Autumn Tokyo: The Yomiuri Shimbun Test 0910

The Japan News

11:45 JST, September 10, 2024

At 8:50 a.m., on my way to the Tokyo station on the JR Yamanote line for work, my cell phone rang out an earthquake early warning just after departing Yurakucho Station. The train was hit by a strong, vertical thump, followed by a violent horizontal tremor.

After about 20 seconds, the shaking stopped and an announcement was made that we had to get out and follow the tracks to a nearby station.

Fortunately, it was only a 10-minute walk to Tokyo Station, but the platform was overflowing with people. It seemed that it was difficult to get out of the station building, and by the time I finally did, it was almost 10:00 a.m.

The sight that unfolded before my eyes took my breath away. The area in front of the station was packed with office workers and foreign tourists who were scheduled to go to work near Tokyo Station, and there was no room to move on.

That’s not all. Glass and other debris, presumably falling objects, were scattered throughout the crowd, and many people seemed to be injured. However, the streets were overflowing with people, and there was no room for emergency vehicles to pass.

The number of people was growing by the minute, and everyone was frantically trying to contact their workplaces or family members with cell phones in hand.