Running to Help Others

Many of of you know that after the disaster that took do many lives last March here in Japan, I wanted to do something to help. I decided to create the "Running to Help Japan" project. This was something I could do by myself to help raise money to help the kids in northern Japan. I am a teacher and have made my career caring for and teaching children. I also have a young son and my heart broke to see so many children, so close to me, who no longer had anything.

I did some research and decided I would work to raise money for Save the Children.

This is an organization who works to improve the lives of children throughout the world. They had set up teams here in Japan immediately after the earthquake and tsunami to help the youngest victims. They seemed like the perfect fit for my fundraising goals.

 Although I know I am not a gifted runner, I am a decent one. I am a "mid-pack" marathoner with an incredibly high pain threshold and stuborness. I am also a runner who day dreams often of running distances far beyond that of a regular marathon. This was my chance. This was a chance for me to push my body and mind to a place they had never been before.

At the same time, raising funds for a good cause. On June 25th, 2011, I ran 60km or 37.5 miles in the blistering heat here in Kobe. It took me more than 6 hours, but I did it. In the process I raised $3917.00. It was an amazing experience. I have never felt so many emotions all at once. I felt pain, joy, pain, excitement, pain and did I mention pain?

This was something I never could have done without the support of my You Tube viewers, my Facebook friends, my real-life friends, family, Twitter followers and of course the article written about Running to Help Japan in the Cape Breton Post. I have to give a special thanks to the sports writer, T.J. Colello. His story really got the financial ball rolling for this charity drive and really got the fire lit under me!

I also have to thank several friends of mine in the Japan You Tube community who supported me so much. I have to thank (these are their You Tube names): qiranger, WarmothStrat (Mully and Misses Mully), softpapa, FindMeInKurume, Gimmeabreakman, DimPerrin, Ozzy78, Micknfumi and the many others who helped.

Another special thanks goes out to Edward at the Japan Talk podcast for his amazing support and shout outs for my ultra marathon. It is now September and I am now smack back in the middle of training again.

On October 30th I will run in the first ever Osaka Marathon. 3 weeks later, I will run in the first ever Kobe Marathon.

What will happen after that?  

I am thinking about something big. I am thinking about running to help a new charity and am thinking about something even grander in scale than the last time! 80km? Maybe a multi-day event? Should I walk across part of Japan? It will be something big for sure. I want to push myself more and more. I also want to raise funds for a worthy cause while doing so.

Any suggestions on my next adventure? (leave a comment)



 A little more about why I did what I did. Here is an amazing song by another Canadian living in Japan. "Blackwater" is a song written and performed by John Jenzen who lives in Nagoya, Japan. He wrote it after reading about an entire bus filled with kindergarten children was swept away by the tsunami.


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Japanese Booze Shops and Fast Shoes

I went for a run this morning in my new shiny and fast shoes. While out on the road, I felt inspired. I shot three video blogs and put them on my "jlandkev" You Tube channel.

Here they are:

Running to Help Japan（走って日本を助ける）

私は、神戸在住のカナダ人教師のケヴィン　オーシェイといいます。今年３月１１日に東北地方をおそった地震、津波、原子力発電所の災害は本当に悲劇でした。この災害の後、私は何か手助けしたいと思いました。そこで、走る事に貪欲な一人のランナーとして、私は「走って日本を助ける」ことを決心しました。２０１１年の間に、募金団体『セーブ　ザ　チルドレン　ジャパン（東北地方の子供たちの支援活動を行っています）』への募金を募るためにいくつかのイベントで走ることを計画しています。
　
６月２５日、私は６０kmのウルトラマラソンを神戸で走ります。他のイベント同様に『セーブ　ザ　チルドレン』の募金を募るため今年末に大阪マラソンにも参加する予定です。
　
あなたも募金をすることで子供たちを助けることができますよ。どんな小さな金額でも結構です。ウェブサイト「Running to Help Japan（走って日本を助ける）」のベージ下から募金団体へアクセスできます。
http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/kevinoshea/runningtohelpjapan

よろしくお願いします。



My name is Kevin O'Shea and I am a Canadian teacher living in Kobe, Japan. The March 11th earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster were a true tragedy. After this happened, I wanted to do something to help. An avid runner, I have decided to create "Running to help Japan." Throughout 2011, I plan to run in several events in order to raise money for Save the Children Japan and their work with children in the Tohuko region.

