Japanese Reds: We’re Scared

Liverpool Football Club is immensely proud to have supporters all over the world and on Friday, the thoughts of everyone at Anfield were with our fans in Japan.

Like everyone else, staff at the Club looked on in disbelief as the news pictures came through on our screens of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami.

As we watched the waves crush everything before them from the safety of the Club's offices, it looked like a scene from a disaster movie. For our supporters in Japan, it was a very different experience - as these emails to the Club testify.

*****

Hi, my name is Yuma Tanaka (21) and I am sending this email from Tokyo right now and there are still shakes happening...

Places such as Miyagi and Iwate have been really damaged. There is no power going to many places up there and the hospitals are practically out of order.

Many trains in Tokyo have been stopped and many people hasn't been able to return to their home but above all of these horrors, there hasn't been any robberies, theft or killings (as far as I know). People are helping each other out. So it could be said the worst hasn't come.

Twitter has been a real massive tool throughout this tragedy. It has helped get real time information and the messages sent from all over the world has given us so much strength.

Messages from Lucas Leiva have been very encouraging!!

As a Liverpool fan, I am sure that we will never give up and never walk alone.

I honestly don't know what will happen in the next few weeks but I am sure that we will stick together and get over it.

I pray for the people living in the north and hope that this tragedy will be over soon.

I thank Liverpool FC once again for your kindness and hope that you will move on to the next round of the EL : ) I believe in you guys!

We will never walk alone!!!!

*****

My Name is Takuya Okado from Nagoya, Japan.

I'm a big Liverpool fan. It's about 7.30am in Japan. It might be the worst morning ever for us today....

My English is not good enough. I'm sorry if you can't understand it.

My hometown (Nagoya) is okay because the earthquake wasn't near me but I felt it from where I am. This place got rocked though....

My hometown is by the seaside. I saw a huge Tsunami. Fortunately, there was no damage in my town.

It's the worst...worst situation I've ever seen where Tokyo and Tohoku (Iwate and Miyagi) area are.... In that area many houses were removed by the flood.

Because of this natural disaster, many people got injured and passed away (1000 people I guess). That report has not been confirmed yet. Now we don't know what's goin on in Japan....some are tired, some are angry, some are mad...

I received your messages to us on Twitter and Facebook. We greatly appreciate your kindness. Thank you Steve McManaman and LFCTV.

A lot of victims of Liverpool fans in Japan were encouraged by you...

We want to say Thank you for your kindness and support.

We'll never forget about that.YNWA

Takuya Okado from Japan

*****

Sorry if you have trouble in reading for my poor English.

Hello. Thanks a lot for all the support from Liverpool FC.

I live in Saitama but have been in Tokyo since the earthquake happened, because almost all transportation facilities were stopped and I cannot move to anywhere from my college.

Yesterday, I was walking around going to a photo exhibition. Then suddenly, I felt like my feet were kicked by the ground. Next moment, I found that the ground was shook and it is not easy at all to walk on.

Very many people rushed out from buildings. Tokyo got into an instant panic. About an hour later, stations were blockaded. Some public buildings, including my college, were opened for victims who could not get to their home anyway. I am one of those people.

I have been getting information via Ustream and twitter. Compared to Miyagi and Fukushima (epicentres), Tokyo had little damage. I really hope Miyagi and Fukushima (and of course the rest of Japan too) do not suffer more from the disaster. Now Japan is all scared by the aftershock, the tsunami and radiation leakage.

Lastly, again, I want to say thank you for everyone caring for us. I am really proud of being a member of the Kop.

WE'LL NEVER WALK ALONE!!!!!

Koji Miyazaki

*****

It's 5.40am here in Tokyo and the trains have started again. I left my office desk to visit the toilet, but before I got there the building started to shake.

I automatically tried to open as many doors as possible (training from the TV, as the buildings shift and jam doors shut). I was next to a school where everyone tried to calm the kids. As the two minutes of violent shaking passed, I ventured back to my office where I found two large steel bookcases had collapsed and destroyed my workstation... I suddenly felt my heart drop...

Knowing that if I hadn't left my seat (from which I check LFC news daily) I would not be typing this now. Looking forward to watching the next game on TV as if it was my first... I hope everyone else is home and safe. Only tomorrow will we be able to see the horrible aftermath of the huge aftershocks and tsunamis.

Peace and love,

Steve in Japan

*****

This is the story of one city in Tokyo. I'm a college student. In Japan, we have a spring vacation so I can work. I was in the electric machine shop for work. The earthquake happened before 3pm. First it wasn't strong and it was slow so I thought it was a small earthquake.

It wasn't true. The earthquake was getting harder and harder. That was terrible. Everything trembled hard really hard - the TV, PC and washing machine.

