New Member Konnichiwa

Hello, I'm Dane, I'm living and working in Tokyo. From Ireland originally, just experienced my first earthquake last night and has really got me in interested in getting prepared. I had seen some shows before about survivalists and was quite intrigued, only now after feeling the ground shake have i finally gotten my act together and am ready to start preparing myself. Nice to meet you all, hope i can learn a lot from all of you.

 

Hi Dane,
My name is Sara.
How is life in Tokyo?
I have not experienced an earthquake yet but I am sure knowing what to do in such situations helps a lot.
I have learned so much in here already and taking lots of notes.

 

Hi Sara, life in Tokyo is great, busy but great.

I'm hoping to educate myself on the course of action once a quake hits, hopefully I won't ever have to use my knowledge but better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it!

 

Japan is prone to earthquakes and everybody living their must be prepared for that. I remember watching news how an earthquake destroyed a nuclear power station. Hope you are living far from a nuclear power station. I know that you'll learn how to live in such an environment to avoid death or even injuries. Welcome.

 

Thank you for the welcome. Yes that was Fukushima nuclear plant, I think it's still a no go area. Don't think there is a plant near central Tokyo, but it's an extremely built up city which makes it quite dangerous for earthquakes.

 

Hi There! I'm a Tokyo dweller too, just outside Tokyo actually! Here for my husband's work, and much like you the concern about natural disasters here has really made me think more about life from a survivalist perspective!

I do love living here though!

 

Very nice to meet you! did you feel any of the recent quakes? have you made any plans in case of a big one? It's crazy how many hit Japan, big one is definitely a case of when not if!

 

Surprisingly I didn't - when we initially moved here I felt like I was feeling everything, but our first year we were on the higher floors of an apartment complex. We moved and now we're on the ground floor so I am sure that has something to do with it - the swaying on the upper floors that first year would have me running for cover every time.

The sheer number definitely is incredible - frightening too, and like you I always have in the back of my mind that it's not a matter of if but when for a big one.

 

Yea it's scary stuff, my house is old wooden house built before proper building codes were brought in. Even a passing truck makes the house shake!
It's an odd thought that just pops into your head at worst times,I was on the underground yesterday just thinking, what if it hit now? this whole place could just jolt in an instant, the very structure around completely change shape ! Such a frightening thought but plausible!

 

Yes! I do the same thing - we have had times when we have been out sightseeing on road trips near the coast, and I've thought to myself what if there was a quake and then it caused a tsunami? My husband has actually been on the Tokyo subway when a quake happened - he was on his way home from work (this is a couple years back now) and I think the quake in question was only a 5 on the Richter scale, but it caused the trains to stop and be delayed for about half an hour. I can't imagine what would happen if it was more serious, it scares me a bit.

 

Yea I'm going for a road trip in August and I'm just thinking what if i look out and see this giant wave hurtling at few hundred miles an hour at me! I read about the one in 2011 and the author said if you saw the tsunami it was too late!
Crazy experience for your husband, did he say you could feel the shaking? I have to imagine they have a lot of safety measures in the subway system? but guess there's only so much you can do!

 

He said there was a jolt and then they stopped in the tunnel for a while between stations! I think it was more precautionary than anything being damaged - but honestly that's one thing that I kind of take solace in living here. I don't think there's a place in the world that is more prepared for quakes than here. Things that are a 6, 7 magnitude here have nowhere near the damage of a 6 or 7 quake elsewhere in the world. The building codes and stuff these days are so stringent when it comes to how things are constructed - so that puts my mind at ease. I think the potential of a tsunami would scare me more than a quake here.