On June 25th, I will run a 60km ultra marathon in Kobe, Japan. Later this year I will be running the Osaka Marathon as well as other events in order to raise funds for Save the Children.

You can help by making a donation. Any amount helps.　You can visit the Running to Help sponsor page below and donate:
http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/kevinoshea/runningtohelpjapan


Thank you


Running to Help Japan BLOG!

Follow me on Twitter: @jlandkev


Donate to Running to Help Japan here:

Game On for Running to Help Japan

Running to Help Japan is GO on June 25th, 2011....at about 5:00am.

#Quakebook

#quakebook featuring Scala & Kolacny Brothers and Kings of Leon from Quakebook on Vimeo.

A Contest for Runners

Check out my "Running to Help Japan" blog for more information.

Why is Twitter So Much Fun?

Twitter is fun. It’s just that simple. Well, that’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it! . I think it’s great. I use this app everyday. I use it when I wake up in the morning to see how my twitter friends (tweeps) are doing. I use it to pass the time on my commute to and from work. I use it to follow the latest in breaking news. I use it to spread the word about my blogs, videos and charity I’m working on. I also use it to ramble about the silliness of day-to-day life and the strange things I observe while wandering the streets and train stations of Japan.



My Twitter Story:

I began using Twitter about a year and a half ago. I was by no mans an early adopter. I had of course heard of it a lot and knew many people using it. I just hadn’t caught up. I started using the Twitter page itself when I opened my @jlandkev account. Then I installed Tweetdeck on my desktop. It was interesting to use, but not particularly fun. I could only use it a little at night when I got home and missed most of what people where tweeting about throughout the day when I wasn’t in front of my computer.

A little more than a year ago, I got my first smartphone. I bought an iPhone and that was the Twitter “game changer” so to speak. On the advice of some folks I installed Twittelator on my phone. It was so much fun. I could tweet and read tweets from others wherever I was. Although cool to me, I think my wife was thoroughly annoyed that my face was always buried in my iPhone, laughing about something that someone, somewhere had written.

I realized that Twitter was a great way to promote my videos on You Tube. It was even more useful in promoting my blog posts. It seems that the people who are really engaged by Twitter are more “text oriented” people such as bloggers. Many who are into “visuals” such as video blogs, don’t seem to have such a strong interest in Twitter (my observation).

On May 11, 2011, when the massive earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan, Twitter was the fastest way to get news. I followed more than a dozen news sources and what stood out more than anything were the blogggers. Japan-based bloggers throughout the country stepped up to the plate and were tweeting news much faster than traditional news organizations could churn it out. By following some good people, you could be way ahead of most when it came to news of the disaster. News organizations such as BBC, ABC, Fox, CNN, etc., were following the same bloggers I was and simply reporting what those bloggers were saying!

I was on vacation the day after the disaster happened and for almost three weeks I was constantly tweeting about the disaster and retweeting amazing bits of news from so many sources. Many friends back in Canada commented that they appreciated me keeping them updated in such an instantaneous fashion. The number of people following me jumped very quickly and I was even contacted by some news organizations in Canada about the disaster. Since I was of course nowhere close to the affected areas, I just referred them to solid bloggers who were.

Since the news cycles around the world have changed and even domestic news about the disaster has waned, I don’t use Twitter as ferociously as before, but I still use it everyday. With my job, I don’t check it throughout the day while I am teaching, but I do check my feed at break time and after work of course. It is a lot of fun!