When I got out of the building, I saw a tower shaking very strong.

I thought it would snap. This shows how the earthquake was big.

The earthquake is the biggest in Japanese history and now at 6am a lot of aftershock is happening. A little while ago another huge earthquake happened. This may destroy Japan.

We need your help. A lot of people need water and food. Please help us.

The sum of missing and dead is over 1000 people.

Terrible.

Earthquake prediction alert airs every half an hour.

We can't sleep.

We need some rest.

YNWA

From Tokyo, one of college student, Masashi 

*****

I am a Japanese person living in Tokyo. So I wasn't affected by the Tsunami directly, but when there was a big earthquake, I was quite prepared to die in fear of the earthquake.

In Japan, there has been a constant succession of big earthquakes, believed to be aftershocks. We spent the night in the grip of anxious fear.

I feel uneasy about the future of Japan. I feel that danger is threatening me. I am planning to go to Anfield to watch your game next February. I hope that my dreams come true in peace.

*****

OK. My name is Rei Takeyasu. I am a university student.

First, I apologise for my poor English. Maybe my English is not good...

When I had big earthquake, I was in part-time job. The earthquake was so long. We could not move at all.

After that, we sheltered outside. Then we went back to our office for we were TV Man!!

And we could not go back to our home  because trains did not move at all.

So it forced us stay there. And... now, I am in the office. So some trains are not moving.

The time is am 6:37. While I stayed there, I had aftershocks some times!

And throughout Japan is having warning of Tsunami. This is my story...

But my area was better than other areas. In one area, it had Tsunami, fires and ground liquefying. In another area, it is having warning of nuclear...

*****

I'm in Tokyo. I really love Liverpool. I always watch games live on TV.

The earthquake was terrible.

I have never faced such a huge earthquake. The disaster is tremendous.

We need your help.

North Japan is the worst place.

We need your aid.

Please help us asap.

*****

I read the comments of McManaman.

I was impressed. It encourages us very much.

Sorry, my English is very poor and I cannot explain well....

We pray for the victory of LFC. I will be watching next the match.

Bek, Japan

YNWA

*****

First, thanks for the message to fans in Japan!

In Tokyo, it was the most violent earthquake ever felt.

Shelves collapsed, glass broke and walls cracked. I could not stop trembling with fear, TWITTER was a relief to use. Many #prayforjapan and YNWA relieve us of the tweet anxiety.

After that, I do not know what happens. I'm really worried about staying friends. But impossible once, Liverpool FC have a comeback like the Champions League final, We lose to this disaster.

"YNWA"

Thank you, I'm no good at English, Google translator was used. If the sentences are awkward, sorry.

Hiroyuki FURUTA (@hirosanVIRGO on Twitter)

 *****

Hi, I'm a Reds fan in Japan and saw your tweets.
 
I am in Tokyo and my parents' home is in Miyagi.
Although I couldn't contact them for a long time, fortunately they are all safe.
 
It's morning in Japan. As the sun sets, the circumstance of the disaster will be made known.

I pray for the victims' souls.

Your announcements get into the news and I'm proud that I'm a Liverpool FC fan. I can feel that we are supporting each other.
 
I appreciate your thoughtfulness with my whole heart.
 
You'll never walk alone.
 
Yours sincerely,

Toshiaki Abo from Japan.

*****

Dear LFC.

Hi, I'm sorry by poor English. I'm a fan of Liverpool FC in Tokyo.

I live in Tokyo and the earthquake occurred yesterday.

The earthquake was very scary and the infrastructure cannot move. The Tohoku region in Japan is overcome by the earthquake and the tsunami.

We Japanese suffer very much due to this earthquake. In Tokyo, the earthquake is terrible and we were not possible to live normally.

Thank you very much for giving message to Japan and us. We were able to have courage from your message.

We are never as proud as today to be a fan of the Liverpool Football Club. I was impressed from message from Reds!

We'll never walk alone!

Please tell Babel and Lucas - thanks for giving message to Japan.

From Tokyo, R.Matsubara, College Student.

*****

My name is Kazuki Arimoto.

I'm Japanese and live in Tokyo, Japan. I'm safe.

When I was in the shop of my office building a shake that I've never experienced before attacked me. 

I went outside the shop. I didn't receive damage but many Japanese people received damage.

One thousand people already seem to have died. The television tells the appearance of damage.

I am very sad.

Liverpool FC sent to message of sympathy on Twitter fast. It is now known by many Japanese people not just LFC fans.

Thank you for your kindness.

I'm Liverpool supporter. I belong to ALL RED and Supporters Club in Japan. I went to Anfield twice.

See you again at Anfield.

YNWA!