You would have probably heard of the recent typhoon and subsequent earthquake that hit Japan.

And some of the more quaint stories that came out after that.

For at least one Singaporean, those images were all too real.

The aftermath of the earthquake

Bryan Foong was in Hokkaido when the earthquake struck.

On September 6, at around 3am, the 6.7 magnitude quake struck Hokkaido.

Which led to the entire island's power being cut off, and the subsequent closure of their airport for almost two days.

In Foong's own words:

“Without electricity, the water supply was also cut. Shops remained closed as disaster struck in the wee hours. Vending machines, taps and toilets weren't functional. The island of Hokkaido was completely paralysed.”

All this notwithstanding, Foong's Facebook post on September 9 was less focused on the quake, and more on how the Japanese responded to it:

"From here on, we witnessed the resilien[ce] of Japan after 2 major natural disasters within the week."

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Emergency services, level Japan

Despite the early hours in which the quake struck, the emergency services sprung into action immediately.

“The island of Hokkaido was completely paralysed, however the Japanese emergency services kicked in almost immediately. Police were seen directing traffic and setting up cones with strobbing lights. The fire department surveyed and assessed for damages.”

As for food, Foong shared this interesting tidbit on what it was like on the ground.

"Close to the end of the first day, a Yakitori eatery saved the day by serving delicious hot food to the people in Sapporo. Suddenly plain rice by itself tasted really awesome, we had chicken skins, daikon and some flakes of fish. The queue was snaking long, however it was orderly and patient. Everyone helped to clear the rubbish and plates."

And that orderliness and patience extended to nearly everything else.

Charging, queuing, and buying food

Here they are charging their devices at stations set up by Tokyu Hands.

The shops were back in full force as the power returned.

With tidy queues quickly forming.

And while they were looking for supplies, according to Foong, everyone only took what was needed.

With chargers being one of the more sought-after items.

And the staff patiently helping them out.

And while Foong noted the relative emptiness of the streets:

He made this overall observation about the way people behaved during this time:

"Cars gave way to pedestrians all the time during the power outage. Everyone is kind and considerate to everyone. Faith in humanity restored."

And ended with this poignant note:

"Sapporo will be bustling once more."

You can view Foong's photo album here.

Top images via Foong's Facebook post