Earthquakes, typhoons, tidal waves, volcanos (when you're lucky), there is everything you need, and even the things you don't need in Japan. Earlier this week, we had a major typhoon, the biggest one in a decade. It actually came right after another typhoon, which was also supposed to be one of the biggest Japan has experienced for many years. The combination of both provoked many floods, land slides and tidal waves, which showed no mercy to the many houses they ravaged. Close to 80 people died because of those typhoons and more thean 300 people were injured.
Then today, for several hours, Japan was literally trembling under a series of earthquakes that hit Niigata this evening. The first and strongest one hit exactly at 17:56, with a magnitude of 6.8. Already 3 people died, some roads have just cracked wide open, cars are stuck inside a tunnel and most cities around are still without electricity. The jolt was felt even in Tokyo, where the magnitude was "only" 4.
If you'd like to read more about this, you can just visit Japan Today's website or The Daily Yomiuri.
This year has been exceptional, as several records were sadly beaten: the highest temperature ever recorded in Tokyo, the number of typhoons within a year, it was also the first time typhoons struck Japan in October. Finally, it is the first time quakes measuring 6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 occurred four times in a day, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
There is a sort of apocalyptic atmosphere that reigns in Japan and noone can tell when it's going to end. On the contrary, I feel everyone fears this only confirms the trend that the environment is already screwed up...
