Major Earthquake & Tsunami in Japan

  • Thread starter a6m5
  • 1,128 comments
  • 103,732 views
a6m5
Yeah, after the "bubble", my impression of the Japanese leadership were that they ran stuck on this rail, for the life of them, they could not think outside of their little box. Now, they just plain look like they are in denial.

I'm not a historian. Maybe this is fairly predictable course for country like Japan. I have to admit. Clearly, I have this "homer" attitude about Japan. It's not just any ordinary country by any means, but I do hold it too high. Maybe Japan would have to hit the absolute rock bottom, before it can rebound again. Like you mentioned, the rebound it's been waiting since 1990, maybe 89-ish, I forget. :indiff:
Click to expand...

If you look at Japan's history, no significant changes occurred unless put into motion by outside forces.

The foreigners first arrival in 1543, which led to firearms being introduced to the country and a whole new way to fight wars.

Commodore Perry's sailing into Tokyo Bay in 1853, forcing the Japanese to sign a trade agreement with the U.S. leading Japan to develop their own western style navy/army which was put into use in their battle against Russia several decades later.

America firebombing and then nuking Japan into submission and then restoring the country in WWII.

Japan doesn't change unless forced to so I doubt anything significant will happen after this disaster, but I sure hope it would. For a society so technologically advanced, they fall so far behind in other more important areas.
 
Speedy Samurai
If you look at Japan's history, no significant changes occurred unless put into motion by outside forces.

The foreigners first arrival in 1543, which led to firearms being introduced to the country and a whole new way to fight wars.

Commodore Perry's sailing into Tokyo Bay in 1853, forcing the Japanese to sign a trade agreement with the U.S. leading Japan to develop their own western style navy/army which was put into use in their battle against Russia several decades later.

America firebombing and then nuking Japan into submission and then restoring the country in WWII.

Japan doesn't change unless forced to so I doubt anything significant will happen after this disaster, but I sure hope it would. For a society so technologically advanced, they fall so far behind in other more important areas.
Click to expand...
Now you mention it, the trend actually goes back even further, but you bring up an excellent point. It's so obvious, but a perspective I have never been able to see before your post. Little bit pathetic on my part, but I do feel sort of enlightened at the same time. Thanks Speedy. :D:tup:
 
Dotini
A move of the Japanese capital city from Tokyo to Osaka or Nagoya is contemplated, according to what appears to be a Russian source.
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=127294
Click to expand...

As ridiculous as that sounds, I have posted my concern about how the same fault line that caused this Tohoku quake/tsunami is actually closer to land as it nears Kanto region(Tokyo, Yokohama) in this thread couple of weeks ago.

Relocation of the capital, IMO, is not that bad of idea. After this disaster, I don't like how everything has been centered around Tokyo for so long. If Tokyo is hit by natural disaster, military or major terrorist attack, it could just about cripple Japan. It may not be a bad thing to break up the concentration a bit.
 
a6m5
As ridiculous as that sounds, I have posted my concern about how the same fault line that caused this Tohoku quake/tsunami is actually closer to land as it nears Kanto region(Tokyo, Yokohama) in this thread couple of weeks ago.

Relocation of the capital, IMO, is not that bad of idea. After this disaster, I don't like how everything has been centered around Tokyo for so long. If Tokyo is hit by natural disaster, military or major terrorist attack, it could just about cripple Japan. It may not be a bad thing to break up the concentration a bit.
Click to expand...

This is the first i've heard of such a thing and don't think this is such a great idea. A government that is urging its citizens to remain calm and not panic then packing up and moving part and parcel to another part of the country is hypocritical to say the least.
 
Speedy Samurai
This is the first i've heard of such a thing and don't think this is such a great idea. A government that is urging its citizens to remain calm and not panic then packing up and moving part and parcel to another part of the country is hypocritical to say the least.
Click to expand...
In the immediate future, probably. I'm pretty sure that it will not happen, or this idea even gain a momentum anytime soon.
 
Speedy Samurai
This is the first i've heard of such a thing and don't think this is such a great idea. A government that is urging its citizens to remain calm and not panic then packing up and moving part and parcel to another part of the country is hypocritical to say the least.
Click to expand...

a6m5
In the immediate future, probably. I'm pretty sure that it will not happen, or this idea even gain a momentum anytime soon.
Click to expand...

The plans for relocating the capital of Japan is an old story. The timeline at http://www.mlit.go.jp/kokudokeikaku/iten/English/background/index.html starts in the 1950s, but in old times, emperors changed the location of their capital quite often : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_of_Japan


It is obvious that the occurrence of a major earthquake or any other large-scale disaster in the Tokyo Metropolitan area, where political and economic activities and population are concentrated, would dramatically impact not only Japan’s economy but also the global economy, as well as destroy lifeline services essential to people’s lives, disrupt the transportation network such as Shinkansen (bullet trains) and airports, and cause deterioration in public security. In preparation for such circumstances, it is becoming increasingly important to relocate the Diet and other organizations—the core functions of our country—outside the Tokyo Metropolitan area as a measure of risk management.