Now who do I follow on Twitter? I follow a pretty broad spectrum of people and organizations. I follow news agencies, reporters, charities, bloggers, runners, teachers, friends, family, etc. I don’t tend to follow big celebrities such as singers and actors. I find that they normally have little to say, yet speak a lot!



Twitter Integration:

Twitter can be even more fun when it is integrated into other iPhone apps.

I recently started using the Runmeter iPhone app while training for an upcoming marathon. A great twitter feature is that once I begin a run, it sends a tweet informing everyone I am now running. Then, when someone sends me a message on twitter, the app reads it to me as I am running (in a pretty decent voice). It is great for motivation! On June 12, 2011, when I am running my ultra marathon for Save the Children Japan, please tweet me a lot! I will hear them all as my running app reads them to me.

Instagram is another fun way to use Twitter. It is a free app for the iPhone and it allows me to take pictures, add really cool filters and share them within the Instagram social network. It also posts them to Twitter and Facebook so I can share them with my friends there.

Am I addicted to Twitter? Maybe a little. I have to admit that I don’t use it as much as I did a few months ago.

Is it a useful tool? As a blogger and aspiring “writer-guy” it certainly is for me. I currently have more than a thousand followers on Twitter and it is a great way to share my blogs and other projects with a wider audience.

In my previous post I mentioned how I am moving away from one form of media (You Tube), but I am not moving away from media altogether. I am still an avid Twitter user and blogger.


Am I a bit of a Twitter fanboy? I suppose so. If you think that’s a really bad thing; I stick my tongue out at you and say, “ blah blah waggle blarg blaaaaaaahh!!!” in my best four-year-old voice!


You can follow me on Twitter here: @jlandkev

Things movin in Japan

It's been a long time since I have posted on this blog and there is of course a few very good reasons. First, the new school year in Japan has begun and I have been extremely busy getting used to a new group of students. I've also ben enjoying time with my family.

The thing that has ben very consuming for me of course has been my Running to Help Japan project. I decided last month that I would tackle a "homemade" ultra marathon in order to raise funds for Save the Children's Japan Disaster Relief Fund. I had been taking part in some group efforts and spent a lot of time promoting other people who were helping, but I wanted to do something more personal. I don't have a lot of money, but I do enjoy running. I thought I could harness my love of running with my social media "talents" and raise some funds.

I've made a few video on You Tube promoting Running to Help Japan and so have several other great video bloggers. Many people have been very kind to tweet about my run on Twitter as well. Last week I was also featured in a story in the Cape Breton Post, a newspaper from my hometown area in Nova Scotia. All of these efforts have helped a lot! As of the time I'm typing this, I have raised $1,662.00. That's 33% of my $5000.00 goal.

I have been waking up most mornings at 4:30am to get out and do training runs. It hasn't been easy adjusting to this new lifestyle, but my health is getting better everyday and I am doing it for a very good reason!


Some local media coverage (in Nova Scotia, Canada) about my Running to Help Japan Project. A story was written about me in the Cape Breton Post. Hopefully, I can get more media coverage like this. It certainly helped with donations!

For more regular blog posts by me in the upcoming months, it's better to follow my Running to Help Japan blog.


Here are some pictures I took in the past week during some of my training runs:


These are some fishing boats tied up in Nada-ku in Kobe. I often run past them in the morning.


Oe of the many bicycle parking lots you come across everyday in Japan.


Some police boats docked behind the Kobe HQ of the Japan Coast Guard. This is located downtown near Meriken Koen.

Social Media used to Help Japan

It's been a few weeks now since the earthquake and tsunami struck Japan. with more than 12,000 dead and something like 17,000 people missing as well as an ongoing nuclear crisis, Japan is not in a good place! Obviously, people and governments around the world have been doing a lot to help this country. People throughout Canada, America and so many other countries are donating to charities, arranging relief supplies, starting fundraisers and volunteering to help Japan.

