Will a Major Earthquake Happen Again?

Close Up Japan | 大地震が再びやってくる?

Will a Major Earthquake Happen Again?

Last December the Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion announced that in all likelihood an earthquake of a seismic intensity of a weak six on the Japanese scale (causing heavy furniture to shake or fall down) will occur within the next 30 years. According to the announcement, with the highest probability of 78%,Yokohama City will most likely be affected, while the probability of Tokyo Prefecture being hit is 46%. Whenever a major earthquake occurs in Japan, there are many fatalities. When the Great Kanto Earthquake (M 7.9) occurred on September 1, 1923, over a hundred thousand people were killed or went missing. When the Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake (M 7.3) occurred on January 17, 2005, there were over 6,000 fatalities. When the catastrophic Great East Japan Earthquake (M 9.0)occurred on March 11, 2011, there were over 20,000 fatalities – including those who went missing. However, the memory of these huge disasters is apt to fade with time. In Japan there is a proverb: “Disaster strikes when least expected.” Young people in the areas affected by the Hanshin Awaji Earthquake and the Great East Japan Earthquake communicate with each other, and through telling their stories are actively conveying information about how to deal with future tragedies. Within Japan a variety of preparations for dealing with earthquakes are being carried out. When an earthquake occurs television or radio programs are suspended or captions are run in a loop on the screen to convey information about the epicenter and the scale of the quake. Furthermore cell phone alarms go off to alert people to the emergency and to convey information. Municipalities publish earthquake countermeasure manuals in Japanese and foreign languages on their websites and distribute maps of nearby shelters to residents. In spite of this, since great disasters seldom take place and are limited to particular areas, people have a tendency to neglect earthquake countermeasures. It’s fundamental to know that fires should be extinguished and that to be sure of being able to escape to the street, doors and windows should be left open, outside it’s important to look out for falling debris. In Japan there is another proverb: “Well prepared means no worries.”

