As many of you may have heard and are aware, a very strong earthquake rocked Kumamoto just over 4 weeks ago. On Thursday, April 14th, in the evening at around 9:30 PM, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake occurred along the fault plane that runs underneath Mashiki and Aso area. Two days later another quake occurred of 7.0 magnitude on April 16th at 1:25 AM. If you’ve been by the blog before or know me personally, I live in Kumamoto prefecture, in Amakusa city, so I’m relieved to be able say the island is situated far enough from the area directly affected by the quake — enough to say that we came out mostly unscathed — but even here with a lesser magnitude we felt the strength and power of the earth close at hand.

It was startling, even at this distance. For those in the direct area, it must have been terrifying. Just imagine your whole home shaking, being able to hear the rumble as the entire detritus of human life falls down about you as you desperately cower beneath a desk or solid door frame unable to do anything.

If you’ve ever looked into earthquakes you know that there is very little possibility for prediction or advance notice as this is one of nature’s most unpredictable natural disasters. I recently heard that the association responsible for prediction of earthquakes estimated what I think we can now consider a ludicrously low chance for a quake along the fault line below Kumamoto, something like .003% (not exact). Isn’t it a wonder? That as much as we can achieve with knowledge, there is still space for uncertainty. But irony aside, even in areas with a greater, perhaps more accurately calculated chance, the most time you have to prepare for such an event is mere seconds. The only warning you get (if it’s on the larger side) is a rumbling vibration that you can hear before you can feel or even sense where it is originating from. Also — for Japan and not to be overlooked — is the terrifying sound of the phone alarm sent to all cell phones located in areas experiencing tremors. Honestly, it was incredibly useful as it informed me what was happening, but every time it went off a a shiver was sent up my spine.

Aware of the tragic events associated with March 11th in Japan, our greatest worry living on the island, and slightly off the fault line, was tsunami, a large tidal wave often caused by quakes and aftershocks. There was no risk of tsunami after the first quake, but after the second and larger one a tsunami warning was issued. The fault line cuts from the Mashiki-Aso area down into the Yatsushiro Sea, right alongside Amakusa. This was a major concern for those of us on the island for obvious reasons. But luckily for us and as I had hoped urgently from the time I woke up until about 2:30 AM Saturday morning, the warning was removed within an hour of its appearance.

Though Amakusa’s greatest potential crisis was averted for the time, all could not say this. Even now, people located in the Mashiki and Aso areas no longer have homes and no access to any of their personal effects. Many evacuees live in the evacuation center even now, living with this sense of loss and a lack of privacy enforced by close quarters and the invasion of the media despite their recognition of this fact. In fact, capacity was so overwhelming at the centers that for a week afterward there was concern about heavy rain that followed because it would projectedly cause sickness and even possible death among evacuees, especially elder evacuees. Currently just over 11,000 people continue life at these shelters. I’m not sure what their livelihood was prior to the quake, but it is said that agricultural damage has been massive, including sudden stoppage of freshwater sources at Shirakawa Springs.

Cleanup began as soon as possible and continues.  The area has purportedly experienced an influx of volunteers, but some of them haven’t been assigned duties as the area that needs the most work is still unsafe. For those who have gone to evacuation centers in the city and in the areas most affected, there is a general lack of space as some portions of the evacuation centers have also been rendered dangerous due to broken glass and other unsafe conditions. There has been a great lack of space/privacy for all and a shortage of food products, but the situation is improving judging from local media reports. Many schools in Kumamoto were closed anywhere from between a week to four weeks afterward. This week the Prefectural Board of Education set the goal of reopening all schools in the area.

Quakes continued over the course of the national long holiday, Golden Week, last week. That’s three weeks after the initial event. When I’ve talked to people here, they are amazed by the continued shaking of the earth and the initial event in general. They say nothing like this has happened for quite some time. Up to this morning’s news report there have been 1,395 total tremors registering magnitude on the scale of 1 or more. It’s a pretty staggering number. Despite a comparably small eruption that accompanied the powerful quakes, I suspect many consider Mount Aso with concern out of the corner of their eyes. Worse yet, we consider Unzen, standing quietly yet grandly across the Shimabara peninsula…

A deep scar splits Aso where the earth has shaken. Although we can see it clearly now and experienced the destructive power that created it, as many Japanese are wont to do, the show goes on.

For more information, Google the event, or see some of the resources below.
Aso Shrine, a beautiful shrine that conducts the yearly fire festival, where you can swing a clump of burning flame around your head, experienced quite a demolishing from the quake. I hope they’re able to restore and start again.
Live in an area that experiences earthquakes and this has got you worried? I had no idea what to do either, but we can all figure out what to do in an earthquake via various guides. Preparation is an advantage!