Dim Tokyo faces further power crunch

When a boiling summer hits power-starved Tokyo, even Japan's culture of self-restraint will hit its limit.

The March 11 tsunami that smashed into Japan's northeast coast, killing as many as 25,000 people and knocking out nuclear power generation, has transformed this usually bright, bustling metropolis into a dark, humbler version of itself.

Running on eco-mode in the cool spring invites few complaints as citizens bundle up, leave work early and even go to bed around sundown.

Escalators are still, trains run without air conditioning, and popular night time baseball games have been suspended.

Many say any complaints are hollow compared to the deprivation and destruction further north.

"Shikata ga nai," a popular stoic phrase meaning "it can't be helped," is frequently on people's lips.

Image: A woman walks down a dark street during a rolling blackout in a neighborhood Thursday, March 17, 2011, in Tokyo.

Text and Images: AP