昨年さくねん12月じゅうにがつ
Sakunen juu ni/12 gatsu,
last December
地震じしん調査ちょうさ研究けんきゅう推進すいしん本部ほんぶ
Jishin Chousa Kenkyuu Suishin Honbu wa/ha
(the) Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion
今後こんご30さんじゅうねん
kongo sanjuu/30 nen
(the) next thirty years
以内いない
inai ni
within
震度しんど6ろくじゃく
shindo roku/6 jaku
(of a) seismic intensity of a weak six on (the) Japanese scale
おも
(omoi
heavy
家具かぐ
kagu ga
furniture
れる、
yureru,
(causing) to shake
あるいは
aruiwa/ha
or
たおれる)
taoreru)
fall down
以上いじょう
ijou no
地震じしん
jishin ga
(an) earthquake
発生はっせいする
hassei suru
will occur
可能性かのうせい
kanousei o/wo
in all likelihood
発表はっぴょうしました。
happyou shimashita.
announced (that)
発表はっぴょう
Happyou
(the) announcement
によると、
ni yoruto,
according to
一番いちばんたか
ichiban takai
the highest
確率かくりつ
kakuritsu
probability
no
with
横浜市よこはまし
Yokohama Shi ga
Yokohama City
78ななじゅうはちパーセントぱーせんと
nanajuu hachi/78 pa-sento
seventy-eight percent
de
of
もっと
mottomo
most
そのおそれがたかく、
sono osore ga takaku,
will likely be affected while
東京都とうきょうと
Toukyou To
Tokyo Prefecture
de
of
きる
okiru
being hit
可能性かのうせい
kanousei wa/ha
(the) probability
46よんじゅうろくパーセントぱーせんと
yonjuu roku/46 pa-sento
forty-six percent
です。
desu.
is
日本にほん
Nihon
Japan
では
dewa/ha
in
おおきな
ookina
major
地震じしん
jishin ga
a[n] earthquake
きる
okiru
occurs
たびに、
tabi ni,
whenever
たくさんの
takusan no
many
犠牲者ぎせいしゃます。
giseisha ga demasu.
fatalities there are
1923せんきゅうひゃくにじゅうさんねん
Sen kyuuhyaku nijuu san/1923 nen
nineteen twenty-three [year]
9月くがつ1日ついたち
ku/9 gatsu tsuitachi
September first
ni
on
関東かんとう大震災だいしんさい
Kantou Dai’shinsai
(the) Great Kanto Earthquake
マグニチュードまぐにちゅーど7.9ななてんきゅう)が
(magunichu-do nana ten kyuu/7.9) ga
M seven point nine
きた
okita
occurred
ときには、
toki niwa/ha,
when
10万じゅうまんにん
juu/10 man nin
a hundred thousand [perple]
以上いじょう
ijou no
over
ひと
hito ga
people
死亡しぼう
shibou,
were killed
あるいは
aruiwa/ha
or
行方ゆくえ不明ふめいになりました。
yukue’fumei ni narimashita.
went missing
2005にせんごねん
Nisen go/2005 nen
two thousand five [year]
1月いちがつ17じゅうしちにち
ichi/1 gatsu juu shichi/17 nichi
January seventeenth
ni
on
阪神はんしん淡路あわじ大震災だいしんさい
Hanshin Awaji Dai’shinsai
(the) Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake
マグニチュードまぐにちゅーど7.3ななてんさん)が
(magunichu-do nana ten san/7.3) ga
M seven point three
きた
okita
occurred
ときには、
toki niwa/ha,
when
犠牲者ぎせいしゃ
giseisha wa/ha
fatalities
6,000ろくせんにん
roku sen/6,000 nin o/wo
six thousand [people]
えました。
koemashita.
there were over
2011にせんじゅういちねん
Nisen juuichi/2011 nen no
two thousand eleven [year]
3月さんがつ11じゅういちにち
san/3 gatsu juuichi/11 nichi
March eleventh
ni
on
壊滅的かいめつてき
kaimetsutekina
catastrophic
東日本ひがしにほん大震災だいしんさい
Higashi’nihon Dai’shinsai
(the) Great East Japan Earthquake
マグニチュードまぐにちゅーど9.0きゅうぜろ)が
(magunichu-do kyuu ten zero/9.0) ga
M nine point zero
きた
okita
occurred
ときには、
toki niwa/ha,
when
行方ゆくえ不明者ふめいしゃ
yukue’fumeisha o/wo
those (who) went missing
ふく
fukume
including
被害者ひがいしゃ
higaisha wa/ha
fatalities
2万にまんにん
ni/2 mannnin
twenty thousand [people]
以上いじょう
ijou
over
でした。
deshita.
there were
しかし
Shikashi
however
大惨事だいさんじ
dai’sanji
(these) huge disasters
no
of
記憶きおくは、
kioku wa/ha,
(the) memory
とき
toki
time
とともに
to tomo ni
with
風化ふうかして
fuuka shite
to fade
いきがちです。
ikigachi desu.
is apt
日本にほん
Nihon
Japan
には、
niwa/ha,
in
災害さいがい
“Saigai wa/ha
disaster
わすれた
wasureta
