Hey guys:
Yes I am alive! I appreciate the concerns from all the people who freaked out when they heard about the earthquakes but I am completely fine. Here in Hirakata-shi we had two small earthquakes that were barely felt. I was on the fourth floor of the international building here so I felt like I had gotten randomly dizzy when the earthquake hit but that's it. Some people didn't even feel it.
Now, about the big one.
Today (Friday Japan time), a 8.9 magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of the main island of Japan, Honshu. It's the strongest earthquake in Japan's history and I've been told in the top 7 in recorded earthquake history. Because it was off the coast the actually earthquake did not do as much damage initially but did spawn a massive tsunami that wrecked the coast as well as several strong aftershocks. The damages from the quake reached all the way to Tokyo where they experienced a 7.0 magnitude quake that caused a nice bit of damage and have stopped all trains and buses, putting the entire city at the stand-still. Oh, and apparently Japanese Disney Land was damaged. Not Micky!!
Here's a map to give you guys an idea of where all these foreign places I'm talking about are:
So yeah, I'm a good distance from where all the chaos is, so please don't worry about me. Right now there are tsunami alerts all over the Pacific so the damage isn't over yet. As of 7:55 P.M. Osaka time there are 36 reported deaths and many missing.
If any more big details spawn I'll try to update this page as I hear about it but I'm trying really hard to only post what I've seen reported by reliable sources as opposed to everything I hear people say so it may be a bit behind.
Keep the Sendai area in your thoughts!
***3/13***
Hey guys, as you've doubtlessly heard there's now concern about a few nuclear power plants having meltdowns. I'm not going to claim to be any kind of expert on nuclear reactors or anything like that since to be honest I know nothing. What I have heard is that two reactors are believed to be in meltdown though the authorities are not sure if this is so and are taking measures just in case. This very well could be media-code for "Holy shit we have two reactors in meltdown please please please don't start panicking people" because if a mass panic started in a country as dense as Japan things would be very bad. I've also been told that the Japanese news via the NHK is not reporting the same information as other sources, to the degree of making things sound substantially less severe. Since I don't speak Japanese I can't verify this since I get all my news from cnn.com and other English sites but I can see this being the case.
Having said that, let me offer this to anyone worried about my safety: I am 300 miles from Tokyo which is the very edge of where the trouble has been. The reactors are up north of Tokyo near Sendai adding additional hundreds of miles distance between me and them. I am safe. And if I do happen to drink radioactive water and grow a tail I don't think I'd mind terribly. Tails are cool!
But seriously. I'm safe. Thanks to everyone who has contacted me directly or my parents checking on my safety; I really appreciate it and I know my parents do too. If anything else manages to go horribly wrong, like Godzilla returning for revenge I'll do my best to let you all know.
@@@ 3/14 @@@
Hey guys! More good news from Japan! Apparently theres a volcanoe going off in Kyushu from all the tectonic activity. Well damn, I was planning on going there for spring break. Kyushu is the southernmost of the 4 main islands that make up Japan, by the way. Also, for a fun fact, the quake off Sendai moved the earth on it's axis approximately 6.5 inches or 17cm.
That's all for confirmed news; but I do have a couple of things I've overheard from other students that I wanted to pass on. For one, there are claims that a quake of magnitude 7.0 or higher has been predicted for the Tokyo area on Wednesday with a 70% probibility. I cannot confirm this claim at this time but just in case one does occur I don't want anyone to worry; I am far from Tokyo and have no plans to go there anytime soon. I also heard that several European networks are blowing the situation out of proportion while Japanese networks are undereporting, making it very hard to have an accurate idea of what's going on. One European student said her home network was claiming death tolls in the 40,000s while here we're hearing 10,000+. Several European embassies have also contacted students and asked them to return home -- note, not demanded just passively asked. For anyone wondering, I have NO intent no leaving Japan. I love Japan and I am in NO DANGER. Osaka is about the safest place to be in Japan right now. But rest assured if I feel I am in any immediate danger I will take the necissary precautions. If I hear anything else I'll pass it on so keep checking here.
+++3/16+++
Ok, so a couple of hours ago I felt a tiny quake, just enough to move the curtains and be noticeable. My first concern was that it was linked to the dreaded 7.0+ that's supposed to be in Tokyo today. It was not. It was however, linked to a 6.0 off the coast near the Sendai area. I am incredibly worried for the people there, this is not what they need right now. Please note I am in absolutely no danger and unaffected -- all my fear is for the people in already weakened areas. Here's the information on the quake that just happened, if anyone is curious
6.0 Magnitude
Also, I've read that any nuclear 'debris' that should come from a meltdown will reach Tokyo but have lost their harmful effects by then. Tokyo is about 200miles from the plants and I am an additional 300 miles from Tokyo. There's talk that the radiation has a better chance of going to Korea than to me. Please do not worry about me! I am completely fine! Focus all your concerns on the people displaced and without basic amenities. I've heard people complain that it doesn't help but please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. If nothing else filling the world with goodwill is a positive thing.
If anything else happens I'll be sure to post it here as soon as I hear about it.
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