Effects of Friday's earthquake-tsunami double-punch in the Tohoku region remained tangible Monday in Tokyo as commuters tried to get back to work but were faced with closed train lines, empty store shelves and looming electricity shutdowns.
"This is the first time since I was in high school that I rode my bicycle in the morning. . . . I still have to cross two rivers to get to work," said Hidemi Yokozawa, an office worker traveling to Chiyoda Ward.
The Edogawa Ward resident, in her 30s, said she left home early expecting the usual Monday morning commuter rush. But she never made it to the ticket gate, with people flooding the entrance to Toei Shinjuku Line's Funabori Station.