2024年は激動の幕開けに！/2024 made turbulent start!
(English text continues to the latter half of the page)
年末年始は例年通り、越後湯沢で年越し
2023年から2024年にかけての年越しは例年通りに越後湯沢のマンションで猫（5匹中の3匹）と一緒に。いつも通り平穏な年越しかと思いきや、元旦の日にとんでもないことが起こってしまった・・・
昨年末は数年ぶりの小雪で、年末の谷川岳SAでもほぼ雪はなく山頂付近から白くなっている状態。年末の越後湯沢駅は大変な混雑、特に夕方になって飲食店の行列が凄まじい。
2024年元旦、夕方に突如の災難と、思いもかけぬ非常訓練
年は明けて2024年の元旦、例年通りに八海神社に初詣に。八海神社は霊峰八海山の中腹に構える深山幽谷の雰囲気を漂わせた霊場。通常は正月には深い雪に覆われていて、参拝も一苦労だが、今年は雪も浅く、参拝も楽だった。
このように例年通りの元旦を越後湯沢で過ごし、翌日に猫とともに東京に帰る予定だったけど、部屋に戻って昼からビールを飲んでのんびりしていた時、午後4時過ぎに突然スマートフォンの地震警報が鳴り響き、続いてマンションを揺るがす震度5強の揺れが襲う！奥能登で発災した震度7の能登半島地震によるもの。
何度も強い揺れに見舞われ、しかも最上階で火災発生の警報まで鳴り出して、怯える猫3匹を無理やりにキャリーケースに詰め込んで急遽1階のロビーに避難。
https://youtube.com/shorts/CQ-RAgzbiec
しばらくして火災警報は誤報と判明したため部屋に戻る。エレベーターは当然止まったまま。我が家が2階にあることをこの時初めて感謝した。相方は怖いからもう東京に帰りたいと言い出すが、震源が近くないことと、直前にしこたま飲んでいたこともあり、当初の予定通りに翌朝早くに戻ることにする。慌ててとった行動は、ろくな結果にならない。
幸いにしてその後は大きな余震はなく、翌朝に予定通りに車で東京に戻った。戻って最初にしたことは、ネットを通した地震被害地区への募金だった。
さて例年になくスリリングな年明けとなった2024年はどのような年になるのか。
New Year’s Eve as Usual in Echigo Yuzawa
To welcome the transition from 2023 to 2024, I spent New Year’s Eve as usual in an apartment in Echigo Yuzawa, accompanied by three out of five cats. Despite anticipating a peaceful celebration, something extraordinary happened on New Year’s Day…
At the end of last year, there was light snowfall after several years, and even at the year-end Touhoku Highway SA, there was barely any snow, with only the mountaintop covered in white.
Echigo Yuzawa Station was incredibly crowded at the year-end, especially in the evening, with long lines forming at restaurants.
On New Year’s Day 2024, a sudden disaster in the evening and an unexpected emergency drill
As the year turned to 2024, I followed the tradition of making the first shrine visit to Hakkai Shrine. Hakkai Shrine, located halfway up the sacred mountain Hakkaisan, exudes an atmosphere of a deep mountain valley. Usually covered in deep snow during the New Year, this year, with shallow snow, the visit was easier.
Having spent a typical New Year’s Day in Echigo Yuzawa, I planned to return to Tokyo the next day with the cats. However, while relaxing in the room, having a beer around noon, the smartphone earthquake alert suddenly sounded after 4 PM, followed by a strong shaking of the apartment at seismic intensity 5.0, resulting from the Noto Peninsula Earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 that occurred in Okunoto.
Experiencing several strong tremors, and with a fire alarm sounding on the top floor, I hastily evacuated with the three frightened cats crammed into carriers, reaching the lobby on the first floor.
https://youtube.com/shorts/CQ-RAgzbiec
After a while, it was revealed that the fire alarm was a false alarm, and we returned to the room. The elevator, of course, remained stopped. It was then, for the first time, I appreciated our apartment being on the second floor. My partner, frightened, wanted to return to Tokyo immediately, but considering the epicenter was not nearby and the fact that we had just consumed a considerable amount of alcohol, we decided to stick to the original plan and return early the next morning. The hurried actions taken did not yield favorable results.
Fortunately, there were no significant aftershocks afterward, and we returned to Tokyo by car as planned the next morning. The first thing we did upon returning was to make a donation to earthquake-affected areas through the internet.
Now, let’s see how 2024, which began unusually thrilling, unfolds.