Fears for safety of Killarney past pupil in Japan
Friends of 19-year-old Satoshi Otsuka, who went to school in Killarney, said they were extremely worried about him and his family.
Mr Otsuka, his younger brother, mother and father — who worked as a senior executive with the Japanese -owned Alps electrics in Killarney and then in Millstreet in Co Cork — returned to Japan around two years ago.
Satoshi, who was a keen rugby player while he was in Killarney, is a student and he and his family live in the city of Sendai, not far from the epicentre of the quake.
Peter Neville, a classmate from St Brendan’s College, who is studying Arts at University College Cork, said he had been trying to contact him since early morning but failed to get a response.
“We are really worried about him. His city appears to be the worst affected,” said Mr Neville.
Mr Neville teaches English in Japan during the summer and said he was also trying to contact friends in Tokyo, but without success.
Meanwhile, a Tralee man who lives in the inland city of Sapporo, has told how tremors were felt there during the massive earthquake that hit Japan.
Brendan Ashe, 35, originally from Oakpark in Tralee, said he and his family were safe and well and did not feel too fearful because of their inland location.
Emergency services were coping well and evacuation from coastal cities was under way as he spoke.
“We are still under tsunami alert. I think because Sapporo is so far inland the risk of a tsunami is low,” he said.
Mr Ashe has been teaching English in Japan for eight years and is married to a Japanese woman. The couple have one young son. His parents and relatives live in Co Kerry
He was trying to contact friends in Tokyo, but phone lines were down.
It is still winter in Japan and very cold, with old people being particularly vulnerable, he said.
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