Kumamoto Prefecture Hit By Earthquake

Above, Kumamoto Station in 2007. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture was rocked Tuesday by a 7.1 earthquake.

Japan is prone to having major earthquakes as it sits on the "Ring of Fire" of the Pacific. In 2010, a major quake hit the Tohoku Region of Japan that caused a huge tsunami.

I visited Kumamoto in April 2007. One of the places I visited was nearby Mount Aso.

According to Japan Today:

TOKYO - A major earthquake rocked Japan's southern Kumamoto prefecture on Tuesday, knocking out power to thousands of homes, rupturing roads and injuring at least 50 people.

Speaking to reporters at ‌her office in Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the full extent of casualties and damage from the 7.1 magnitude quake was still being assessed.

"We have already been informed that people have been injured," Takaichi said. "Power outages and ‌fires have occurred in some areas, and there has also been damage to ⁠roads and bridges and the collapse of buildings."

One hospital had reported more ⁠than 50 injuries, public ⁠broadcaster NHK said. Several people on a high-speed train at the time of the quake were also ‌injured, Nikkei newspaper said.

Multiple buildings were damaged, including an Aeon shopping mall that NHK said had suffered ⁠an explosion, while footage from the broadcaster also ⁠showed other buildings on fire or partially collapsed. A spokesperson for Aeon did not immediately have a comment on the situation.

 To read more, go here.

Japan: Deepest Earthquake Ever Detected

Japan is well known for its volcanoes and earthquakes. It is right on the Pacific's "Ring of Fire".

Many volcanic eruptions have been noted in recorded history, most recently it was Mount Aso in Kyushu and the Tohoku Earthquake (the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami) is still fresh in people's minds despite having taken place ten years ago.

An interesting earthquake took place under Japan's Bonin Islands (Ogasawara Islands) several years ago. At a depth of 423 miles, it was one of the deepest earthquakes ever recorded. National Geographic has posted an interesting article about it.

They begin it with:

One spring evening six years ago, hundreds of miles underground, our planet began to rumble from a series of peculiar earthquakes. Most of Earth's temblors strike within a few dozen miles of the surface, but these quakes stirred at depths where temperatures and pressures grow so intense that rocks tend to bend rather than break.

The first jolt, which struck off the coasts of Japan's remote Bonin Islands, was recorded at magnitude 7.9 and up to 680 kilometers (423 miles) underground, making it one of the deepest quakes of its size. Then another oddity emerged in the cascade of aftershocks that followed: a tiny temblor that, if confirmed, would be the deepest earthquake ever detected.

 To read more, go here.

Kyushu Shinkansen Gets Send-off...10 Years Later

Above, Fukuoka Tower in 2007. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in 2007, I took a trip down to Kyushu to see Kumamoto, Mt. Aso, Nagasaki, Sasebo and Fukuoka.

At that time, the "Shooting Star" Shinkansen was still under construction. It didn't begin service until March 12, 2011. 

Above, Kumamoto Station in 2007. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It would have come in handy for me as I had to rely on smaller and slower commuter trains to get from Fukuoka to Kumamoto.

The ceremonial send-off for the Shinkansen was canceled due to the Great East Japan Earthquake of the day before on March 11.

Finally, ten years later, a ceremonial glitzy send-off was held for the train.

According to the Asahi Shimbun:

KAGOSHIMA--Ten years after being fully launched, a bullet train dubbed the "Shooting Star Shinkansen" finally got the send-off it wanted but canceled due to the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.

The Shinkansen made a special run on March 14, carrying hundreds of wishes solicited from the public and emitting spotlights into the night sky in seven hues and attracting spectators along the way.

The run marked the 10th anniversary of the full opening of the Kyushu Shinkansen Line, which connected Fukuoka to Kagoshima, in March 2011.

The train, comprising six cars, left JR Kagoshima-Chuo Station at 6:35 p.m. for Hakata Station in Fukuoka without passengers.

Above, a view of Fukuoka from Fukuoka Tower. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here. 

Great East Japan Earthquake 10th Anniversary

Above, some of the islets in Matsushima Bay that acted as buffers against the tsunami. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is now March 11 in Japan. 

This day marks the 10th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake (a.k.a. Tohoku Earthquake).

At 14:46 hours in Japan (2:46 PM) and 9:46 PM March 10 in Los Angeles, the earthquake struck and then the massive tsunami hit the Tohoku region.

From Wikipedia:

The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tōhoku occurred at 14:46 JST on 11 March. The magnitude 9.0–9.1 undersea megathrust earthquake had an epicenter east of the Oshika Peninsula of Tōhoku.  

15,899 deaths, +2 (Overseas), 6,157 injured, 2,529 people missing

Above, my dad at Godaido Temple in 1951.

I was working patrol that night in the Burbank Hills when I received a call (or text) from my supervisor telling me about the earthquake. He knew of my interest in Japan and I had brought him a Godzilla figure from my December 2010 trip to Japan. I immediately flipped on the radio to listen to the news reports coming from Japan. Hearing how bad the quake and tsunami were, I checked with some Japanese friends to see if their families and friends were okay. 

I had visited the Tohoku region of Japan in April 2006 to visit Sendai and Matsushima. My dad was briefly stationed there before being sent to South Korea during the Korean War. He had sent a photo of himself in his military police uniform in front of the Godaido Temple at Matsushima in 1951. I had a photo of myself taken at the same spot by one of the locals. Before having the photo taken, I had showed him the photo of my dad there. He found it fascinating.