What has been especially interesting for me is to see how so many are taking hold of social media and using it to help. people have been spreading the word about what is really going on in Japan (often when foreign news agencies are getting it wrong). They are organizing fundraisers and charity events on Facebook. They are being creative on You Tube and blogging about it!

Some examples that have recently stood out in my mind are the "partners4japan" project on You Tube that was started by Japan-based video blogger Ciaela. Vloggers from around the world have been donating videos to spread the word about Japan. Also on You Tube, well-known vlogger "Gimmeaflakeman" has started a project called "Ganbare Japan" in which anyone anywhere can send him a video or picture to inspire Japan and he will put them all together into one collaboration video.

#Quakebook is another inspiring project. This book was the brainchild of Japan-based blogger "Our Man in Abiko." HE asked blogger via Twitter to write stories and of their experiences with the big earthquake. It will soon be printed and all proceeds will go to support the Japanese Red Cross.

Myself, I have just started my own fundraiser. I will be collecting funds for Save the Children and their relief efforts in northern Japan. I'll be running a 60km ultra marathon in June in order to do it and I plan to share my experiences leading up to that day through social media. You can check out my Running to Help Japan site here!

There are of course so many other examples of people helping using social media. these are just a few!

Crappy Media Coverage in Japan Explained

I had never heard of the British comedian Charlie Brooker until this evening when I saw this video posted on Twitter. Now I love him! He got it right!

How You Can Donate to Help Japan

There are many ways you can donate to the relief and future rebuilding efforts in Japan. You of course must be wary. In times of tragedy, there are those who use it as an opportunity to line their own pockets.

if you are going to donate money to Japan, make sure you do it to a credible organization. Here are just a few who are helping Japan right now:


Canadian Red Cross

American Red Cross

Japanese Red Cross

UK Red Cross

Australian Red Cross

Save the Children

Salvation Army

Oxfam International

People Escaping Japan?

I have felt many emotions since last Friday when the big quake hit Japan. I’ve been confused. I’ve been sad. I’ve been grief stricken. I’ve been scared. I’ve been logical. I’ve been thoughtful. I’ve also been pissed off.

That’s right, a few things have made me very angry about the events that have unfolded during the past eight days.
I of course cannot be angry about the actual catastrophe because it was out of the hands of all of us. Mother Nature had a beef to grind and unfortunately the people of Japan had to face the brunt of it.

I can’t be upset at the people of Japan. They did nothing to deserve this. I also cannot be upset at the fact that there were nuclear reactors near the water. There are nuclear reactors in many countries throughout the world and aside from two notable cases; there have never really been major problems with nuclear energy (someof you will probably disagree). There was also a large tsunami wall built in front of the reactor.

Japan, one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world is BY FAR the most prepared for earthquakes and tsunamis. They have building codes unlike anywhere else in the world. They have a tsunami early warning system. They have FREAKIN Nintendo, Sony and Honda robots!

None of this could have prepared them for a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and what we are now finding out, a 15 meter high tsunami in some parts along the coast.

So, I have shared with you that none of these events have made me angry. What does make me angry though is the irrational and sensational coverage of this catastrophe by some news organizations and (mostly) the way some European governments have handled the situation.

I realize that the situation around the nuclear plant in Fukushima is bad. If I were anywhere close to there I would also want to get the “Hell out of Dodge.” Things begun to get a little out of hand when several European countries began telling ALL of their nationals, no matter where they were, to get out of Japan. That was irrational and exaggerated.

Today I listened to the March 17th episode of CBC’s (Canadian Broadcasting Corportation) As It Happens and got more than a little ticked off. I wasn’t angry about the show because I am a HUGE fan of the hosts, Carol Off and Jeff Douglas, but a person they interviewed on yesterday’s show annoyed me.

On the March 17th, 2011 episode (14 minutes into Part 1), a Japanese woman married to a French national was interviewed. Now they had lived in the area close to the Fukushima reactor and were evacuated to Kyoto. I can obviously understand that. What got me was the fact that the woman explained how they were fleeing Japan to France on an emergency flight arranged by the French government because all of Japan was SOOOOOO dangerous! This woman and her family were now in Kyoto and wanted to get further away. She said it was because of the way her husband and all of his French friends felt and the “knowledge” they had of the situation.

