地震の あとで、こころが つかれますWhat almost everyone feels afterwards — and where to get help.
大きな 地震の あと、夜 眠れません。小さな 音で びくっと します。これは どういう ことですか。
You cannot sleep. Small sounds make you jump. What does this mean?
えらんで ください。Tap one.
こたえは B。だれでも なります。厚生労働省は「だれでも、不安や 心配に なりますが、多くは だんだん 回復します」と 書いて います。 Japan's health ministry states plainly that anyone can feel anxious after a disaster, and that most people recover over time.
After the shaking stops
The first three articles were about the earthquake itself. This one is about the weeks that follow, which is when most people are quietly struggling and assume they are the only one.
Broken sleep, jumping at small sounds, phantom shaking, exhaustion without effort, a shorter temper. Japan's health ministry describes these as things anyone can feel, and says most people recover with time.
It is harder when you are far from home, in a language that is not yours. That is worth saying out loud, because nobody at work is likely to say it to you.
01あなたが よわいから では ありません
大きな 地震の あと、こんな ことが ありませんか。
After a large earthquake, do any of these sound familiar?
- 夜、眠れない。
You cannot sleep at night. - 小さな 音で、びくっと する。
Small sounds make you jump. - ゆれて いないのに、ゆれて いる 気が する。
You feel shaking when nothing is shaking. - 何も して いないのに、つかれる。
You are tired without doing anything. - いらいらして、人に つよく 言って しまう。
You are irritable and speak sharply to people.
厚生労働省は、被災した 人へ 「だれでも、不安や 心配に なりますが、多くは だんだん 回復します」と 書いて います。あなたが よわいから では ありません。
The ministry's leaflet for people affected by disaster says: anyone can feel anxious or worried, and most people gradually recover.
眠れない 夜は、横に なるだけで いいです。これも 厚生労働省が 書いて いる ことです。「眠らなければ」と 思うと、もっと 眠れなく なります。
Lying down still counts as rest. Trying hard to sleep usually makes it worse.
02外国から 来た 人は、もっと つかれます
理由が 3つ あります。
There are three reasons.
- 母国語で 話せる 人が、近くに いません。
There is no one nearby who speaks your first language. - 家族が とおくに います。家族も 心配して います。
Your family is far away — and worried about you too. - 情報が 日本語だけで、何が おきて いるか わかりません。
Information comes only in Japanese, so you cannot tell what is happening.
言葉が わからない ときは、体は ずっと「気を つけた まま」に なります。ですから、日本人の 同僚より つかれます。これも、あたりまえの ことです。
When you cannot follow what is being said around you, your body stays alert for longer. You will be more tired than your Japanese colleagues. That is not a flaw in you.
03いつ、相談しますか
厚生労働省は「無理を しないで、身近な 人や 専門家に 相談しましょう」と 書いて います。つぎの ときは、相談して ください。
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare writes: "Do not push yourself — talk to someone close to you, or to a professional." Please seek help when any of the following is true.
- 時間が たっても、よく なりません。
It does not get better as time passes. - 仕事や せいかつが できません。
You cannot work or manage daily life. - お酒を 飲む 量が 増えました。
You are drinking more than before. - 死にたいと 思う、または 自分を 傷つける ことが あります。
You sometimes have thoughts of wanting to die, or you harm yourself.
最後の 1つは、すぐに 相談して ください。待たなくて いいです。
For the last one, get help right away. You do not have to wait. The numbers below are free.
04会社に 病名を 言わなくても いいです
くにに よって、こころの 病院の 意味が ちがいます。行くことが はずかしい、と 考える くにも あります。日本では、会社で 働きながら 通って いる 人も います。
What a mental health clinic means differs from country to country, and in some countries going to one is thought shameful. In Japan there are people who keep working at their company while attending one.
健康の 情報は、法律で 守られて います。会社が 知る 必要が あるのは、病名では なく、どんな 配慮が いるかです。「しばらく 残業を へらして ほしい」。この 言いかたで 大丈夫です。
You do not have to tell your employer your diagnosis. What the company needs to know is what adjustment you need, not the name of the illness. "I need less overtime for a while" is enough.
05どこで 相談できますか
電話で 話せます。お金は かかりません。
You can talk on the phone. It costs nothing.
