Information regarding the Kobe earthquake from a student

[David Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

From: "Joel Weise" <joel () sisf mino osaka jp>


Charlie Stevenson <mendosan () aol com> recommended posting the following
information to your list.  I'm currently living in Osaka, one city away from
the epicenter, and sent out a report about a week ago on the status of life
here.  Most of you have probably seen the extent of the damage on TV but here
is a little more info.


Immediately following the earthquake at 5:46 a.m. which rated a 7.2 on the
Richter Scale, the phone lines in the Kansai area became choked up.
Surprisingly enough, Tokyo's lines also choked up for no apparent reason.


The week following the quake, all of the international schools in the area
were closed due to the fact that the main lines of public transportation into
the Kobe and Takarazuka areas were severely damaged.  Osaka International
School opened two Mondays ago with regular hours, Canadian Academy opened last
monday with a shortended day schedule, and Marist Brothers is scheduled to
open sometime in mid-February, at best.  Canadian Academy gave their teachers
the option of six months pay, round trip ticket to the states, and a
guaranteed job for next year but 70% of the teaching staff has chosen to stay
in Japan.


Regarding the train system in Kobe, Takarazuka, and Itami, the train systems
are expected to be running normally in about two years.  This is for the JR,
Hanshin, and Hankyu Railways.  The Shinkansen (Japan's Bullet Train) is
expected to be running normally in about 2 and a half months.  Currently,
the Shinkansen isn't running between Shin-Osaka and Himeiji.  At the time,
the Shinkansen wasn't in the area, but if it had been there could have been
many more deaths.


Current death toll is 5,069.  Injured: 27,000+.  Missing:19.  Houses damaged:
70,000+.  Houses without water: 420,000+.  Houses without gas: 800,000+.
Homeless: 300,000+.  Utilities aren't expected to be completely available
until about early to mid-march.


On the Japanese scale of earthquake rating (0-7), officials originally had the
earthquake rated as a six but revised their readings to a 7.  The scale is one
based on the extent of damage.  A seven, is damage to 30% or more of the
structures.  Officials have said that this earthquake has not only been the
strongest earthquake in an unrban area, but the strongest which Japan has
ever had.  Officials have also said that this earthquake a once every 1000
year occurence to this area.


The weekend following the earthquake, I went in with the Osaka YWCA to help
get supplies into Kobe.  The problem with the rescue efforts made by the city
is that there is no organized group to coordinate distribution of supplies.
Everyday, Kobe city would drop off supplies in the morning to relief centers
but it wasn't necessarily stuff which was needed.  The Tokyo government has
also shown poor leadership with this disaster.  Though the SDF (Self Defense
Forces) has been sent in to Kobe and Takarazuka, all that they have been doing
is patrolling the streets.  The US military has capabilities to set up field
kitchens within 24 hours of a disaster that can feed thousands of people but
none of that type of action has been seen here.  Ironically, instead of the
government leading relief efforts, they have been relying heavily on the NGO's
to do the relief effort.


Some problems which need to be solved:
        NGO's need funding
        Poorer areas in Kobe will not be able to afford rebuilding costs


If you are interested in contributing to the effort I can get more information
to you regarding groups taking donations.


Joel Wiese
Osaka International School Student

--
Joel Weise
joel () sisf mino osaka jp