For those of you who were here 15 years ago (hard to believe it was that long!), I'd love to hear some of y'alls stories…and while 3/11 kicked it off, your stories as well about afterwards would also be welcome
For me, I was visiting our accountant in Omotesando in one of those old pencil buildings. There had been tremors the previous few days, but this shaking started and went for at least a minute-he had some of those old style filing cabinets in place where the shelves could slide out, and those were going back and forth scaring everyone in the office.
By the time the shaking finished, we evacuated down the stairs and I grabbed a bus back to the office (it was probably an hour walk). Since the trains had stopped, the bus got more and more full until it stopped picking up passengers, the first (and only) time I've ever seen that.
Everyone was still in the office-regular phone lines still worked at that point, but cell phones were down for both SMS and for voice. Everyone left for home and I went to pick up my 2 year old daughter at her hoikuen, about 30 minutes away.
When I arrived at the hoikuen-perhaps 530 pm-all of the young caregivers there were freaked out, and the children were sitting in a circle with their "soft hats" to protect them from any falling debris…not that there was any, but better safe. After picking up my 2 yo, we walked home, about 4 miles which took around two hours. There were loads of people walking home at that point and while convenience stores were still open, the shelves were bare, though I remember scrounging a banana.
My strongest memory/impression was just how the entire group of people reacted. "OK, we have to walk home because the stores are closed. Better start now, it's a long way home." No fights, no arguments, just walk….
Edit: Adding the original thread which is also excellent:
https://www.reddit.com/r/japanlife/comments/1rqfzld/311_15_years_already/
by Jimintokyo