byronomo comments

Sounds like a re-enactment of the Spanish movie "Amantes" ("Lovers" in English).

I left Japan in 2009 after spending 5 wonderful years living in a fantastic country which I miss dearly. I am American, my wife is Japanese. In the days following the terrible chain of tragedies that struck Japan in March, I recommended that my non-Japanese friends with no necessity to be there leave. The reason I recommended that they leave was not due to an unreasonable fear of radiation. The reason was simple. Japan was in disarray and many resources (food, water, fuel, etc.) were scarce. Many non-Japanese with the ability (company, personal or state-sponsored) to leave Japan who chose not to, were using precious resources that should be left for those who needed them most and who were not able to leave. If I had been still living in Tokyo in the days following this disaster, I would've felt so guilty if I'd chosen to remain and work for my employer while consuming precious resources (food, water, fuel, electricity, etc.)when the reality is that my job could've been done (at least temporarily) from offshore. Sure, if there were a way that I could've contributed to the relief efforts while staying onshore, I would've probably chosen to do so. However, the reality is that my Japanese ability (somewhere between JLPT 3 & 2) wouldn't have been good enough amidst the chaotic atmosphere that unfolded to be of real help. Meanwhile, keeping my family in a resource-constrained area at a time when the Japanese gov't is advising infants (I have a 1yr-old) not to consume tap water, would've also made me uneasy about remaining in Tokyo during this time.

If this somehow makes me a "flygin", so be it.