The Foreign Scholar's Residence at the University of Tsukuba is a building about the size of a modest motel in America... and way more solidly built. There have been 5 aftershocks in Ibaraki prefecture today of magnitude 4.0 and above. One of them was unlike the rolling temblors I have become accustomed to. It began as a loud report sounding almost like a distant explosion, followed by a shuddering reminiscent of a helicopter flying near, and then quickly stopped. Throughout a good part of the day, a more typical mild rocking and rolling is discernible from time to time, and the phantom aftershock syndrome I twittered yesterday occasionally raises the question... is that another one?
The amazing thing is all of this is taken in stride. It isn't of the slightest concern to anyone I have talked to, beyond gentle queries as to whether a visitor might be nervous? Not me. Background radiation continues to drop, the weather is fine, the temperatures are warming, and the cherry blossoms are sneaking up on us. Life is good.
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Juro, god of longevity
Nin'ami Dohachi
Edo Period, 19th Century
Tokyo National Museum