least expected
ころ
koro ni
when
やってくる」
yattekuru”
strikes
という
to iu
[that]
格言かくげん
kakugen ga
(a) proverb
あります。
arimasu.
there is
阪神はんしん淡路あわじ大震災だいしんさい
Hanshin Awaji Dai’shinsai
(the) Hanshin Awaji Earthquake
to
and
東日本ひがしにほん大震災だいしんさい
Higashi’nihon Dai’shinsai ni
(the) Great East Japan Earthquake
遭遇そうぐうした
souguu shita
affected by
地域ちいき
chiiki
(the) areas
no
in
若者わかものたちは
wakamonotachi wa/ha
young people
たがいに
tagaini
(with) each other
交流こうりゅうをはかり、
kouryuu o/wo hakari,
communicate and
かたとなって、
kataribe to natte,
through telling (their) stories
今後こんご
kongo no
future
惨事さんじ
sanji ni
tragedies
どう
dou
how
対処たいしょするかを
taisho suru ka o/wo
to deal with
積極的せっきょくてきつたえています。
sekkyokutekini tsutaete imasu.
are actively conveying (information about)
日本にほん
Nihon
Japan
では
dewa/ha
within
地震じしん
jishin ni
earthquakes
たいする
taisuru
dealing with
準備じゅんびが、
junbi ga,
preparations (for)
いろいろなかたち
iroirona katachi de
a variety of
おこなわれています。
okonawarete imasu.
are being carried out
地震じしん
Jishin ga
(an) earthquake
きる
okiru
occurs
と、
to,
when
テレビてれび
terebi
television
ya
or
ラジオらじお
rajio wa/ha
radio
番組ばんぐみ
bangumi o/wo
programs
中断ちゅうだんし、
chuudanshi,
are suspended
あるいは
aruiwa/ha
or
テロップてろっぷ
teroppu o/wo
captions
ながして
nagashite
are run (in a loop on the screen)
震源地しんげんち
shingenchi
(the) epicenter
ya
and
その規模きぼ
sono kibo
(the) scale of (the) quake
についての
ni tsuite no
about
情報じょうほう
jouhou o/wo
information
つたえます。
tsutaemasu.
to convey
また、
Mata,
furthermore
携帯けいたい電話でんわ
keitai’denwa wa/ha
cell phone
警戒けいかいうなが
keikai o/wo unagasu
to alert (people)
アラームあらーむ
ara-mu ga
to (the) emergency and
って
natte
alarms go off
情報じょうほう
jouhou o/wo
information
らせます。
shirasemasu.
to convey
各自治体かくじちたい
Kaku jichitai wa/ha
[each] municipalities
日本語にほんご
Nihongo
Japanese
to
and
外国語がいこくご
gaikokugo
foreign languages
による
ni yoru
in
地震じしん対策たいさくマニュアルまにゅある
jishin’taisaku manyuaru o/wo
earthquake countermeasure manuals
ウェブうぇぶサイトさいと
webusaito
(their) websites
ni
on
掲載けいさいし、
keisai shi,
publish and
住民じゅうみん
juumin
residents
ni
to
最寄もよ
moyori
nearby
no
of
避難所ひなんしょマップまっぷ
hinanjo mappu o/wo
shelters maps
配布はいふしています。
haifu shite imasu.
distribute
それにもかかわらず、
Sore nimo kakawarazu,
in spite of this
大きなおお
ookina
great
災害さいがい
saigai wa/ha
disasters
めったに
mettani
seldom
こらず、
okorazu,
take place
しかも
shikamo
and
特定とくてい地域ちいき
tokutei’chiiki
particular areas
ni
to
限定げんていされる
gentei sareru
are limited
ため、
tame,
since
地震じしん対策たいさく
jishin’taisaku wa/ha
earthquake countermeasures
おろそかに
orosoka ni
to neglect
なりがちです。
narigachi desu.
(people) have (a) tendency
Hi o/wo
fires
める、
tomeru,
should be extinguished
避難路ひなんろ
hinanro o/wo
(and that) being able to escape to (the) street
確保かくほするために
kakuho suru tame ni
to be sure (of)
ドアどあ
doa
doors
ya
and
まど
mado o/wo
windows
ける
akeru
should be left open
ということは
to iu koto wa/ha
that
常識じょうしきで、
joushiki de,
it’s fundamental to know
そとでは
soto dewa/ha
outside
ちてくる
ochitekuru
falling
瓦礫がれき
gareki ni
debris
注意ちゅういすることが
chuui suru koto ga
to look out for
大切ですたいせつ
taisetsu desu.
(it)’s important
日本にほん
Nihon
Japan
には
niwa/ha
in
そなえあれば
“Sonae areba
well prepared
うれいなし」
urei nashi”
(means) no worries
という
to iu
[that]
格言かくげん
kakugen
proverb
mo
another
あります。
arimasu.
there is

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