On the way to Tohoku Gakuin U

 These first two pictures are example of a problem that we now have as a result of the quakes. Although it is not a severe problem, it is a problem. All of the sidewalks and many of  the roads are no longer smooth. This means that after a rain there are puddles that remain until the water evaporates. This means you have to watch your step, because it is not always obvious how deep they are. Also at night you can not see them. Finally, bicycle riders are have trouble because it is difficult to tell the heights and depths of the ripples. The white markings in the first picture were placed there by the inspectors and seem to mean that this spot will eventually be repair.

 

 I have shown this store before. It sells expense figures that are given to children to decorate the house on the children's holidays. They are along open during the parts of the year when they can makes sales, but they have now cleaned out the inside entirely. All of the display counters are gone. It looks like they are closing for good

 During the warmer months, it is common for Japanese women to carry umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun, which can become extremely hot. I do not carry an umbrella but I do have a broad brimmed  hat that I wear whenever I go outdoors.

This is in my classroom at the Itsutsubashi campus of Tohoku Gakuin U. The objects one the wall are the air conditioning controls on the right, the light switches on the bottom left, and instructions about what to do in an earthquake on the top left. These instructions are briefer but basically the same as those printed on the holders

 The above two pictures show plastic paper holders that were given out by Miyagi Gakuin U. This type of holder is very common and everyone uses them to protect papers from getting dirty or creased. I use them to keep the paperwork related to various classes separate - in other words, as a filing cabinet. These are different because the writing on them tells the faculty members what to do in case of another big earthquake. There are step-by-step instructions for taking care of your class and getting them to a place of safety.

 On the way home from Tohoku Gakuin U,  I passed the house where they are building the new retaining wall. Actually walls are being built in front of two house and, when they are finished, there will be a continuous wall along the riverside side of four houses in a row.