Japan: disaster relief efforts in north continue (photos)

Photo above, by Max Hodges (blog, Twitter): Japanese Self-Defense Forces delivering supplies to an elementary school converted into a shelter in Ishinomaki, after the earthquake and tsunami. Below, a survivor taking refuge in the Ishinomaki shelter. More of Max's photos, taken on March 15 and 16 in northern Japan: maxhodges.com

• [Major Variola (ret)]

  Will that hovercraft be available in the US any time soon?

  • [turn_self_off]

    huh? Unless i am badly wrong, it is a LCAC:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landing_Craft_Air_Cushion

• [pato pal ur]

  Max’s company makes superb flashcards for learning Japanese characters – I’ve been using them for years and can recommend them to anyone who wants to learn to read in Japanese. http://www.whiterabbitpress.com/ It’s a shame he visited my beloved Miyagi in such sad circumstances…

• [turn_self_off]

  I wonder what it would cost to get myself such a hovercraft and convert it to a mobile apartment.

• [Gilgongo]

  @Anon: it’s not a WWII flag, it’s the Japanese naval ensign (note the red sun is off-centre) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rising_Sun_Flag

• [Roy Trumbull]

  The most common problem with diesel generators after the quake was with their fuel pumps. The generator holds a limited amount of fuel in a “day tank”. When it drops a switch calls for the fuel pump to supply more. When testing the generator you have to go beyond the day tank limit to make sure the fuel pump will call for and supply more fuel.

• [max hodges]

  Here’s a video I shot of above hovercraft:
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSIaydlBwUw&feature=player_embedded#at=128&t=2m05s

  also here a perspective of same vehicle, and me!, from helo vid:
  http://maxhodges.com/ishinomaki-sdf-hovercraft

  Cheers, Max

• [benher]

  When the JSDF is done with this job, they need to take helicopter loads full of your post and sprinkle it across the Internet to start dispelling myths about their Navel Ensign.

• [Roy Trumbull]

  I was working for a TV station in San Francisco when the 1989 earthquake hit. Everyone switched into emergency mode. Citizens directed traffic where the street lights were out. Power was shut down so building by building inspections could be done sniffing for gas leaks. Yellow tape barricades were put on some homes and buildings. Our regular programming ceased as the only story was the earthquake. Soon our hallways were jammed with travel packs from the network and other news operations including from overseas. In about 5 days everything settled down and we were back to regular programming and San Francisco slowly drifted out of the headlines.
  I must tell you it was a real letdown. Everyone pumped with adrenaline and making order out of chaos seemed like it should be the normal mode. The normal order seemed like sleepwalking.

  • [max hodges]

    Thanks for sharing. I know exactly how you feel!

  • [max hodges]

    http://www.theonion.com/articles/deaths-of-20000-japanese-afford-planet-solid-15-mi,19785/

  • [Antinous / Moderator]

    I was working at UCSF during Loma Prieta. The good news was that those yearly disaster drills really work, and everyone (including the patients) was quite calm and functional. The bad news was that none of the panjandrums had ever verified that the area assigned for Disaster Control was hooked up for emergency power. Oops.

• [Anonymous]

  Can someone with a better understanding than I of Japan’s current military please explain why the WWII flag is on that [thing that looks like a hovercraft and is most likely a hovercraft]?

  • [pato pal ur]

    It’s the flag of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force 海上自衛隊, which is seen on the side of that craft.