What follows comes out of our discussions following the Friday 10th Kanto earthquake:
Stock up on rice, omochi, spaghetti or other essential easy to cook foods, spam, (spam, corn etc), freeze-dried foods, cooking oils, pancake / okonomiyaki mixtures
(If power is cut, or rationed and you have an IH heater which won’t work during a brownout, you will have to cook via a portable gas stove, so ready mixtures with bulk are easier)
– buy a simple gas stove and gas cannisters to last a week or more
– toilet paper (can become a scarce commodity very quickly) and tissue paper
– camping water tank
– water
– tablets for detoxifying water in toilet tanks
– fill up your car gas tanks – the queue is miles long tonight some stations have stopped. In colder places, when electricity is cut, people go into their cars to keep warm
– there is a cash run on the banks as well … while I don’t want to contribute to the panicked atmosphere …
There is a severe power supply situation now, and with the power rationing being carried out between the cities, to prepare for the brownouts, stock up on:
– torches, emergency camping lamps, candles, lots of batteries (batteries were sold out everywhere within hours of announcements of the planned power outages) – check your children’s toys and remote controls for extra batteries.
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