Tsunami disruption spreads deep into nation

Ten days after the disaster that slammed Japan, towns far from the impact zone are still experiencing shortages that have thrown the neat, ordered lives of local residents completely out of gear.

Gas station queues stretching for several kilometers, long waits at supermarkets, empty store shelves and shuttered businesses have become a part of the landscape in post-tsunami Japan.

At the foot of the Mount Iwate volcano, the people of Morioka - almost 100 kilometers west of the devastated coast - are still adjusting to the penury of many basic items they once took for granted.

At a gas station on the outskirts of the city, motorists waited hours on end before finally reaching the gas pump, clutching a 2,000 yen ($25) daily rationing coupon in their hands. The coupon is barely enough to buy a third of a tank on an average-sized city car.

One man wasted so much gas while waiting that his car ran dry and needed several people to push it up to the station.

Kabuya Kubo said she had waited for nearly six hours to fill her tank. Ever since the tsunami, she has used her bike to go to work whenever the car runs low on fuel - a one-hour trip, versus 15 minutes by car.

Most gas stations have been cordoned off or closed for the better part of the day due to disruptions in the supply system.

The tidal wave that intruded 10 kilometers inland in certain areas engulfed large tracts of arable land in the agriculturally rich prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima.

"There are no more meat and vegetables. I'm eating instant meals all the time," said Naohiko Seki. "I would like to regain my old life, but when I think about people who suffered from the tsunami, I tell myself I shouldn't complain."

A ramen noodle restaurant on Morioka's main shopping street was able to offer only a single type of plain fried rice. There were no customers in sight at 2 pm, and the usually busy room stood empty.

"Ever since the disaster, our suppliers haven't been able to reach us. We haven't been getting many customers recently," said cook Toshiyo Sasaki.

As fresh produce grows scarcer, restaurants are turning to more prepared foods and noodle- or rice-based dishes than ever before.

Convenience stores, usually open around the clock, had rows of empty shelves, where prepared foods like the normally ubiquitous "onigiri" rice balls, water and milk products once stood.

Yoshii Sato said he was a "little afraid" for his daughter.

"It's really strange. The stores have almost no baby food and other items. It makes me uneasy and anxious. I am worried because I don't know whether or not I will be able to buy what my child needs," he said.

AFP