In Japan, Apple stores become refuge for employees and their families
The company remained open in the aftermath of the quake, and after it closed, allowed employees—retail and corporate— and their families to sleep in the stores.
In an e-mail to Kevin Rose, the founder of Digg, an Apple employee (who remained anonymous) explained the steps the company has taken in the aftermath of the disaster. The employee wrote:
“7 hours and 118 aftershocks later, the store was still open. Why? Because with the phone and train lines down, taxis stopped, and millions of people stuck in the Tokyo shopping district scared, with no access to television, hundreds of people were swarming into Apple stores to watch the news on USTREAM and contact their families via Twitter, Facebook, and e-mail. The young did it on their mobile devices, while the old clustered around the macs. There were even some Android users there. (There are almost no free Wi-Fi spots in Japan besides Apple stores, so even Android users often come to the stores.)”
Three days after the earthquake, the employee e-mailed Rose to explain further what Apple is doing for its employees:
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