6 Tokyo Tweeters who kept the city informed: Ashley Thomspon

Real name: Ashley Thompson
Twitter name: @survivingnjapan
Location: Shizuoka
Occupation: I came to Japan with the JET Program, but currently I write survival tips and how-to's for expats living in Japan at Surviving in Japan: without much Japanese. I also write the Lifelines column for the Japan Times, in addition to other writing/tech-related freelance work.

Where were you at the time of the quake?
I was at home. At first I thought my balance was off, and then realized a few things in the room were swaying a bit. I checked online and, sure enough, there was an earthquake, though I assumed it was probably located somewhere closer to Tokyo or the Shizuoka area and wasn't too large. What I saw when I checked the Japan Meteorological Agency's website shocked me.

At what point did you think to get on Twitter?
I already had a Twitter account prior to all this to accompany my blog, but considering I know of other people in the area, I wanted to see what their reactions were to what had just happened. As the reality of it hit me, and then the subsequent tsunami warnings and tsunami hit, I realized that a lot of people were going to feel just as shocked and confused, and I felt like I needed to start getting out helpful information to those who wouldn't necessarily know what was going on otherwise. I had a decent base of followers on Twitter and figured that it would be one of the best places to put out information. A funny aside, though: my Twitter handle ‘survivingnjapan’ took on a whole new meaning as a result of all this.

What has daily life been like for you in the week since the quake?
Mostly I've just traveled around our town here in Shizuoka, and my husband and I went for a brief hike last Sunday afternoon. Other than that, I'm still hard at work, mostly at home, as usual. I suppose the only thing that is striking is seeing stores in our local area out of bottled water, white rice, toilet paper, and a few other items. I didn't think people here would be all that concerned, but the opposite often proves true. The quake we had in Shizuoka on Tuesday night probably shook people up a bit – we’re still expecting a very large quake, the Tokai Earthquake, to hit the region.

What sources have your found indispensible in order to keep your Twitter followers up to date?
I started out by tweeting and retweeting a lot of helpful or useful information that English-speakers would likely need right in the beginning. Things such as live news feeds online, tsunami warning information, earthquake information, shelter information, etc. Over the weekend I included news updates as well, and as soon as information was released about donations and volunteering, I've been putting that information out. People have also been great about sharing information, resources and links on Twitter, Facebook and via email, and I try to retweet and share all that with everyone. Live news feeds online have also been useful for me, as well as reading newspapers, official websites relating to various things (such as the JMA for earthquakes and tsunami). Other than that, I've been using Hootsuite to manage Twitter – it makes it easier for me to catch important info and maintain conversations with people when I have various columns.

Tell us honestly, now – had you heard of a sievert before Saturday?
No, I hadn't! I honestly didn't know much about nuclear power plants and nuclear radiation at all, so I've learned a lot the past week. My husband taught me quite a bit about it as well.

Many people are concerned about Tokyo's safety. At the time of writing, what's your position concerning the evacuation of the capital?
At this time, I see no reason to assume that Tokyo has suddenly become an unsafe place to live. The levels of radiation, though they have risen above normal, aren't yet significant enough to cause problems. So far, in Shizuoka, we've had no increase in radiation levels, but it's something I still check each day, if just to know what's going on. The interesting thing to keep in mind is that we are exposed to radiation so much in daily life anyway; think about microwaves, cell phones, computers… And not just radiation, either. We are exposed to harmful chemicals on a regular basis, ingesting them and putting them on our bodies, and yet many of us don't think twice about it. If you put it all in perspective, it makes more sense. And no, I'm not saying this isn't a serious situation or trying to trivialize the harmful effects of nuclear radiation – I do believe it's serious, but I'm taking many factors into account. I may be farther away from Fukushima than Tokyo, but not that much farther. My husband and I will continue to make reassessments as the situation develops and changes, but we see no reason to leave Japan or Shizuoka at this moment in time.

Are there any charities or NPOs you're particularly advising?
I continue to update a list of charities and organizations on my blog, and have tweeted and retweeted many more links pertaining to giving and volunteering. My best advice is for people to choose who and where they donate or give their time. There are a lot of great organizations, but I know people have individual reasons as to why they choose this or that place, so I just try to gather up trustworthy sources and pass them along.

All being well, what are you looking forward to most in Tokyo's near future?
Not just Tokyo, but I am looking towards the rebuilding of Japan – hoping that the residents here, Japanese and expatriates, will come back from this with resilience, a greater sense of community (it's been awesome to see people coming together in support), and move forward.