- よりそいホットライン 0120-279-338 むりょうです。電話が つながったら、2を おして ください。外国語で 話せます。外国語は 毎日 朝10時から 夜10時までです。日本語なら 24時間 かけられます。
Yorisoi Hotline 0120-279-338. Free. When the call connects, press 2. Other languages are available every day from 10:00 to 22:00. The Japanese line is open 24 hours. - #いのちSOS 0120-061-338 むりょうです。日本語です。「死にたい」と 思う とき、自分を 傷つけて しまう ときも、ここで 話せます。
#Inochi SOS 0120-061-338. Free, in Japanese. You can call if thoughts of dying, or of harming yourself, grow stronger. - 労働条件相談ほっとライン 13の ことばで 話せます。むりょうです。ベトナム語は 0120-531-406、英語は 0120-531-401。会社が 終わってからでも かけられます。
Working Conditions Hotline. Free, in 13 languages. Vietnamese 0120-531-406, English 0120-531-401. You can call after work. - 会社の 産業医 働く 人の 健康を 見る 医者です。話した ことは、勝手に 会社に 伝えません。
On the Yorisoi Hotline, press 2 after the recorded guidance to reach the foreign-language line, which is open every day from 10:00 to 22:00. The Japanese-language line runs 24 hours. The Working Conditions Hotline answers in 13 languages. If your company has an occupational physician, what you tell them is not passed on to your employer without your agreement.
地震が 起きた とき、自分の 身を まもる ために ひつような 知識を、じゅんばんに 整理して います。この 連載は 全6回です。
Six short articles: what to know now, what to have ready, and what to do when the ground starts moving.
- どのくらい 多いかHOW OFTEN公開ずみPublished 1日本は 地震が 多い 国です How often earthquakes happen, and where
- ゆれて いる ときWHILE IT SHAKES公開ずみPublished 2地震が きました。さいしょに することは 何ですか The first minute — and why the answer depends on where you are
- 起きる まえBEFORE IT HAPPENS公開ずみPublished 3家と 職場の じゅんび What to sort out first, and what to ask your employer
- 起きた あとAFTER IT STOPS 4地震の あとで、こころが つかれます What almost everyone feels afterwards, and where to get help
- じょうほうINFORMATIONじゅんび中Coming soon 5警報と 情報の 読みかた How to read the alerts, and where to look for information
06英語で よむ
What you are feeling is normal
- Trouble sleeping, being startled by small sounds, feeling shaking that is not there.
- Exhaustion without effort, and a shorter temper than usual.
- Japan's health ministry: anyone can feel anxious after a disaster, and most people gradually recover.
- On the nights you cannot sleep, simply lying down still counts as rest.
It is harder from a distance
- Nobody nearby speaks your language, and your family worries from far away.
- The information around you is in Japanese, so you cannot tell what is happening.
- Your body stays on alert longer than your Japanese colleagues'. That is not a weakness.
When to ask for help
- It is not getting better, or you cannot work or manage daily life.
- You are drinking more than before.
- Thoughts of wanting to die, or of harming yourself — do not wait. Call today.
You do not owe your employer a diagnosis
- Health information is protected by law in Japan.
- What the company needs is the adjustment you need, not the name of the illness.
- "Less overtime for a while" is a complete answer.
- What you tell an occupational physician is not reported to your employer without your agreement.
Free numbers
- Yorisoi Hotline 0120-279-338 — free. Press 2 after the guidance for the foreign-language line, open every day 10:00–22:00. The Japanese line runs 24 hours.
- #Inochi SOS 0120-061-338 — for suicidal thoughts and self-harm, in Japanese.
- Working Conditions Hotline — 13 languages. Vietnamese 0120-531-406, English 0120-531-401.
07この 記事は 役に 立ちましたか
One tap helps us write the next one.
- Cabinet Public Affairs Office, What you can do before a disaster kantei.go.jp
- Cabinet Public Affairs Office, What kind of disasters do earthquakes cause kantei.go.jp
- Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Disaster message services soumu.go.jp
- Geospatial Information Authority / MLIT, Hazard Map Portal disaportal.gsi.go.jp
- Immigration Services Agency & Agency for Cultural Affairs, Guidelines on plain Japanese for supporting foreign residents (August 2020) PDF
The figures for water and food come from the government preparedness page: three days as a guide, three litres of water per person per day, and ordinary food rather than special supplies. All source documents are in Japanese.