14:42 Nozomi to Tokyo

I awaken to find that the train has stopped. I am not entirely sure where we are, but everyone in the carriage is texting away furiously. Something is amiss – Japanese bullet trains do not make unscheduled stops in the middle of nowhere. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch the kanji for 'earthquake' (地震) flash up on the electronic indicator board at the front of the carriage. I have never been in an earthquake, but I know that earthquakes are not unusual here – Japan has to be the most earthquake-prone (and earthquake-prepared) nation in the world. Nothing to fear, then. Instead, I feel a mild sense of annoyance. Will I be late for a dinner appointment in Tokyo this evening? Vaguely disgruntled, I drowse off again…

'Ladies and gentlemen, we will shortly make a brief stop at Nagoya station.'
I re-awaken to find we are nearly 35 minutes behind schedule, and decide to borrow a mobile to 'phone a friend.
'Where are you? Have you heard the news?' she asks.
'No – tell me.'
'We've only been hit by the biggest earthquake ever.'
'Oh really?'
'We've all been evacuated from the office. I'm not sure if J and J are still up for dinner, but all the restaurants will be shut. Don't count on getting in before nine – but ring me when you do!'

Nine in the evening! She's not wrong, as it happens. We pull into Nagoya station and spend the remainder of the afternoon there. A long and intricate message scrolls along the indicator board in Japanese*, but the English text only reads: 'Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Shinkansen. This is the Nozomi superexpress bound for Tokyo. We will be stopping at Shin-Yokohama, Shinagawa stations before arriving at Tokyo terminal.'

Sometime after 19:30, I succumb to a packet of sandwiches and a small bottle of red. At 20:00, the boredom sets in and I finally decide to venture out onto the platform to grab a Nagoya miso-katsu bento. They appear to be letting the southbound trains through to Kyoto, but the trains for Tokyo are still being held at the station.

We eventually set off again sometime after 20:30, and arrive in Tokyo at 23:20 – over six hours late. A record, no doubt, for one of the few rail services you can still set your watch to!

* I later learn that the Japanese message reads: 'Today's earthquake has had a significant impact on the Tōhoku and Kantō regions. It was the largest earthquake, with a magnitude of 8.4 on the Richter scale. A tsunami warning is in place between Aomori and Wakayama. In the Kantō region 400,000 homes are without electricity.'