Kyoto Earthquake

淡路島で震度６弱　ＪＲ西など一時運休

This morning around 5:30 am we had a big shake in Kyoto.

The tremor was strong enough that it woke me from a deep sleep.

I fell back to sleep and promptly forgot the episode until the morning news reminded us.

According to reports, the earthquake registered just under 6 on the Japanese scale and was due to plate movement 10 km under Awajishima Island, not far from Kobe and Osaka.

There were no tsunami.

Trains in western Japan briefly were halted.

But life is back to normal and it is a beautiful day perfect for getting out.


© CycleKyoto.com

CycleKyoto Home Page

Tags Japan Touring Kyoto Cycle Japanese

57% Kyoto Wooden Buildings Earthquake Proof

木造の耐震化５７％どまり　京都市内の一戸建て

On the anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake, which devastated Kobe 18 years ago today, Kyoto is still struggling to get its wooden buildings up to code.

Though Kyoto does not see seismic activity in the way other areas of Japan do, it lies on two faults.

In a survey of the city's detached wooden buildings, according to the Kyoto Shinbun newspaper, just 57% were found to be earthquake-proof. Kyoto is aiming to have 90% of the such buildings up to code by 2015.

660,930 buildings were surveyed. Of those built or renovated since 1981, 75.4% are quake-proof.


© CycleKyoto.com

CycleKyoto Home Page

Tags Japan Touring Kyoto Cycle Japanese

Kyoto Damage In the Event of Massive Earthquake

南海トラフ自身の被害想定

The Japanese government recently revised its estimates for damage in the event of a 9.1 earthquake that occurs in the Nankai Trough and resulting tsunami.

The Nankai Trough faces Shizuoka, Aichi, Wakayama Prefectures, and then heads south along the eastern edge of Shikoku and Kyushu.

The worst hit areas are coastal: Shizuoka (109,000 dead, 319,000 homes destroyed) and Mie Prefectures (43,000 dead, 239,000 homes destroyed).

The total number of fatalities is estimated to reach 320,000 across the country.

Kyoto, which is inland, gets off lightly. If/when such an earthquake strikes, Kyoto would face deaths of around 500 and 70,000 homes destroyed - but no flooding.

In this horrific scenario, cycling may take on added importance.

© CycleKyoto.com

CycleKyoto Home Page

Tags Japan Touring Kyoto Cycle Japanese

Tohoku Earthquake Radiation Levels Okinawa Tokyo Hiroshima Kyoto

大気中放射線の値沖縄東京広島京都など

According to the Ministry of Education, March 25 radiation levels in Tokyo, Okinawa, Hiroshima, and Kyoto are noted below. With the exception of Kyoto, these areas all have US military bases.

Okinawa: 0.021

Tokyo: 0.134

Hiroshima: 0.056

For those in Kyoto, the reading is 0.039.

Results for the entire country can be found here.

Note: there were no results posted for two prefectures: Fukushima and Miyagi.

© CycleKyoto.com

CycleKyoto Home Page

Tags

Japan
Radiation Levels
Kyoto
Cycle
Okinawa

Tohoku Earthquake Radiation Levels Tokyo

大気中放射線の値東京など

The Asahi Shinbun publishes radiation levels in every prefecture every day. At roughly 5 pm local time, March 19, the radiation level in Tokyo was (the figure in parenthesis is the average daily peak level):

Tokyo: 0.048 (0.079) This is a .002 decline from the previous day.

Tokyo is two hours and fifteen minutes east of Kyoto on the bullet train.

For those in Kyoto, the reading is 0.040 (0.087). This is a .001 decline from the previous day.


© CycleKyoto.com

CycleKyoto Home Page

Tags

Japan
Radiation Levels
Kyoto
Cycle
Tokyo

Tohoku Earthquake Radiation Levels Osaka

大気中放射線の値大阪など

The Asahi Shinbun publishes radiation levels in every prefecture daily. At roughly 5 pm local time, March 18, the radiation level in Osaka was (the figure in parenthesis is the average daily peak level):

Osaka: 0.043 (0.061)

Osaka, of course, is a 30 minute ride on JR from Kyoto.

