earthquake in Japan

The earthquake was located about 300 miles from him, on the Sea of Japan side (east side of the main island). He might have felt it, but I'm sure there was no damage or danger at his place.
 
Earthquakes in Japan are like a way of life.:rolleyes:

They get them every time they change their fundoshis.

Kinda similar to California...just that we don't wear fundoshis here!:rofl:
 
Yeah Alan, it's kinda hard to dry your hands on a thon.... Used to wear a fundoshi all the time when I lived in Sakaiminato. The Oba Chan of my "family" used to make them for me.

Went through a 6.8 earthquake in Tokyo in '88, I believe... I got a little queezy in the stomach with that one. The top floor of the 66 story Sunshine Building was swaying something like 8'...by design! :eek:
 
Yeah guys, sorry, I'm just fine, we did not even feel it, we were on the road to my wife's sisters house to help them move. I hate moving, and I really hate moving other people, especially other people who live on the fifth floor without an elevator, have WAY too much stuff, and are NOT ready for the 8 guys that showed up to help them move! :mad::bang::soapbox:

Oh well we got it done, but we only heard about the quake when we were driving to the new place, on the radio.

Our time will come, we live in a well built new building, and the L shop is similar. We have a good disaster prepared kit, water, and long lasting food stuffs, so I really do not know what else we can do to mitigate the risk, short of moving back to Canada :D
 
Yeah guys, sorry, I'm just fine
You sound as if you're appologizing to us for being ok!:rofl:

Greg, sounds like my FIL's family down in Kagoshima, the Great Grandparents lived in a house that requires lighting wood under the tub to get a hot bath!

My wife's Great Grandfather used to wear those fundoshis...

Me and my wife went through the Northridge quake in Los Angeles, we were 5 miles away and it was an 8.2 or something like that...there was less damage at our house than there was 30 miles away in Santa Monica where many buildings were condemed.

I've been trying to go to Japan with my company, but the timing hasn't been right yet. They had a deal they wanted me to go to a couple years ago in May, but my family was going in July, so I passed. Now they keep trying to get me to go to Beijing but I keep dragging my feet...:rolleyes:

BTW, I do have a formal hanten (sp?) that my Aunt made for me at our wedding, and I have a whole getup with the gettas and all...
 
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Stu,

Glad all is well. I have moved back and forth from Japan/Seattle 5 times....I really hate moving!

I lived in Kobe, and traveled the highway that fell down and was shown on TV all the time. Had friends that lost a lot in that quake. My apartment was at the top of Kitano-cho and the whole side of the mountain, with my apartment building, came down.

Alan,

I used to have to go to the public ofuro....even the toilet was a couple of "honey bucket" types on the corner... My family saved and eventually built a huge house/restaurant on land just outside Sakai.

I'm going back to Fukuoka for probably a week in May to do some consulting. Lived there 2 1/2 years, and really like it. Used to go fishing in Miyazki Ken (Nango-cho) on a 40' Australian boat... I had my 16' aluminum jet-sled in Fukuoka and went fishing in the bay.
 
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You sound as if you're appologizing to us for being ok!:rofl:...

No, I'm appologizing for not commenting sooner that we are fine.

Some distant relative of my wife lost everything, house, cars, business, the whole banana, but no one died.

What they really lost, that hurt, was all the old photos and records etc. The got hit by a fire, 4 or 5 days after the quake, as when the fires started to burn, the just kept on burning, and there was little anyone could do.

I do know that a LOT of people were not exactly happy with the Japanese government, as they actually refused help from the US military, and it took them WAY too long to get their ducks in a row, to send help.

Some things they learned.

Chainsaws are ESSENTIAL in the aftermath of an earthquake, as most of the older homes that fell down were of the post and beam style, these are made from 4x4s and are not easy to dig through to get at survivors in these houses.

The other thing that they found out, was that when it came time to bring in help and at least to scout out the areas, that small 250cc 4 stroke off-road bikes were in VERY short supply and were VERY useful, when the need to get around in areas with roads washed out, bridges gone etc.

The other thing that happened is that the local town associations, REALLY realized that they were on their own, for at least the first 3 to 4 days.

One thing we do, at the liquor shop, is to ALWAYS carry at least 50 cases of bottle water, (6 x 2L x 50 = 600 liters or 160 US gallons) not a ton of water, but enough to get a fair number of people through that first 3 or 4 days.