This woman, who is also pregnant, said she had to get away from Japan so her baby would not be born deformed! Jeesh!!! Come on!

I can understand this woman being somewhat scared, but her interview was very uncharacteristic compared to most Japanese people I’ve heard interviewed or spoken to in person (I live in Japan and am married to a Japanese person). She explained that she felt this way because of her husband and his French friends in Japan. They were all getting the “Hell out of Dodge”!
Now, I’m not writing this to shit on French nationals or France. I’m pissed off because it is obvious that French media and the government (and many other media organizations) are doing a piss poor job off telling this story accurately.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m sure that the Japanese media and government are guilty of, at times, underplaying things, but……COME ON!!!!! Let’s not just make shit up!

Most expats living in Japan have very upset families in their native countries. In some cases I can understand. I live very far away from this crisis and do not want my friends and family to worry about me. My Kansai-based friends and I are very safe. Shoddy media reports about Japan cause a lot of concern and worry for our families. That’s why I’m miffed!



Here are a couple of examples of media exaggeration during the past week.

This one is from a British newspaper.

This one is a comparison of the BBC and the Huffington Post.

By the way, I have listened to CBC As It Happens everyday this week (I download their podcast) and I have found they’ve done a fine job covering Japan(I was just miffed about that woman they interviewed).

You Don't Need Money to Help Japan

With the passing of each day I’m hearing countless stories of people all around the world donating money to the relief efforts here in Japan. I’ve heard of individual people donating via text message, online, at their churches, etc. I’m hearing of celebritities and major corporations donating massive sums of money. Canada’s own Justin Bieber donated a million dollars to Japan and Starbucks Japan donated 1.2 million.

I am of course more than pleased that so many are giving so much. Japan will need countless billions of dollars to rebuild after last Friday’s earthquake, tsunami and now nuclear disaster. Millions of people have lost everything, been displaced and infrastructure around most of northern Japan has been damaged.

Of course, donating money is a great thing, but not everyone out there has money to give. There are many people out there with warm hearts, but simply don’t have the extra cash to give away.

There are many ways that out can help the people of Japan without donating money. Here are some ideas I had:

1. Donate your time (volunteer): Even if you don’t have money, you can find the time to help. You can volunteer at an organization that is collecting clothes for the people in Japan. You can contact your local Red Cross and ask them how you can help. Maybe there is something you can do at your local Salvation Army to lend a hand. Don’t underestimate how important just a few hours of your time can be for those in need!

2. Create your own fundraiser: Start your own fundraiser. Start one with your classmates, coworkers or friends. It doesn’t have to be something grand. It could be something as simple as a bake sale. Why not organize a walk-a-thon at your local school track? Hold a yard sale and donate the proceeds to a reputable NGO helping Japan. Set up a table at a fleamarket. Run a race (marathon/half/10k/5k) and ask for donations. Have a carwash. I can even remember doing a 24-hour rock-a-thon (in rocking chairs) as a teenager. There are many great ways to raise money wherever you are!

3. Donate old clothes: The people in northern Japan have lost everything. Most escaped with only the clothes on their backs. They need clothes (adults and children), blankets and shoes.

4. Say a prayer: If you are a person of faith, any faith, this is always a great option!

5. Educate yourself and others about the situation: There is a lot of sensational and bad press coverage coming out of this disaster. I’ve seen some pretty bad stuff on major American networks like ABC News. Do your research. Learn about the situation from multiple news sources. Shop around so to speak. Once you have a decent grasp on what is happening over here in Japan, spread the word!

6. Donate Blood: If you live in Japan this is a great option!



Now, just a word of warning, there are many great organizations out there helping like Save the Children, Red Cross, the Salvation Army, etc. Mind you, there are also scammers out there. It is a sad, but true reality that some people out there will take advantage of an awful situation like this for their own benefit. Make sure you donate to a credible and well-known charity.

