Japanese output may have fallen by 6% in the wake of the earthquake

IT HAS been over ten days since the magnitude 9.0 earthquake hit northern Japan, and we are still without reliable estimates on the extent of the economic and human cost of this natural disaster. Even at this moment, affected areas, including Tokyo, are hit by frequent aftershocks some of which are quite powerful. Blackouts, both planned and otherwise, are affecting daily lives in no small way. Most of the affected areas in northern Japan are still without electricity while the temperature in the region has frequently fallen below freezing. Even in Tokyo, my secretary could not report to work on a number of days because trains were stopped by blackouts. Although my own apartment withstood the quake well, those who lived on the reclaimed land around Tokyo Bay suffered badly, with many buildings shaken like “tofu” during the quake, according to my friend who had to escape from one. The Tokyo Disneyland was shut down for the same reason.
Uncertainty surrounding the damaged nuclear power plants are also weighing heavily on public sentiment. With rumours on the internet spreading like wildfires, it has been very difficult to ascertain what is real and what is just speculation. Although the damaged plants are nearly 200 kilometers from Tokyo, many people talk as though it is next door. It was only yesterday (March 19) that the World Health Organisation announced that residents of Tokyo have no reason to worry.