March 11

MARCH 11

The Ginza Line was pulling out of Ueno Station when the quake hit, jolting the train to a hard stop, then vibrating it like a car revving to free its tyres from thick mud. For a moment, I thought somebody must have thrown themselves under the train, until the vibrations turned to violent shaking and the flickering of the carriage’s lights signaled that something else was happening. Down the other end of the carriage someone screamed. The turbulence began to drain faces of colour. 

I don...