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To Japan and all over the world. Today is an unforgettable day for both Japan and me.

March 11th, 2011, 8 years ago from now. An earthquake of magnitude 9.0 occurred at 14:46:18 Japan time. An unprecedented disaster that is said to be the Great East Japan Earthquake later.

I was in Nishiazabu, Tokyo, that day. The office building in the residential area has 3 floors and there is a small elevator and we received a shock that pushed up like a big pile from the feet just before we tried to ride it from the first floor and felt a long and big tremor While somehow getting outside, the house around me swayed like a jelly, and I saw a man across the window of the house.

We shouted to the man "You went outside!", but they cannot move with each other. But the man signaled "to be alright" surprisingly. I saw the threat of an earthquake for the first time when I saw the electrical wires jumping like jump rope.

We Japanese disaster prevention drills from small time. Elementary school and junior high school mainly conduct disaster drills in groups on September 1 every year. Because September 1 is called disaster prevention day, that day is the day of the Great Kanto Earthquake that occurred on September 1, 1923. But I think it was ritual.

In fact, Japan is a country with many earthquakes. Still I have never experienced the real fear of earthquakes for more than 30 years since I was born. Even at the time of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake that occurred on January 17, 1995.

I was watching TV at home that day. Even in the black smoke projected on the TV screen, even the sight of Kobe city which turned into rubble, it did feel like a movie scene.

And, 8 years ago today. When the tremor of the earthquake fell, we went to a convenience store, bought a drink and were checking the news while drinking it. At that same moment, I did not realize that it was a sight that I could not imagine at a distance of over 300 km far from Tokyo where I was. For us it was still another person.

And, from the news information we knew that the transportation in Tokyo has completely stopped. We gave up going home forcibly and spent the time in the office. After that, we started walking towards Shibuya from late night; we were eating ramen at Shibuya Center Street at the dawn. After that, we using subway, and to walk reached home.

In this way, we actually felt the tremor which I had never experienced before, but yet I did not understand that horror.

Because, that day,

I did not lose my family and friends. I did not lose my house, wealth or work. I have not lost anything in my life. And above all, I was alive.

In the past eight years so far, I learned later about what happened on that day.

I did not know anything, but since I think that there is something that can be done in the future in the future by knowing a lot of things from now on, I would like to spread information without giving up.

I am praying for the happiness of Japan and the world especially more than usual day.

--------------------------------- 日本と世界中のみなさんへ。 今日は日本にとっても、私にとっても忘れられない日です。 今から8年前の2011年3月11日。 日本時間14時46分18秒にマグニチュード9.0の地震が発生。後に東日本大震災といわれる未曾有の災害。 私はあの日、東京の西麻布にいました。 住宅街にあるオフィスビルは3階建てで小さなエレベーターがあり、私たちは１階からそれに乗ろうとした直前、足元から大きな杭のようなもので突き上げられるような衝撃を受け、長く大きな揺れを感じながらどうにか外に出ると、目前の住宅がまるでゼリーのように揺れ動き、その家の窓越しに男性がいるのが見えました。

私たちはその男性に「はやく外に出て！」と叫びましたが、お互いに身動きができません。しかしその男性は驚いたことに「大丈夫」と合図をしたのです。 周囲の電線が縄跳びのように跳ねあがるのを見て、私は生まれて初めて地震の脅威を感じました。 私たち日本人は小さな頃から防災訓練をします。 小学校や中学校では主に毎年9月1日に集団で防災訓練をするのです。 なぜなら9月1日は防災の日と呼ばれ、その日は1923年9月1日に発生した関東大震災の日だからです。しかしそれは儀礼的なものだったと思います。 実際、日本は地震の多い国です。 それでも私は生まれてから30年以上も地震の本当の恐ろしさを体験したことはありませんでした。 1995年1月17日に起きた阪神・淡路大震災の時でさえもです。 私はあの日、自宅でテレビを見ていました。 テレビ画面に映し出される黒煙の中、瓦礫と化した神戸市内の光景でさえ、まるで映画のシーンのように実感がなかったのです。 そして、8年前の今日。 私たちは地震の揺れが収まるとコンビニに行き、飲み物を買ってそれを飲みながらニュースを確認していました。 その同じ瞬間に、私がいた東京から遠く300km以上も離れたところでは想像もできないような光景だったということ実感していませんでした。 私たちにとってはまだ他人事だったのです。

そして、ニュース情報から都内の交通機関が完全にストップしたことを知ります。 私たちは無理に帰宅することをあきらめ、しばらオフィスの中で過ごしました。 その後、私たちは深夜になってから渋谷方面へ向けて歩き出し、明け方の渋谷の繁華街でラーメンを食べていたのです。 その後、可能な限り動き出した地下鉄と徒歩を利用して自宅にたどり着きました。