Many foreign embassies have relocated staff from the capital to Osaka.

© CycleKyoto.com

CycleKyoto Home Page

Tags

Japan
Radiation Levels
Kyoto
Cycle
Osaka

Tohoku Earthquake Tokyo Evacuation

東日本大震災東京避難

The Japanese government's evacuation - a 20 kilometer (12 miles) perimeter from the Fukushima nuclear power plant - standard is still in place.

The US government is recommending 80 kilometers (50 miles), but has yet to advise evacuation beyond that.

However, other nations are urging their nationals to leave Tokyo.

Austria has moved its embassy staff to Osaka, south of Kyoto, for the time being.

The government of France has on its web site urged French citizens to head home or to southern Japan.

Australia, Germany, and Britain have advised their nationals to "consider leaving Tokyo." The German embassy has been "partly relocated" to Osaka.

Serbia and Croatia have told their citizens to leave Japan.

3,000 Chinese nationals have left Tohoku for Niigata.


© CycleKyoto.com

CycleKyoto Home Page

Tags

Japan
Evacuation
Kyoto
Cycle
Japanese Earthquake

Tohoku Earthquake Radiation Levels Kyoto

大気中放射線の値京都など

The Asahi Shinbun published today radiation levels in every prefecture. At roughly 5 pm local time, March 16, the radiation levels were (the figure in parenthesis is the average daily peak level):

Tokyo: 0.143 (0.079)
Kanagawa: 0.153 (0.069)
Aichi: 0.044 (0.074)
Kyoto: 0.041 (0.087)
Osaka: 0.051 (0.061)
Okinawa: 0.022 (0.058)

© CycleKyoto.com

CycleKyoto Home Page

Tags

Japan
Touring
Kyoto
Cycle
Radiation

Japan Earthquake Relief Efforts

東日本大震災救援

With over 3,000 confirmed dead and more than 15,000 missing - and both those numbers to grow - relief work is in high gear.

Donations can be made to the American Red Cross or, if you are living in Japan, to the Japanese Red Cross.

Donations are being collected on street corners around Japan and via the large mass media conglomerates.

© CycleKyoto.com

CycleKyoto Home Page

Tags

Japan
Touring
Kyoto
Cycle
Earthquake Relief

Japan Earthquake Data Update

東日本大震災

March 14 earthquake data:

Magnitude: 9.0
Confirmed Dead: between 1,300 - 1,700
Missing in the town of Minami-Sanrikicho: 10,000 (of a population of 17,300)
Number stranded in Miyagi Prefecture: 20,000+
Number of People Exposed to Radioactivity: 190
Number of power plants "in trouble": four
International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale: Level 4 (same as Three Mile Island)
Insured losses: $15 billion USD
Number of troops ordered to area for relief: 100,000

Prime Minister Naoto Kan: "I think that the earthquake, tsunami and the situation at our nuclear reactors makes up the worst crisis in the 65 years since the war. If the nation works together, we will overcome.”

American ambassador to Japan John Roos: "No other evacuations have been recommended" (beyond the 20 km from the reactors).

© CycleKyoto.com

CycleKyoto Home Page

Tags
 
Japan
Data
Kyoto
Cycle
Earthquake

Japan Earthquake Tohoku Sendai

東北地方太平洋沖地震津波

Three days after a massive earthquake struck northern Japan - followed by a devastating tsunami - between 1,200 - 1,700 are presumed dead.

However, there are according to NHK as of 5 pm local time Sunday March 13 more than 10,000 people still missing.

Japanese Self Defense, police, and rescue squads are being joined by help from around the world: teams from South Korea, Australia, Germany, New Zealand, the United States, Turkey, and many other nations are pouring in.

Western Japan was spared any damage. Osaka experienced small tremors, and in Kyoto it was a day like any other. No tremors, no shaking, nothing. It was a beautiful early spring day.

Back in the northeast of Japan, more than 200,000 people are thought to be staying in 1,350 temporary shelters.

Perhaps the most ominous news is the release of radioactive material following an explosion at a Fukushima nuclear power plant.

© CycleKyoto.com

CycleKyoto Home Page

Tags

Japan
Tsunami
Kyoto
Cycle
Earthquake