Shoddy Journalism and the Good Ones: Covering the Crisis in Japan

Last night I stayed up way past my bedtime and the only thing that happened, aside from being really tired this morning, was me getting really pissed off.

I stayed up late and decided to catch up on the "news coverage" of japan by clicking on some stories on the Yahoo News main page. What I saw were puff pieces and downright bullshit by several American news organizations. I saw some journalists who basically should basically pack it in and get a job fetching coffee for camera operators as opposed to standing in front of a camera!

I’ve been basically keeping up on the most up to date news of the disaster here in Japan from a few sources. One of them of course being Japanese television (I do indeed live in Japan) and the other being Twitter. I do realize that Twitter is often a repository for people’s thoughts and opinions, but during this ongoing crisis, something different has happened. Many bloggers and vloggers based in Japan have really stepped up and have become truly credible news sources. They are spending their days and nights scouring news services, both domestic and foreign and sharing links and stories with the world. More often than not, these bloggers have been far more accurate in their reporting and views than many professional journalists.

Now of course, I cannot dump on all foreign media covering this crisis. Many correspondents and writers for foreign print/digital media have indeed been living in Japan for a long time, speak the language and understand the culture. Those journalists stand out.

I’m talking about the representatives of foreign media who are parachuted (not literally of course) in to the tsunami/disaster zone and report with no background or understanding of the people or culture. They are sent in from countries such as the U.S. and the U.K. to quickly publish puff pieces or “hard hitting” news with very few, if any facts correct. These are the folks that piss me off royally! These are the people who sell papers through bullshit and fear mongering.

There is a famous saying in the newspaper industry that states, “If it bleeds, it leads!” Simply put, sensational sells. That has been the case since the advent of newspapers and has not changed. Whether you are consuming You Tube videos, blogs, print or televised media; sensational sells! Unfortunately, sensational usually doesn’t equal accurate!

Now, back to these bloggers on Twitter who have been doing such an amazing job keeping the world informed about what is really happening. Many of them are doing such a great job because of the fact that they have been here for a long time, they speak the language, understand the culture and most of all, I think, are connected to Japan. They care about Japan and the Japanese people. They have a vested interest in the country and want to tell people, both here and abroad the real story. They may not be “professional” journalists, but they cite sources, do their research and work very hard to get things correct.

I suppose I can make the comparison of professional journalists to professional teachers (which I am). I’ve taught in Korea, Canada and now Japan and have met many teachers. Some of the greatest teachers I ever worked with in Korea/Japan didn’t have teaching licenses. They didn’t have the “credentials”, but were dedicated, driven and brilliant at their jobs.

As someone who is a professional teacher in Canada (and a student for many years), I’ve met many “professional” license-holding teachers who were lazy, inept and sloppy at their jobs. I suppose the same can be said for some journalists.

I would like to say something to all the journalists who represent foreign news organizations in Japan during this crisis. Please do your research and get the story right before you publish it! You are the reason my family back home is scared out of their minds. You are the reason so many expats in Japan have scared families in their respective countries. Honour the people of Japan by getting the story right!

Here are just a few bloggers in Japan who are doing an incredible job spreading the news of the crisis in Japan with the rest of the world (some are also journalists I respect a lot):

Garkuranman
Mutant Frog Travelogue
Slices of Soup
Martyn Williams
Tokyo Times
Hiroko Tabuchi
Justin McCurry
Steve Herman
Mark Williams
Mark MacKinnon

You need to follow these folks on Twitter, read their blogs or newspaper stories!

I will add to this list as there are many more awesome people out there I follow on Twitter and other means who are doing a great job!


