Archive | October, 2011

Our Man in Abiko once again hides his face in public

12 Oct

(graphic courtesy of Eurobiz Japan)

It has been a little while since #quakebook got some attention from the internet media stream. But we’re pleased to report that within the last twenty-four hours the book and Our Man in Abiko have been the subject of two very nice interviews from two, count ’em, two different online sources.

The first one, “Accidental Hero”, is a feature-style interview with Our Man by Aimee Weinsteen for Eurobiz Japan. Ms. Weinsteen, one of the editors of #quakebook, has done a fine job of prizing some details out of Our Man about the book and his life which you may not have read before. You can read the Eurobiz interview here.

Another #quakebook editor, Joanne Greenway, was instrumental in getting this interview with Our Man published by the Embassy of Japan in the U.K. Again, this interview piece contains some #quakebook-related tidbits with which you might not be familiar.

So click on through and give these two pieces a read. And thanks to our two colleagues who helped get #quakebook just a bit more attention.

You would think such a day would tremble to begin: Remembering 3/11 from Britain [Essay]

1 Oct

Of course I was not there as such, I was probably asleep when it occurred, physically speaking. Since I live in Britain and it struck at 2:46pm. However, I remember quite clearly a Facebook link or Twitter feed, informing me that a 9.0M earthquake had hit Japan, soon after people were calling it the ‘Great East Japan Earthquake’. Everyone was googling ‘Tohoku’. I remember staring at my computer as it if it were the Oracle at Delphi, I knew my loved ones were ok, they lived in a completely different part of Japan, yet I needed that confirmation.

I was staring at my Blackberry, waiting for the Gods of Wifi to assure me that all was well, and finally a chime and click later the Oracle answered my prayers, I knew all was well.

Days later, as with that other September 11th, the news died down in the UK, which is why I started this blog. But this is my abiding memory.


Michael Gillan Peckitt