こうして私たちは実際にこれまで体験したことがない揺れを感じながらも、まだその恐ろしさを理解していませんでした。 なぜなら 私は家族も友人も失いませんでした。 家も財産も仕事も失いませんでした。 私の人生で何も失いませんでした。 そしてなによりも、私は生きていたのです。

この8年間、あの日に何が起きたのか、後から知ることばかりでした。 しかし、何も知らなかったからこそ、 これからに向けてできることがあると信じて、 何かを発信していきたいと思っています。

今日はいつもよりも特別に、日本と世界に祈りを込めて。 Writen by OMUSUBI Japan Organizer asaimiho (@asaimiho_post)

[omusubijp]

In order to stay safe in Japan？

People who come to Japan from now on, people who came to Japan already.

Some of you may have an image that "Japan is a safe country."

However, in fact, Japan can not be said to be so "safe".

"Danger and safety" live together in Japan.

Suddenly, I apologize to those who feel like being threatened.

（So Sorry…）

But, I decided to write such an article this time because I was consulted about the disaster that occurred in the life of a British man living in a certain city in Tokyo.

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He is in his late twenties. He came to Japan from the UK, and his job to teacher.

Of course, he is also studying Japanese.

He made a lease agreement for an apartment with a contract to use the internet line in Tokyo.

In today's era, being in an environment where the Internet can be used immediately is very useful.

But quiet calamity was approaching him...!

One day, an apartment doorbell where an English man lives rang and an Englishman opened the door of the room, where a strange Japanese man stood there.

That strange Japanese man repeatedly said, "I came from NTT and SOFTBANK."

However, British men did not understand Japanese well.

Japanese men advance talks.

A man in the UK can not understand Japanese men 's words.

Besides, Japanese men used gestures to try to write British men somehow like a contract.

I also requested a British man to show his credit card.

The British men refused to present him with his credit card. Because he thought that Japanese men are suspicious.

But Japanese men did not retreat.

And Japanese man took out the tablet PC and let the British man sign it's screen with his finger.

English man says that he followed japanese man is instructions because he wanted this doubtful man to leave so quickly.

But he did not know what he was doing.

Well, what did British men sign on this exchange?

About a month later.

A British man who does not know anything, will receive a payment invoice for unused Internet usage fee.

How, he was forced to transfer contracts for Internet provider contracts.

He did not understand the reason and talked to me, "What letter is this letter?"

So I realized that he was deceived and made a contract.

The victims of such cases are not only foreigners who do not understand Japanese. There are countless victims among Japanese who were born in Japan, bred in Japan, and live in Japanese, which is actually a social problem.

Contracts and usage methods of the Internet in Japan are very complicated and difficult to understand, and there are many subcontractors who are using aggressive marketing activities using it.

The more damaging advisory counseling offices of public institutions, the more it occurs day by day.

However, these sales activities are not illegal as they only process procedures to change the company of the current Internet subscribers. However, they make use of misunderstanding words that they are officials of NTT and Softbank, and confuse victim.

They are agents who acquire provider contracts, but they are not NTT or SOFTBANK corporations.

In other words, it is trying to gain the sales performance of the agency by letting you misunderstand the goal, make you feel like you have to change the contract.

However, in this case, the English did not understand Japanese.

In other words, it was clearly bad that Japanese contractors aggressively signed the contract despite the obvious explanation about the contract with him, and his consent was not obvious. Therefore, I applied for a complaint to them and succeeded in canceling the contract without paying a cancellation fee etc. It was said that the person who actually contracted was absent, and his boss accepted our request and apologized by telephone.

I was sorry that the British male had a very annoying feeling in less than three months since I came to Japan, but I think that I was really happy to be able to solve it safely.

Then, what should be done specifically to prevent this kind of situation?

By protecting only one thing, 95% of such a dangerous situation can be prevented.

That way is easy.

"You don't never open the door of your house."

As long as someone visits you do not have a certain plan, never open the door even if the doorbell of your house is ringing.

In Japan, It is almost always a supplier who requests a newspaper subscription or NHK Public Broadcasting fee to ring the doorbell of your house in halfway time though no one is planning to visit you.

In other words, it is not a mistake to think that only someone trying to make you pay some kind of money will do it.

In the meantime Japan is not a gun society, so it is unlikely that you will suddenly be hit by a gun as soon as you open the door, but instead you may be charged for money.

If you do not want meaningful payment, do not open the door.

If you shop at Amazon, please go to a nearby convenience store as much as possible so that you can receive it directly, or if you can not, please specify a reception date firmly and wait for the package. Or let's use the courier delivery box.

I hope that you can safely and happily stay in Japan.

Writen by

OMUSUBI Japan Organizer

Aisham (@aishamio_post)