually stood up to their bosses every now and then, I think things would change here. There is taking the piss and refusing to go in - which should be counted as a holiday or no pay - and then days like yesterday where people should have been allowed to go home at lunch. Mind you, Japan does overreact to typhoon all the time so perhaps the companies just hedge their bets that it won't be bad? Lord knows last time I had classes cancelled for a typhoon it turned out to be a nice day and there was no need to cancel. They also always cancel last minute when students are either at school or nearly there....

0 ( +0 / -0 )

As preparation (in Ibaraki-ken) I went to work half an hour earlier, therefore I was able to leave 10 minutes before the standard closing time. No need to ask the boss as we have a working time recording system, where one can clock in and out from the PC. And if one comes a little earlier and leaves a little earlier, one can adjust the recorded value to the nearest standard value the next day. Anyhow, I could avoid the usual car traffic jam at standard closing time and was at home short before 18:00. Some rain, and some wind, yes, but it took some time for the typhoon to reach Ibaraki from Mito. When the typhoon was there, it was interesting to watch the situation in Tokyo on TV while having nice supper with the family at home.

And then children enjoyed a nice bath while they could hear the strong wind outside.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

That's just it erikaj. If people actually stood up to their bosses every now and then, I think things would change here.

That's right, tmarie. But things wouldn't only change here in Japan, but also in other parts of the world, such as the U.S., where so many bosses work you to the bone and make you face gridlock traffic in places like L.A. even when you shouldn't be going to work.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government should have ordered people to stay home! So sad to see everybody stuck in Shibuya no trains etc...my wife had to ride a bicycle in this mess! Imagine we get another big quake and everybody stuck outside in the wind and rain ??

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government should have ordered people to stay home!

Why? I stayed home, and I didn't need anyone to tell me that. Do you need someone to remind you to wipe yourself after you use the toilet? Do you need to be told to look both ways before crossing the street? It's times like these that I really wish more people would simply use their own common sense. Besides, even if the government ordered people to stay home, I'm pretty sure a lot of people won't even listen to it. Official orders like that won't really do a lot of good. How many times do we hear of people drowning even though they've been warned time and time again not to go swimming during a hurricane?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I found the camera shot from the top of the people waiting outside Shinjuku station (?) waiting for the bus amazing. It was a sea of umbrellas.

The one I saw was of Shibuya station and yes it was amazing!

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government should have ordered people to stay home!

Why? I stayed home, and I didn't need anyone to tell me that. Do you need someone to remind you to wipe yourself after you use the toilet?

Whoa! Chill erikaj! I dont think Elbuda was saying he needs to be told, just that most of Tokyo seem to need to be told, which is actually pretty spot on if you read some of the posts above.

Im all for tmaries idea of actually standing up to some of these a-wipes who seem to think they have the power to laud it over basic common sense.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I really wish more people would simply use their own common sense.

Therein lies the issue! To be fair to my husband though (who was one of those stranded) he uses the subway all the way home, and neither of us have ever known a typhoon actually stop the subway before. i think a lot of people just assumed the underground trains would keep running even if the overland ones stop, and thats what caught a lot of people out.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Japanese are slaves to their company. If the boss said come in, then you have to go.

Your life, property is of no consequence to them. We had to go to work. Just to hear some old men speak. They do love the sound of their own voices.

I ordered sushi last night. I asked the shop if it was okay. I could hear the wind howling. They said sure, it's no problem. They delivered. I went to the front door and sure enough this poor guy was soaking wet but my sushi was well protected. Anything for the all mighty buck.

I tipped the guy. He tried to refuse it too. I said to him. Look, it's awful out here. You brought me sushi, risked your life to do it. I insisted and he finally after many nods took the money in secret.

Seriously, there's no limit. I wonder if someone from TEPCO Fukushima ordered a pizza to the nuclear facility would they really send someone there to deliver it. Probably yes.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Your life, property is of no consequence to them.

That is so true. Therein lies the dilemma. Back where I come from, workers have more freedom and leeway to do things as they feel necessary in their company. Granted, that equates to laziness by workers, employees coming in late, etc. However, they can take off work more liberally. Yet, I do encounter the problem of poor customer service, but as an employee of the company, it is great. Here in Japan, it is strict on workers, but as a customer, it is paradise, since I never have to worry about a wrong order, or cold food being served me, etc. There must be some way to meet halfway, in both worlds.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I dont think Elbuda was saying he needs to be told, just that most of Tokyo seem to need to be told, which is actually pretty spot on if you read some of the posts above.

NickyWashida: As if telling them would make a difference. People are told all the time not to go swimming in the ocean during a hurricane in the U.S., but they still do it. After the earthquake and tsunami of 3/11 people were told by the government not to hoard water, but they still did it.

Many of my friends heard the news reports about how this typhoon was going to be a big one, days before it arrived, and thus took necessary precautions. Taking one or two days off from work won't kill you. I still have my job, and so do all my friends who took off. If you happen to work for a boss that is so anal that they would fire you for missing one day of work because of a typhoon, then it is a sign that that company is not a pleasant one to work for and not worth your time.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"I ordered sushi last night. I asked the shop if it was okay. I could hear the wind howling. They said sure, it's no problem. They delivered. I went to the front door and sure enough this poor guy was soaking wet but my sushi was well protected. Anything for the all mighty buck."

It's a lot more like, "Anything for sushi."

Despite knowing full well the weather was horrid, despite knowing full well the company would indeed expect him to make the delivery, and despite faux outrage over your assertion that "Japanese are slaves to their company," -- despite all of this, you still ordered the sushi.

Who was being more selfish here, the company or the customer?

Although I'm sure the guy appreciated the tip you gave him for risking life and limb just so you could avoid having to cook.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

@Nicky Washida--no I have no connection with Japan. I am glad that all posting here are safe and I hope and pray those who were affected find peace and all the help they need. Japan will not be forgotten, believe me.

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It's times like these that make me glad I'm living within the 23 wards of Tokyo. There are about 6 stations within a 20 minute walk around my house, so even though JR and most private railways were down I was able to ride 3 different subways that were still running to get home.

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