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Kanto region gripped in the grip of a couple inches of snow: “I have to change my underwear!”

Master Blaster Feb 10, 2014
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On 8 February, the skies over Tokyo and much of the Kanto region darkened. Ominous clouds suddenly began to steadily sprinkle the urban center with fluffy flakes of snow. However, in an area not used to such weather conditions, chaos ensued. Residents urged loved ones to stay indoors if possible while others flocked to supermarkets to load up on supplies. Our own Kuzo – who’s no stranger to reporting from dangerous environments such as North Korea and the spa-resort town of Évian-les-Bains, France – took to the streets of Tokyo to see how everyone was coping with the nearly three inches of snow that had strickened them.

Kuzo opened his door to head into town but as soon as he took one step he was hit with a blast of cold air carried by strong winds and peppered with snowflakes. He immediately turned around and went back inside. He thought it might be more effective to see what people were saying online first.

It seemed that residents were in a state of shock at the weather.

“Tokyo has truly been dumped on.”
“This isn’t what Tokyo is supposed to look like.”
“The Sobu Line began moving! Good luck Tokyo! We’re losing to the snow! Good luck public transportation!”

People’s fears were further fanned by reports of actual damaged caused by the winter storm.

“At approximately 4:30 in Tokyo, flower pots began falling down under the weight of the snow.”
“I have to change my underwear! It’s because I fell!”
“I don’t want to go out into the snow, so I’m going to make some curry!”

Kuzo liked the sound of that last comment and decided to screw reporting for the time being. It simply wasn’t worth the risk of going out among the broken flower pots and dirty underwear. However, upon opening the cupboard a shock like a Hitchcock camera zoom struck his face.

There was no curry left.

It had been only a few hours since Kuzo last ate and years of fast food critiquing experience has left his blood sugar in as chaotic of a state as the snow in Tokyo at the moment. He would have to eat, and soon.

Walking the streets near Shinjuku, Kuzo felt irritated that the snow was high enough to cover his shoes. Not expecting this dusting he hadn’t purchased the appropriate foot wear. Sure enough his feet quickly got wet, then cold, then sore. He wasn’t alone either as he could hear a lady shout “It’s so cold it hurts!” from inside Shinjuku Station.

Next, he headed towards the bar district looking for a place to eat. The area didn’t have many people and the falling snow dampened the ambient noise of the city making everything feel really lonely. However, the area looked especially beautiful too. The shops with their red lanterns hanging were gently covered in snow and blowing puffs of steam from their vents. The scene was so quaint it looked as if it were staged for some movie.

Kuzo was inspired to stop in for a quick drink, but the shops were also ill-prepared for the weather and had no doors making them quite cold inside. He would have to look elsewhere.

Walking down the street he had to take tiny baby-steps at times to avoid slipping. “People in the Tohoku (northern) region of Japan seem to know how to walk without slipping. I should ask one of them,” he thought. There were still dozens of meters to the curry shop to go and if there was one thing that Kuzo knew all too well, it’s that there’s nothing worse than eating curry in dirty, wet underwear.

Original report by Kuzo
Photos and Video: RocketNews24

[ Read in Japanese ]