Earthquakes At 4 AM
Apr 21, 2008 • Japanese Culture
So the other day, I was woken up around 4 am by a 5.7 earthquake that jolted much of northern Japan. Even though I grew up on the east coast of the US, I’m pretty much used to the tremors - most of them can’t be felt usually anyway. However, anything over a 5 tends to get noticed, particularly if I’m just coming out of a REM cycle and without my glasses on. I may be bleary at 4 in the morning but I’m pretty sure my apartment isn’t supposed to swaying more than a drunk salaryman trying to bow.
Swim with the fishies?
According to Japanese mythology, the giant catfish that holds Japan on its back eternally pinned by a demigod. When the demigod gets distracted, he tries to get away and causes earthquakes with his struggles.1
Of course, plate tectonics has dispelled this little myth, but catfish are not completely relegated to looking cute in garden ponds. They may be able to sense earthquakes before they actually happen through their whiskers. After observing the erratic behavior of catfish prior to many earthquakes, scientists devised an early warning system and named it after the creatures. It’s called “Digital Catfish”, requires an internet connection to run,2 and can alert you in your home to any impending doom so you have time to shut off your gas and get under your sturdiest table.3
Am I prepared?
After a medium-sized earthquake hits, the question is, “Am I prepared?” Based on the nice FAQ by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), I’m not. I have absolutely no sturdy furniture to hide under (a kotatsu is not the sturdiest of contraptions) and no earthquake emergency kit. On the other hand, my gas is always turned off when not in use and I have an amazing propensity to stay indoors. Granted, this is usually just me rolling over on my futon and pretending to get a good back massage from it, which is probably not what the USGS has in mind.
In the event that a severe earthquake hits this region, I’m toast. I guess I’ll cross my fingers and go back to studying kanji to keep my mind off it. Maybe this is why the country embraced kanji…something new to worry about other than a pissed off catfish.
- http://www.fema.gov/kids/eqlegnd.htm [↩]
- http://www.3soft.com/eng/earthquake/quake_01.asp [↩]
- http://www.japanmediareview.com/japan/stories/060413mcnicol/ [↩]
Comments
Yeah, the apartment’s fine. Not that I’d be terribly upset if it collapsed…it’s really cheap housing. Some other people had some cracks in the walls that were made larger.
I should see if they have an earthquake emergency kit. Probably just bottled water, a first aid kid, and some granola bars. But I’m not really worried…this area doesn’t get many big ones and we’re 30 minutes in from the coast to be affected by tsunamis. The main problem here is erosion from all the rain (absolutely ruins the roads).
have never experienced earthquakes before but 5.7 is pretty strong right? i wonder are there people who slept through a quake. ^_^
For a moment there I thought all the fish were washed ashore wwwww
@ gordon: It’s a medium strength earthquake. But I do know a couple people who slept right through it!
@Shin: I’m too far from the ocean to see that. x.x But a town about 45 minutes south of me has had (in the past 100 years) 2 tsunamis that have totalled it.
I like being inland….
Yikes! My senpai tells me we seldom if ever get any down here in Osaka… Though for some warped reason I feel like experiencing (a weak) one for myself… *goes search for second-hand sturdy furniture*
Interesting info ^^, I have zero experience with earthquakes, (East coast boy myself). I know USGS recently released info on California; major major quake, 96% chance, in the next 30 years. Wonder if they released anything regarding Japan, hmm.
Need to get my NHK turned back on, I miss the news :) Cheers!
I’ve only experienced an earthquake once, 2 years back. It was only a slight quaver which lasted for mere seconds though. Nothing compared to what you just experienced.
@Ryan A: The scientists in Japan did too and estimated how much of Tokyo’s population would be underground for the subways/shopping. It was kind of scary and made me like living in the countryside more.
Caitlin, Whoohoo! We’re under-prepared for a quake too! We had a 5.2 earthquake last Friday, 4-18, @ 4:37 AM. Shook the whole Midwest pretty much. David and I thought the quake was a tornado and actually headed for the basement. That would’ve been bad.
I heard about that! I take it you 2 are ok though…? And yes, basement is very very bad. x.x All the Japanese houses I’ve been in don’t have basements, actually.
Cool website! I’m pretty jealous that you’re living in Japan (earthquakes and all!) cause I just came back from a leisure visit, and I already miss it!
I can’t think of anything more annoying than to be woken up by an earthquake… I mean, how can you feel even more terrified by the earth moving under you??? Oh yeah. If you’re asleep and get woken up by that. Nice.
I hope everything in your pad survived! :-)
@Jon: It’s not really terrifying…at this point, it’s pretty routine. I do listen, just in case it’s the Big One, wherever that may occur (they’re predicting not in my region though), but it’s easy to roll over and go back to sleep. I actually slept through the last one we had a couple days ago.
Pick up an earthquake emergency kit next time you go out? :p
Was your apartment okay?