My First Earthquake!

Posted on April 26, 2007 by Chris McKee

Ok, it was small and not even mentioned on any news programme I saw but I have experienced my first Japanese earthquake! Last Sunday while in church, just as the pastor was bringing his message to a close, the church roof started to shake, the window blinds went crazy and the floor felt like the deck of a boat for about one second. Then there was a pause followed by the whole thing repeating itself again this time slightly stronger and for about two seconds. While the people around me instantly knew what was going on, it didn’t occur to me to fully five seconds after the event what had actually happened. Even then it was only when I heard the muttered “Jishin” (Japanese for earthquake) coming from the congregation that it really hit me. So that was it, two little shakes, and after almost two years of living here I have finally experienced an earthquake.

You may question my seeming delight at this, and I have to admit I was kind of happy to experience it because I have heard so much about them and always get asked what its like by people back home. Even afterwards, people commented how excited I looked, and everyone had a good laugh! However, I did notice that the Japanese reserved their laughter until they knew it was fully over. During the quake there was a hush while the people waited to see how strong this one would be. A few seconds after the second shake the pastor broke the tension with a comment about how the heavens were approving of (or disapproving) of his sermon! After that it was all smiles and chat, but I definitely sensed fear and apprehension in the Japanese during the shaking.

I guess it is only natural as it was only 12 years ago that about 6,500 people were killed in Kobe, which is right beside Osaka. Everyone would remember the much more violent shaking from that earthquake and the scenes and stories of devastation that they faced following that day. The Japanese are a wonderful bunch. They seem to have a ‘way’ of doing everything and find pleasure in perfecting things and seeking ways to be the best. With earthquakes however, there is no predicting them nor anyway to control them; they take you by surprise and often leave you devastated. There is no perfect way to deal with the earth when it decides to move. But living in such an earthquake prone part of the world has instilled yet more strength and depth into already seemingly endless depths of the Japanese character. This little shake revealed as much.

Photo Credit: mattsantos