Here is a great video from You Tube video blogger elevencolors who lives in downtown Tokyo. In this video he illustrates a MASSIVE mistake in reporting made by Fox News:


You can of course follow me on Twitter: @jlandkev

Unnecessary Hoarding Far Away from Danger

I've heard people talking about how folks in Tokyo and other areas close to the disaster zone in Japan are beginning to hoard items such as instant noodles, rice, bottled water and toilet paper. I've even watched videos taken by You Tube video blogger "softypapa" in Shizuoka of the same behavior.

I have to admit that I was a little surprised tonight though when my wife came back from our local supermarket (we actually have 2 small local supermarkets) and told me that all the rice, instant noodles and bottled water were sold out. I decided to go for a walk this evening and check out the state of affairs at the other local market. I was REALLY shocked to find the same thing.

It looks as if some people are beginning to panic buy. Kobe is located more than 800 kilometers from the nuclear disaster area in Fukushima. We are a very safe place. Just this afternoon I found out that the cities of Osaka and Kobe are supplying free housing to refugees from the Fukushima/Miyagi/Iwate regions.

Why are people beginning to hoard here? A few reasons I suppose.

First of all, Japanese people don't tend to shop as many of us, especially more rural living people, in Canada might. Growing up, my family lived quite far from a supermarket. Although we had some small shops in town, we would load up once every weekend and drive from Louisbourg to Sydney, about 40 kilometers away. We would fill the entire trunk of the car with groceries to stock our refrigerator and pantry. People in Japan simply don't shop that way. They don't have pantries. They have so many supermarkets and 24 hour convenience stores that they tend to shop as they need it.

Also when there are rumours that there may be food shortages (not an issue here) they panic. It's that simple. they are buying large amounts of unnecessary items!

Here is a video I discreetly took this evening with my phone at my local Daiei supermarket in Kobe, Japan:

Why is there no looting in Japan?

Sems that a lot of commentators in the Western media are really surprised that Japanese people aren't looting in the northern areas affected by the disaster. I've also heard many people say that they are very surprised at how orderly things are in areas suffering from food and water shortages. People wait in line for relief without fights or other conflict.

I'm not surprised. Here's my two cents about the situation in the form of a video blog on my "jlandkev" You Tube channel:

Business as Usual?

Today was a little strange for me. Obviously, the last few days have been absolutely horrendous for so many people in the northern part of Japan. Obviously, there are not even words that come close to describing the chaos and horrors so many people faced last Friday afternoon and the tragedy that will continue for some time. Now, what was strange for me today?

What seemed so strange to me was the fact that, when I spent the afternoon downtown in Kobe with my family, everything seemed so normal. Life in Kobe seemed like, “business as usual.”

I have been blessed my entire life to this point. I have never had a personal or even geographical connection to any sort of major disaster. I have never had to face the bleak reality so many, not so far away, are now having to cope with. I suppose because the 24 hours news cycle of horror and tragedy, I expected to see people on the streets of this city acting differently in some way.

That would be absurd though. Of course people here in Kobe are going on with their regular lives. They are going to work, school and dealing with life as the normally would. Kobe is quite far away from the disaster are in Fukushima, Iwate, Sendai Miyagi, etc. This city is far away from the disaster, but I am sure that every person here and in the rest of Japan is thinking about the situation constantly.

As my family and I went home in late afternoon, I did begin to notice something different. Dozens of high school students seemed to be on every street corner and busy area of Sannomiya and Motomachi with boxes. They were standing in large groups and asking for donations to the Red Cross and other NGOs helping the disaster relief in northern Japan.

I have to admit that I probably won’t be blogging much more about this tragedy. I will keep some updates on this blog and on You Tube, but I will, for the most part get down to business as usual myself. I am not a reporter. I am not a journalist. I have often, in the past imagined what it would be like to have such a career, but at the end of the day, I am a teacher. I suppose I will stick to what I know best, sharing my knowledge of education, travel and general silliness.

I will of course continue sharing interesting information about the disaster on Twitter and of course that feed is here on the side of my blog. You can also follow me on Twitter (@jlandkev…which means…”Japan-Land Kevin).


