On June 16th (Tuesday) at 7:46 PM, an earthquake with a maximum intensity of 5-minus was observed in Saitama and Gunma prefectures. Tokyo also experienced an intensity of 3. In Nakano-Sakaue, where I live, there was a sudden, strong jolt, followed by a period of smaller, more frequent tremors.

At the time, I was lying on the sofa at home. I was resting because I was experiencing such severe pain in my left knee that it was difficult to walk. The night before, I had overused both my legs during Krav Maga practice, which apparently caused inflammation in my left knee. During the day of the earthquake, the pain was mild, and I was able to perform my usual work, but in the evening, my left knee suddenly became hot and throbbing with pain. As I lay on the sofa at home, rubbing my left knee, there was a sudden, strong jolt. The force of the jolt was unusually strong, and I felt, “This isn’t a normal earthquake,” and immediately tried to stand up. I keep a motorcycle helmet and an emergency backpack at home in case of disaster. I decided it was best to put on a helmet and a disaster preparedness backpack. However, my leg hurt so much I couldn’t stand up. I tried to force myself to stand and fell to the floor.

The shaking continued. At this point, my sense of danger reached its peak. “How am I supposed to escape when I can’t move my body?”

Dragging my immobile left leg, I crawled under the table, forcing my throbbing left leg into a bend, and remained still for a while. The shaking gradually subsided. It all happened in about a few dozen seconds.

This experience gave me a glimpse into the feelings of those considered “vulnerable,” such as the elderly, people with disabilities, and infants. I learned firsthand how incredibly stressful it is to be unable to escape during a disaster. The anxiety, impatience, and fear are beyond imagination.

Soon the rainy season will end and summer will arrive. Natural disasters increase during the summer months. We must overcome them through self-help, mutual assistance, and public assistance. (Kei Kitajima)

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