もう、30年なんですね

 

当時、入社して1-2年のころでした

実家に住んでて、揺れで目が覚めました

 

マンションの高い階層だったのと、向きがこの地震にとっては

最悪の方向に建っていて、とても酷い揺れでした

 

与えられていた小さな部屋の両サイドには本棚やビデオラックが山積み

さらに、本棚の上にも工具箱や物がたくさん

 

本、ビデオ、工具箱が布団で寝ている私の頭の両サイドに

ドサドサと落ちてきました

 

位置が違っていたらと思うとゾッとします

 

まるで布団がトランポリンのような感じで

動こうにも軽く飛び跳ねている感じで身動き取れず

 

あれ以来、地震が来て、机の下に隠れたりできるような地震は

大したことない。って勝手に思ってます

怖いのは、身動きできない地震

 

別の部屋で寝ていた母親も、こっちにくるなって叫んでました

食器棚の食器が全部、フローリングの床に落ちて割れてしまったからです

 

今のように、揺れで扉が開かないようにするロックなんてありませんでしたので

 

揺れが収まってから、外に目をやっても、神戸のような状況になっておらず

酷い地震やったなぁとだけ思ってました

 

今のようにスマホですぐ状況が分かるようなこともなく

情報源はテレビと新聞だけでしたので

 

It’s already been 30 years.

Back then, I was in my first or second year at my job, living with my family. The shaking woke me up.

Our apartment was on a high floor, and unfortunately, the building was facing the worst direction for that earthquake, so the shaking was intense.

In the small room I had, bookshelves and video racks were stacked on both sides of me. On top of the shelves were toolboxes and various items.

Books, videos, and toolboxes all came crashing down onto both sides of the futon where I was sleeping.

When I think about what could have happened if I’d been in a different position, it’s terrifying.

It felt like the futon turned into a trampoline. I couldn’t move because I was bouncing lightly with each tremor.

Since that day, whenever an earthquake comes and I can hide under a desk or move easily, I think, “This isn’t a big deal.” But what scares me most are earthquakes where you can’t move at all.

My mother, who was sleeping in another room, yelled at me not to come over because all the dishes in the cupboard had fallen and shattered on the floor.

Back then, we didn’t have locks to keep cabinet doors from opening during shaking like we do now.

After the shaking stopped, I looked outside and didn’t see the kind of devastation like in Kobe, so I just thought, “That was a terrible earthquake.”

There were no smartphones to instantly check the situation like today. Back then, the only sources of information were TV and newspapers.