Salem State University student Tsubasa Suzuki got an early morning phone call yesterday from her father with news of the earthquake and tsunami that left hundreds dead or missing and devastated her homeland of Japan.
After hearing that her father and other family members were safe, Suzuki tried to reach her mother, who was stuck in an office building in Tokyo.
"She couldn't go back home because the transportation was stopped," said the 20-year-old student. "She's staying in the office."
There were a lot of anxious phone and Internet communications yesterday to Japan, including many from the North Shore.
Employees at Teamstudio, a Beverly software development company, got 6 a.m. e-mails from their CEO with news of the earthquake and its impact on the company's Tokyo office.
"Obviously, we all have been concerned," said Bonnie LoPiano, the office manager. "As far as we know, everyone is OK."
Communication, she said, has been "spotty."
When they heard the news, officials at the Peabody Essex Museum immediately thought of Karina Corrigan, the H.A. Crosby Forbes Curator of Asian Export Art, who is traveling in Japan on museum business.
"They had been in Tokyo when the earthquake struck," said Whitney Riepe, a PEM spokeswoman. "We got word that everyone is fine and that they were evacuated from their hotel. ... I guess now the word is they are going to be sleeping on a bus for the meantime."
Riepe added that "we still have very little information."
Erin Dolan, president of the Salem-Ota Club, got e-mails yesterday from residents of Ota, the largest borough of Tokyo and Salem's "sister city." Many Salem residents have visited Ota as part of a cultural exchange that celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
Dolan said she heard from one Ota friend who said "they got evacuated from their home, but were allowed to come back in time to try to get some sleep."
"Everybody that we have heard from is fine," said her husband, Peter Dolan, the former club president. "They're feeling some aftershocks, but they didn't get any of the tsunami."
Ota's connection to Salem is so strong that the tragedy was mentioned yesterday at Salem Rep. John Keenan's St. Patrick's Day breakfast at Finz restaurant.
"The mayor handed me a note saying they were hit pretty hard (in Japan)," Keenan said. "When doing the closing prayer, I just asked everybody to think about our sister city."
Most everyone contacted yesterday said communication with Japan has been difficult.
Suzuki, the Salem State student, reached family and friends over Skype, an Internet call and video software. One friend in an area hard hit by the earthquake said she didn't feel well.
"They still have aftershocks," Suzuki said, "so my friend has a sick feeling. She is dizzy and (has) headaches."
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