Disasters in Japan | Guidable - Your Guide to a Sustainable, Wellbeing-centred Life in Japan

Disasters in Japan

By Guidable Writers Oct 15, 2016

Earthquakes

 

Japan is located in the area where several continental and oceanic plates meet. This is sometimes cause of the earthquakes. You could live in Japan in safety after learning the result of the historic earthquakes. There were 3 big earthquakes in Japan in these 100 years.

 

The Great Kanto Earthquake hit the Kanto area around Tokyo in 1923 and resulted in the death of over 100,000 people. The Great Hanshin Earthquake hit the city of Kobe and result in the death of 6,000 people in 1995. The Great East Japan Earthquake hit the big area of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures, specially the tunami killed almost 20,000 people and caused a nuclear accident at the power plant in Fukushima Prefecture in 2011.

 

The strength regulation of the structure have been improved several times by the experience of the Great Kanto Earthquake. All pillars of the high ways were renovated and supported with stronger materials by the experience of the Great Hansin Earthquake.

Actually, most of houses were destroyed by the tunami not by the earthquake itself. The Sinkansens with over 200km/h speed were completely stopped in safety. All power plant and oil refinery were stopped in safety except Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and a oil refinery in Chiba.

The verification about the accident of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

First of all, the basic design condition about the estimated height of the tunami was wrong. At the meeting of basic planning of the nuclear power plant in Fukushima Daiichi, it was specified that the estimated height of the tunami would be maximum 7 meters high by a government officer’s suggestion.

 

Actually, the height of the tunami of The Great East Japan was over 14 meters high in Fukushima Daiichi power plant. The exist electric power units were filled with water and the emergency electric power units were also filled with water. So the plant lost any electric power to shut down the operation.

 

Then the accident occurred.

 

After this experience, the government checked all procedures of the emergency systems and improved the emergency systems, specially to keep the emergency electric power in case of any time and any situation.

 

We believe that the nuclear power plant should be operated in safety, even if the big tunami coming.

You don’t worry about the earthquakes in Japan.

 

Beware during and after earthquake, protect yourself under a table or doorway. Do not run outside. When you are outside, beware falling objects or glass.

 

Mirumiru

Japan