Honshu and Okinawa

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I am back. I spent 10 days in Japan, 5 days for work on the main island of Honshu and 5 days of solo adventure in Okinawa. Travel is so invigorating dispite the uncomfortableness. Jetlag, anxiety, crowds, and other discomforts aside, it is mind-expanding and rewarding. Work went well. I flew a new airline (Skymark) from Tokyo to Naha. I am always wary of strange discount airlines and all the traps they set. However, I had a great expereince with "Sky". I was actually shocked. Super easy checkin at the airport, no extra fees even with extra luggage. The primary mission in Okinawa was to visit the Peace Park and the suicide cliffs of Okinawa. From what I understand, at the end of WW2 the inhabitants were encouraged to commit suicide rather than surrender to the Americans and get tortured and eaten. Besides other types of suicide, they jumped off the cliffs at the Southern end of the main island. If you have seen the original color footage taken at the time, I am sure you ...
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Hey

You get out of Minneapolis OK or are you still in a bar at the airport?

When we hear a story about how bad off someone else is we start minimizing our own problems and experiences. I'm not sure it's a good thing.

Anyway as far as this place is concerned, what I've taken to telling people is that "Despite what CNN might have you believe, the country is not enveloped in flame."

The situation at the plant in Fukushima has been lifted to 5 on the "serious nuclear shit scale of 7" but the general feeling is that it is contained. There will likely be some illnesses related to radiation out of this but I personally don't think it will be widespread. THe thing is not to try to outrun it, but to limit consecutive exposure. I'm really not THAT scared yet. A more immediate threat for me is a tsunami here - we live 500m from the sea. A 5 meter wave with any momentum does this place in, probably. And the TOKAI earthquake, which is the one that threatens Tokyo, hasn't happened yet.

Really, really tired, but at least we have power most of the time, we are warm, we have food and water and plumbing, etc.

My regards to whomever

NOST

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Honshu and Okinawa

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I am back. I spent 10 days in Japan, 5 days for work on the main island of Honshu and 5 days of solo adventure in Okinawa. Travel is so invigorating dispite the uncomfortableness. Jetlag, anxiety, crowds, and other discomforts aside, it is mind-expanding and rewarding. Work went well. I flew a new airline (Skymark) from Tokyo to Naha. I am always wary of strange discount airlines and all the traps they set. However, I had a great expereince with "Sky". I was actually shocked. Super easy checkin at the airport, no extra fees even with extra luggage. The primary mission in Okinawa was to visit the Peace Park and the suicide cliffs of Okinawa. From what I understand, at the end of WW2 the inhabitants were encouraged to commit suicide rather than surrender to the Americans and get tortured and eaten. Besides other types of suicide, they jumped off the cliffs at the Southern end of the main island. If you have seen the original color footage taken at the time, I am sure you ...
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