My phone is buzzing with warning emergency messages. They are in Japanese so I can only speculate. The loud speakers in the streets roar out messages. Finally a message in English comes over but I can’t understand due to the very metallic tone of the loudspeaker system. Is a huge tsunami heading straight at me? My apartment is about 5 meters above sea level.

What to do when you are in trouble? Go to Lawson’s of course! The ladies know me well and with patience and Google translate we establish that there has been an earthquake in the Philippines and the resultant tsunami will hit the beaches of Okinawa at 11:30.

“What must I do?”

“Go to the mountains Neil san.”

“Are you going to the mountains?”

“Oh no, we must work.”

I do not go to the mountain but decide to go to my dentist appointment instead. I am in pain.

My good friend Kinjo sensei says there is much rot under a crown. It needs to be removed and root canal treatment initiated.

Kinjo sensei does not do this kind of low life dental treatment; reserving himself for implants.

Not to worry, a branch of his empire does this sort of stuff.

He fixes an appointment the same afternoon. Thank you Japan. In San Francisco it would probably take weeks to find a dentist taking new patients and then further time to actually get an appointment.

Whilst waiting to be seated chez Kinjo sensei, I look at my Facebook page. It is my niece’s birthday.

I ask if we can send her a Japanese birthday message. The Japanese are so playful and they all jump on the idea.

The Tomari fish market is adjacent. Several fish stalls have been converted into restaurants that are crammed with Chinese or maybe Taiwanese tourists.

Anyway, I go to have root canal treatment done in a new dentist place.

The dentist name is Shinjo sensei.. He does the business and they charge me 1630 Yen which is $10.

Great day!