December 22, 2004
Inter-party Conference Committee of Both Houses on the Relocation of the Diet and Other Organizations
http://www.mlit.go.jp/kokudokeikaku/iten/English/reports/report_1222_2004.html
 
Dotini
The plans for relocating the capital of Japan is an old story. The timeline at http://www.mlit.go.jp/kokudokeikaku/iten/English/background/index.html starts in the 1950s, but in old times, emperors changed the location of their capital quite often : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_of_Japan
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure that those capital palaces were all in Kyoto area though. I clicked on some of the links on the wikipedia page, and looks like some were in Nara, which is a prefecture right next to Kyoto. They might have moved to different palaces, but they were all in that Kyoto/Osaka/Nara area. The move to Edo/Tokyo is the only major move I am aware of, personally.
 
a6m5
I'm pretty sure that those capital palaces were all in Kyoto area though. I clicked on some of the links on the wikipedia page, and looks like some were in Nara, which is a prefecture right next to Kyoto. They might have moved to different palaces, but they were all in that Kyoto/Osaka/Nara area. The move to Edo/Tokyo is the only major move I am aware of, personally.
Click to expand...

The moves around the kansai areas was mostly to keep the seat of power in different places and the emperor a hostage. When Tokugawa unified the country in 1600 he moved the capital to Tokyo (Edo) and made all the major feudal lords make the long trek there once a year in order to keep them in check and make them too busy to realize any kind of plans for rebellion they might have.
 
Speedy Samurai
The moves around the kansai areas was mostly to keep the seat of power in different places and the emperor a hostage. When Tokugawa unified the country in 1600 he moved the capital to Tokyo (Edo) and made all the major feudal lords make the long trek there once a year in order to keep them in check and make them too busy to realize any kind of plans for rebellion they might have.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I was aware of Ieyasu's ploy. Rebellions were pretty much a pattern before the Edo Period.

More & more I think about it, relocation seems like a very good idea. Kanto area(Tokyo, Yokohama) has been hit by a historical mega quake before. Maybe it's about time they fix the heavy concentration in the area, which has gone on for hundreds of years.
 
I don't know if this is old, but:

fukushimax.jpg


Fukushima's Reactor 4
 
The photo shows the seaside of unit 4. There is an ongoing discussion of exactly how this building exploded. There was no fuel in the reactor here, the lower levels of the building blew out, and it's not understood how hydrogen could have formed above the SFP and not blow out the upper levels.

It's possible a horizontal component of the very major blast at unit 3 did some of the damage.
 
Last edited:
At first I was like, "Is that the earthquake?" Then I was like, "THAT'S THE EARTHQUAKE!"
 
Today, i experienced my first earthquake experience. Certainly nothing compared to Japan, it was only for 7 seconds give or take, and only enough to rock my sofa back and forth. But it certainly scared the hell out of me, and helped me realize the gravity of their situation a bit better, and also my own.

Jamaica is in a very geographically active zone. What happened to Haiti could happen here any second. In fact, there was a split chance that the earthquake that hit Haiti could've hit us instead, as we share a fault line I believe. We would do a lot better than they did, we aren't a poverty stricken country. But my heart hoes out to the barely recovering Japanese and still recovering Haitians.
 
Peter.
Jamaica is in a very geographically active zone. What happened to Haiti could happen here any second. In fact, there was a split chance that the earthquake that hit Haiti could've hit us instead, as we share a fault line I believe. We would do a lot better than they did, we aren't a poverty stricken country. But my heart hoes out to the barely recovering Japanese and still recovering Haitians.
Click to expand...
One document I saw did touch on the subject of fault line. Quake that caused the big tsunami was located off of Northern Japan, but same fault line follows the main island down south. They believed the tension now was building up near Kanto(Tokyo, Yokohama), which is to the south of tsunami affected area, but on the very same fault line.
 
a6m5
One document I saw did touch on the subject of fault line. Quake that caused the big tsunami was located off of Northern Japan, but same fault line follows the main island down south. They believed the tension now was building up near Kanto(Tokyo, Yokohama), which is to the south of tsunami affected area, but on the very same fault line.
Click to expand...

That fault line has long been the worry and center of attention for Japan's earthquake scientists. For the most part, everyone agrees that it is just a matter of time before the quake they have already named "The Great Tokai" earthquake (toukai translates as eastern sea/ocean and basically referest to that fault line). Some posit that the quakes can start in one place and move down the line, which has happened somewhat already, then setting off the great Tokai quake. Others seem to think that this massive quake off of Sendai will release some of the pressure on the fault line and stave off the great quake for a while at least.
 

Latest Posts

Back