After living in Japan twice and vacationing there many times, I only once felt an earthquake. And I have to admit, that was enough to shake me up.
It was about 2 a.m. when the earth started moving, the house rumbling and the bed waving like it was filled with water. The tremors triggered an automated broadcast in Japanese over speakers echoing outside telling everyone to check the radio or TV for tsunami alerts.
That made sense as the area was just about a mile from the coast.
I soon discovered the quake was only about magnitude 5 or so. But this was little comfort: If that's a five, I thought, then what would an eight or nine feel like?
The reality is that small and harmless quakes vibrate Japan's cities and towns everyday, sometimes several times a day. The good news is that most of them register in at a magnitude 1 or 2 and are virtually unnoticeable.
And even the moderate ones, at magnitudes 4 and 5 and sometimes 6, spare most people of any injuries.
The one I felt last year on Shikoku caused no real harm, except for a few people who fell while running down the stairs during the tremor, thinking they should escape their homes.
The chances of you – a vacationer – happening to stay near the epicenter of the next Big One when it happens are close to zero. And even the chance of a Japanese person falling victim to an earthquake is still pretty low, thanks in part to strict building codes.
But this doesn't mean you shouldn't take some steps to be prepared in case the ground starts shaking.
Here are some tips:
Before going to Japan, check the website of the city you will be visiting and read their information about emergency shelters or contacts. Here are the pages for Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. When you get there, ask your hotel about its procedures during earthquakes and other emergencies.
Contrary to what people used to believe, if you are in an earthquake, don't try to run down stairs and escape. Instead, if you can, get under a sturdy table and get away from any heavy objects that could fall from a shelf. If you happen to be using a gas stove, put it out. Remember, earthquakes can last a long time. The little quake I was in probably lasted about two minutes, but it felt like five. Still, panicking will only make you more likely to do something foolish.
After the shaking is over, think about where you are and what's outside. Check for things that might fall down or are unstable. If you have to evacuate, do so on foot. If you can, check the following website for information on tsunami warnings, or turn on a radio or television for warnings. You should probably bookmark the website on your phone.
If you're not sure what kind of quake it was, really big or just really scary, check this page to find out detailed information on where the quake's epicenter was and what areas were hit with what magnitudes. For those interested in geology, the site is useful to see when quakes are shaking and where.
Remember, statistically your chances of ever truly needing this information on your Japanese vacation are tiny. But you'll rest easier knowing you'll know what to do if a quake were to strike.
It was about 2 a.m. when the earth started moving, the house rumbling and the bed waving like it was filled with water. The tremors triggered an automated broadcast in Japanese over speakers echoing outside telling everyone to check the radio or TV for tsunami alerts.
That made sense as the area was just about a mile from the coast.
I soon discovered the quake was only about magnitude 5 or so. But this was little comfort: If that's a five, I thought, then what would an eight or nine feel like?
The reality is that small and harmless quakes vibrate Japan's cities and towns everyday, sometimes several times a day. The good news is that most of them register in at a magnitude 1 or 2 and are virtually unnoticeable.
And even the moderate ones, at magnitudes 4 and 5 and sometimes 6, spare most people of any injuries.
The one I felt last year on Shikoku caused no real harm, except for a few people who fell while running down the stairs during the tremor, thinking they should escape their homes.
The chances of you – a vacationer – happening to stay near the epicenter of the next Big One when it happens are close to zero. And even the chance of a Japanese person falling victim to an earthquake is still pretty low, thanks in part to strict building codes.
But this doesn't mean you shouldn't take some steps to be prepared in case the ground starts shaking.
Here are some tips:
Before going to Japan, check the website of the city you will be visiting and read their information about emergency shelters or contacts. Here are the pages for Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. When you get there, ask your hotel about its procedures during earthquakes and other emergencies.
Contrary to what people used to believe, if you are in an earthquake, don't try to run down stairs and escape. Instead, if you can, get under a sturdy table and get away from any heavy objects that could fall from a shelf. If you happen to be using a gas stove, put it out. Remember, earthquakes can last a long time. The little quake I was in probably lasted about two minutes, but it felt like five. Still, panicking will only make you more likely to do something foolish.
After the shaking is over, think about where you are and what's outside. Check for things that might fall down or are unstable. If you have to evacuate, do so on foot. If you can, check the following website for information on tsunami warnings, or turn on a radio or television for warnings. You should probably bookmark the website on your phone.
If you're not sure what kind of quake it was, really big or just really scary, check this page to find out detailed information on where the quake's epicenter was and what areas were hit with what magnitudes. For those interested in geology, the site is useful to see when quakes are shaking and where.
Remember, statistically your chances of ever truly needing this information on your Japanese vacation are tiny. But you'll rest easier knowing you'll know what to do if a quake were to strike.