Until I moved to Japan, I didn’t have a clear idea of what to expect in an earthquake. Of course I had seen a lot about it on TV, including all the drama that comes with it. This was one of the things I was dreading: experiencing an earthquake for the first time. But I knew that day would come anyway, and when you live on the twenty-second floor, that makes it even more exciting.
Most buildings in Tokyo are designed to withstand earthquakes. This means that they are placed on a kind of shock absorber, so that they can move in the event of an earthquake. I’m not sure if it had to do with jet lag or if I was going crazy, but during my first time here in the apartment I kept feeling like I was living on a ship, as if the building was rocking on big waves all the time. But more people seem to experience this, and it no longer bothers me.
The Pacific Ring of Fire
Japan is an island and lies exactly along three different tectonic plates, also called the Pacific Ring of Fire. Not a very reassuring name, you might say. There are countless earthquakes every year, most of which you don’t even feel. But still, the first one is something special. In one of my first weeks here in Tokyo, we woke up in the middle of the night to an earthquake. Probably because we were in bed I didn’t even really feel the vibration. It was more of a humming sound and I heard the door frames creak. The next morning we checked to make sure we were right and yes, this was an earthquake. Somehow it made me feel a bit better that I at least felt it once and would know what I was talking about if it happened again.
An unnatural feeling
As I write this post it is mid-November and last week I felt my second earthquake, now a little more aware. I was sitting on the couch and definitely felt a sensation of vibration that I recognized immediately. It took about a minute and fortunately this was not a very difficult one either. But it still feels very unnatural.
There are several apps you can download that will warn you 10 seconds in advance that an earthquake is coming. To avoid panic, we have chosen not to use these apps, but if you are in a public place, you will definitely hear some phones going off at the same time. They also say that vans drive on the street with a microphone to warn people, but as a foreigner you obviously don’t understand anything at all, but maybe that’s for the better.
Read here more about my adventures in Japan!