Now here are a few non-earthquake related scenes and videos I took this afternoon with my phone while I was walking around downtown Kobe with my son.

This is the first time myself and family have seen a cherry blossom this spring. I think this tree blossomed a little earlier than most!This was on the grounds of Ikuta Shrine in Kobe.

After the Quake: How You Can Help

Life in Japan has suddenly changed for so many. The people of northern Japan are suffering and simply in a world of hurt after Friday's magnitude 9 earthquake and following tsunami.

Many people may be surprised that I waited this long to make a blog post, but to be honest, I've been too busy with Twitter to write a blog. The news flow is fast and fluid (a little personification there) and I've honestly found that I can communicate with more people, more efficantly, through Twitter, Facebook and my video blogs. Also, my video blogs and Tweets have a much larger audience.

So, as of Monday morning, things are still really bad. Much of the coastal regions of northern Japan have been decimated and thousands dead and missing.

The people of Japan need help. If you are in Japan, you can onate money, clothes and blood, but people are being asked to stay away fromt he disaster area. I'm sure many, myself included, would love to rush to the affected areas and help with the cleanup and rebuilding, but it is simply still too dangerous. I suppose in time, people will be given the chance to go there in person and assist.

For those of you abroad, you can help by donating to several (I'm sure the list is ever growing) NGO's racing to help the Japanese people:

Canadian Red Cross

American Red Cross

Save the Children


Here is a page I found had a lot of useful information from Time Out Tokyo magazine.


Here are a few video blogs I made about it during the weekend. You can also follow my Twitter feed on the side of this page for more information:





For the time being, spreading the word to people about how to donate and help is all I can do. I do have a fairly large social media audience so I will do what I can to help that way.

Kobe Earthquake Memorial Events

Tomorrow, January 17th, marks the 16 years since the Great Hanshin Earthquake, aka the Kobe Earthquake. It happened at 5:46 JST and lasted for approximately 20 seconds. when it was finished, most of Kobe was left in ruins and nearly 6,500 died.

Today at Minato no Mori Park in downtown Kobe, there were various events set up to commemorate the tragedy. There were hip hop dancers, trick cyclists, inline skating and many other things. Unfortunately, it was the coldest day of the Winter so far and I think that kept many people away. I checked things out with my family. It was pretty cold so we only stuck around for a brief time.

Here are two short videos I took today at the park:





Minato no Mori Park is a new park. It just opened in 2010 and is located a stones throw from Sannomiya in downtown Kobe. it is about a five minute walk South from Boeki Center Port Liner Station. It has a wonderful 460m cushioned running/walking track as well as a large lawn. On nice weekends you can find people playing ultimate frisbee, rugby, soccer, or simply having picnics without heir families.

The park has a large lawn, running track, skatepark, inline skating facilities and rink, dance practice area, basketball courts and a nursery where they grow flowers and plants for the park.

Check out some pictures I took of the park a few months ago:




A 460m running/walking track is a wonderful thing for me since I am a runner.




Often kids and adults can be found here on the weekends playing inline hockey.


This is the skatepark.

Sunny Weekends in Japan

The Golden Week holiday has now come and gone and all of us who were able to enjoy it may be shedding a small tear. Nonetheless, I went back to work on Thursday and had two enjoyable days. I would love to be on vacation all the time, but would have to become independently wealthy in order to do so. I also realize that in order to become independently wealthy, one must work extremely long and hard Hours. That of course would no allow me to be in a constant state of vacation!

My quest to become a man of sloth and leisure continues...

I thought you might like to take a peek at a few pictures I took along the waterfront in Kobe, Japan during my final day or R & R.


I took all of these pictures in Meriken Park along the Kobe waterfront. This is a memorial park to the Kobe Earthquake. The park was rebuilt after the quake, but this part was kept in order to be a reminder.






My daily blogs continue on my You Tube channel jlandkev. Last night my internet wasn't working so I uploaded my first mobile vid.