I also have three chainsaws, and a lot of other implements of destruction, in case of a quake. I have a hand operated pump for taking water out of our water tank, which is under our liquor shop, it is a LOT of water.

I have a large kerosene heater, and two Coleman stoves, that will run on unleaded gas, as well as a Honda generator.

I'm not Y2K paranoid prepared, but maybe a bit more than the average guy :dunno:

I certainly hope the day NEVER comes, but I try my best to be prepared just the same.

Cheers!
 
Greg,

I'm not sure where that is, but it sounds out in the sticks!:rolleyes:

I usually go to Tokyo when I visit, my in-laws live in Hachioji, supposedly that's Tokyo...:huh:

I mean, it's like 1 1/2 hours outta what I call Tokyo...:)

In fact, I used to live 5 minutes from Stu's dungeon, I called it my "shoebox". I don't get it, he's got a dungeon, but I had a shoebox...:rofl:
 
Stu,

I'm very sorry to hear of your wife's family loss... The aftermath of earthquakes can be more disasterous than the quake itself, for sure. The government can not be trusted to help! That is evident by the length of time it took to get any help during the Kobe disaster, and the total disorganiation of the whole aftermath..(but not to get into politics). I agree, you have to really be prepared yourself!

It is a small world. I lived in Sagami Ono, south of Hachi Oji from '87~90. (That's just outside of "Tokyo" in Kanagawa Ken.) Worked in Yotsuya 3 Chome...where I was during the 6.8 quake. Speaking of shoeboxes, I lived in a Yojohan (1 1/2 tatami mat) sized apartment in Kobe once.... That was more like a "shoe..string" box!:eek:

Sakaiminato is in Tottori Ken, on the Sea of Japan side....near Yanago and Matsue.
 
Thanks for asking Frank and all. We're all okay here as well. This time the quake was quite a ways away but like Stu pointed out everyone should be prepared. I keep a well equipped camping kit in one bag within easy access. I also have stove, pots and the works, not forgetting to mention my Leatherman, two chainsaws in the shop but I think I will take one out and put it in the outside cabinet in case I can't get into the shop. Another handy item I bought for quake prep is a Katadyn portable water purifier. Water is necessary and we just don't have the space for 50 cases :eek: :thumb: so instead I went with the best portable unit on the market.
 
Stu,

I'm very sorry to hear of your wife's family loss... The aftermath of earthquakes can be more disasterous than the quake itself, for sure. The government can not be trusted to help! That is evident by the length of time it took to get any help during the Kobe disaster, and the total disorganiation of the whole aftermath..(but not to get into politics). I agree, you have to really be prepared yourself!

It is a small world. I lived in Sagami Ono, south of Hachi Oji from '87~90. (That's just outside of "Tokyo" in Kanagawa Ken.) Worked in Yotsuya 3 Chome...where I was during the 6.8 quake. Speaking of shoeboxes, I lived in a Yojohan (1 1/2 tatami mat) sized apartment in Kobe once.... That was more like a "shoe..string" box!:eek:

Sakaiminato is in Tottori Ken, on the Sea of Japan side....near Yanago and Matsue.


Greg, surely you mean 4 1/2 tatami mat room, not 1 1/2 :D (actually I know you did, as "Yojohan" mean 4 1/2)

Alex's cave is high up on a hill side, so maybe it is more of a "Bat" cave :thumb:
 
Stu,

4 1/2 Yojohan was the total size, including iriguchi, "kitchen" (sink and room for a hot plate) and oshi iri (futon storage). The "livable area" only had 1 1/2 actual mats!! :eek: Apt. bldg. community toilet and then a public bath a block away.

Cozy!

:rofl:

Glad you are safe too, Alex.
 
Hey Alan, my wife has relatives in Hachioji too! :wave:
Stu, we might be cousins!:rofl:

It's not bad in Hachioji, but it's inconvenient to get to what I call Tokyo.:rolleyes:

Greg, where you lived sounds like the type of area I would like. My wife wouldn't care for it, she always wants to be in the middle of Tokyo.

I prefer it when we go to Kagoshima, she likes to see family but is not crazy about the area...I would have no problems spending most of my time there, and enjoying the area.:thumb: I would love to sail around Japan. Some beautiful coastline that rarely gets seen.:doh:
 
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