10 Minutes from Then it came. Tragedy in Tokyo: The earth rocked underneath me as the building shuddered on its foundations. A Survivor’s Story Suddenly, my brain clicked into gear: I’d seen disaster movies where they always run into door frames to protect themselves. I James Smith leapt for the nearest doorway. I had decided to go travelling before Uni And there I froze again. and all of the tens of thousands of debt that come with it! I knew that if I go now, didn’t What now? Do I just wait? What if the then my chance would be gone. I’d spend building comes down on top of me? What the rest of my life chained to a desk to pay if I never leave the city again? I off my student debts with no chance of a don’t remember looking at what anyone else was week in Butlins never mind Barcelona or doing. They seem to matter. Buenos Aires! didn’t But what about me? The first stop in the East was Tokyo. I know what to expect but when I got didn’t Almost as if by magic I found myself in the there I realised it was just like that film Lost street outside the hostel. It was a strange in Translation: all bright lights and oceans kind of magic one that require me of people all scurrying about going – didn’t to think. It just happened. I started walking somewhere in a hurry. amongst the rushing crowds away from the hostel. I arrived on 8th March 2011. But for what happened next that date probably wouldn’t have been any more special than any other on the calendar. But that was the day when, for me at least, things would completely change. I was in a youth hostel in the centre of the city when the quake struck. It was a surreal experience. experienced anything I’d never like it. The ground began shuffling beneath my feet. Then it stopped. It was a second, not even that, but it felt like eternity. I know what to expect next. didn’t
10 Minutes from Tragedy in Tokyo: A Survivor’s Story James Smith I had decided to go travelling before Uni and all of the tens of thousands of debt that come with it! I knew that if I didn’t go now, then my chance would be gone. I’d spend the rest of my life chained to a desk to pay off my student debts with no chance of a week in Butlins never mind Barcelona or Buenos Aires! The first stop in the East was Tokyo. I didn’t know what to expect but when I got there I realised it was just like that film Lost in Translation: all bright lights and oceans of people all scurrying about going somewhere in a hurry. I arrived on 8th March 2011. But for what happened next that date probably wouldn’t have been any more special than any other on the calendar. But that was the day when, for me at least, things would completely change. I was in a youth hostel in the centre of the city when the quake struck. It was a surreal experience. I’d never experienced anything like it. The ground began shuffling beneath my feet. Then it stopped. It was a second, not even that, but it felt like eternity. I didn’t know what to expect next. Then it came. The earth rocked underneath me as the building shuddered on its foundations. Suddenly, my brain clicked into gear: I’d seen disaster movies where they always run into door frames to protect themselves. I leapt for the nearest doorway. And there I froze again. What now? Do I just wait? What if the building comes down on top of me? What if I never leave the city again? I don’t remember looking at what anyone else was doing. They didn’t seem to matter. But what about me? Almost as if by magic I found myself in the street outside the hostel. It was a strange kind of magic – one that didn’t require me to think. It just happened. I started walking amongst the rushing crowds away from the hostel.
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