My name is Aep Saeful Bachri, from Indonesia. I am an international student studying to obtain my doctorate at Tokyo Metropolitan University. The following is a report on the events following the Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred on March 11^th, 2011.

　On March 11^th, 2011 from 1 pm I had been participating in a meeting in Tokyo's Nagata-cho of the Japan National Council for Welfare Facilities, discussing the creation of textbooks to study for the national nursing examination. Suddenly, the building began to shake, and everyone shouted out in unison that it was an earthquake. At first we didn't try to take shelter, but as the shaking grew stronger, we hid under the desks with fright, wondering if there might be a tidal wave from such a large earthquake. We were so frightened that we wondered if we might die. Even after the earthquake finished, the building continued to sway, and it took some time for things to calm down. While waiting for the building to stop shaking, we turned on the TV and saw images of a foaming wave that reminded me of the tidal wave in Atjeh , Sumtra, and my Japanese friends shouted out that it was a tidal wave. As the wave grew larger and larger it swept away ships, cars, and houses, and we could see fires all around. My very fears had come true. Seeing the Japan that I care so much about being ravaged by a tidal wave was so sad it nearly reduced me to tears. Since the building continued to shake, everyone went outside and gathered together. As I watched people coming out from different buildings, they all had expressions of fear on their faces.

　Although the earthquake had stopped, everyone was still scared. I wondered how I should get home with the subways and trains all stopped, but decided I should start by walking to Tokyo station. With all the people walking towards the station, the roads were packed. When I reached Tokyo station, it was completely crowded with people inside and out, like an ocean of people. It was already around 7 pm. There wasn't a single subway or train in service. I was hungry, but when I tried to order food at a restaurant around the station, the server apologized and told me that they were sold out. I went into a few restaurants, but almost all of them were sold out or had only pork dishes left, so I decided to look for a convenience store. Almost everything was sold out at the convenience store, but I managed to buy bread and water. I went back into Tokyo station, and looked for somewhere I might be able to sleep among the crowd. Then I thought of an Indonesian friend of mine who is working at St. Luke's Hospital in Ginza as a nurse in training, and used Facebook to let him know about my situation. I got a message from him telling me to walk towards Ginza, and I so I walked there. So that he would know where in Ginza I was, I took a picture of a nearby building and sent it through Facebook, writing "I'm in front of this building." He messaged me back that he'd that he'd come meet me. I was really relieved to see him. Before going to his apartment, we went to buy food and something to drink, but almost all of them were sold out, and we had to visit quite a few convenience stores before we found any. We bought about 24 hours worth of supplies. We went to his apartment and started talking about what we had experienced, but there was another earthquake and the building started to shake. Even though it was an aftershock, we were scared. Although we were both frightened, we talked about what had happened that day. As a nurse in training, the most important thing for my friend during the earthquake was to help the patients. That night neither of us could get much sleep, as even when there weren't aftershocks, it felt like we ourselves were shaking. Instead of sleeping, we went on the internet to chat with our friends and families and tell them that we were all right. Our friends and family members were all relieved to hear that we were safe. We got lots of messages from them telling us that they were praying for the recovery and restoration of Japan. Lots of my Japanese friends mailed me as well to make sure I was fine.

On the next day, Saturday the 12^th, the aftershocks were continuing, and I finally left my friend's house after checking the news to see which trains and subways were operating. I took the Ginza line to Omotesando, changed to the Chiyoda line and took it to Yoyogi Uehara, and then took the Odakyu line to Shin-Yurigaoka. I got back on the Odakyu Tama line, and rode to Tama Center station. I walked from the station to my apartment, and checked to see what had fallen or broken in the earthquake. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that nothing had fallen or broken. When I turned on the television that night and watched news about the area around the disaster, it said that the Japanese government had announced an explosion at the nuclear reactor in Fukushima, and electricity-saving measures. It said that each area would shut down power for 3 hours each day in order to conserve electricity.

　There was a lot of confusion around the talk of the earthquake, tidal wave, radiation, and energy conservation. When Japanese people who weren't ready for the power shutdown came to the station during the power shutdown of the first day, it was very chaotic. Everyone ended up not being able to go to school or work, or to do errands or meet with friends. The issue of radiation was even more frightening than the earthquake, and weighed most heavily on everyone's minds. My friends and family were all worried. I got some messages saying that I ought to come home to avoid the radiation, but I believed that the Japanese government would protect the safety of its citizens so there was no need to worry, and decided not to return home.

　Finally, I'd like to say that I believe in the strength of Japan, and wish for its swift recovery and restoration with all my heart.