Above, yours truly at Godaido Temple in 2006.

In the days that followed, I watched the news reports to see how Sendai and Matsushima fared during the earthquake and tsunami. Of particular interest to me was if Godaido Temple survived. Others online were wondering the same thing. 

After a while, we saw a photo (below) posted in a CNN News report showing Matsushima. Barely discernable was Godaido Temple. It withstood the quake and tsunami. Matsushima was lucky, for the tiny islets that dot the bay acted as buffers against the tsunami, so the temple and coastal buildings were spared the brunt with only some flooding.

Above, Godaido Temple following the tsunami (above and left of the word "next").

Sendai had some massive flooding, particularly at the airport, but it was able to recover. The ryokan I stayed at in 2006 is still in business. 

After the initial shock over the devastation, the world responded with aid and donations. My bank's ATM had a special screen feature for making donations for Tohoku earthquake and tsunami relief. I made a donation through this.

It was a night I certainly won't forget.

7.3 Quake Strikes Japan, Jolts Tokyo

Above, a view of Tokyo from the Tokyo Skytree. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

We're about a month away from the tenth anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake that took place on March 11, 2011, but the planet decided to "celebrate" a little early.

According to The Mainichi:

TOKYO -- An estimated magnitude-7.3 earthquake hit off northeast Japan at around 11:08 p.m. on Feb. 13, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The temblor registered an upper 6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures. The quake was focused off Fukushima Prefecture at a depth of about 60 kilometers.

There was no risk of a tsunami from the quake, the agency said.

The temblor jolted the Tokyo metropolitan area.

To read more, go here. 

Foreign Tourism To Japan Drops 58%

Above, the Godzilla mural at Toho Studios. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Not since the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake hit has Japan seen such a major drop in foreign tourism.

The coronavirus has caused a big hit upon Japan's tourism industry.

The Mainichi reported:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The number of foreign visitors to Japan posted the largest drop in nearly nine years in February with a 58.3 percent plunge, dented by travel restrictions to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, government data showed Thursday. 

An estimated 1.09 million foreigners visited Japan last month, down sharply from 2.60 million a year earlier, after China banned all outbound group travel in late January. Chinese travelers accounted for 30 percent of all overseas visitors in 2019, the biggest among other countries and regions. 

The drop in February was the fifth straight month of decline and the biggest since April 2011 when the figure plummeted 62.5 percent after a devastating earthquake and tsunami hit northeastern Japan the previous month, causing the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.

To read more, go here.

All Nippon Airways: ¥2,020 Flights To Tohoku

Above, Sendai Station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

People heading to Japan this summer can get a real bargain while there.

Flights to and from Tohoku for only ¥2,020 ($18.49)!

Time Out Tokyo reported:

This summer, the world will be travelling to Japan for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics. Most travellers will hit up the traditional tourist route – Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka – but those looking to get off the beaten path should head up north to the Tohoku region.  

Good thing All Nippon Airways (ANA) will be offering cheap tickets at the symbolic price of just ¥2,020 for 18 domestic flights flying to and from Aomori, Odate Noshiro (in northern Akita), Akita, Shonai (in Yamagata), Sendai and Fukushima from July to September 2020. These flights are centred around Tohoku because ANA is hoping the campaign will raise awareness and improve reconstruction efforts in the areas affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. 

Flight reservations start in spring.

To read more, go here. 

March 11

Today would have been my mom's 86th birthday. She was born a day after the 1933 Long Beach Earthquake.

And, today is the 8th anniversary of the March 11, 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake that hit Japan's Tohoku region that was followed by a massive tsunami. Over 20,000 people were killed.

The process of recovery and rebuilding are still in progress.

9 Vacations To Help-Rebuild Japan's Disaster Hit Regions

Above, Godaido temple in Matsushima. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Several areas of Japan had been struck by severe earthquakes initially struggled to repair attractions and tourist facilities or were able to re-open relatively fast. But the tourists did not come.

Gaijnpot.com has an article on nine vacations people can take in these areas to help them rebuild their tourism industry.

The article begins with:

On a whole, these days tourism in Japan has never looked healthier. At the same time, some of the country’s outlying areas have faced their own set of tourism challenges. Following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that ripped apart the Tohoku region, many of the region’s cities faced double devastation, as much of the area’s tourism industry was also heavily affected. 

Something similar happened in Kyushu two years ago, when, in April 2016, an earthquake shocked Kumamoto leaving much of the area in rubble. Tourism forecasts there are not looking much better. 

Now — seven years after the Tohoku quake and two years after the Kumamoto temblor — the areas have shown an unbelievable level of resilience, and in terms of tourism plenty of the areas are back in action. However what they need now is an injection of tourism, which is why both areas are well worth exploring on your next Japan adventure. 

Above, Bansuitei Ikoiso Ryokan in Sendai. I stayed there in 2006. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here. 

6.9 Quake Hits Japan

A 6.9 magnitude earthquake hit Japan today near where the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake was centered. It was felt in Tokyo.

According to CNN:

(CNN)A tsunami advisory is in effect for Japan's Fukushima and Miyagi Prefectures after a 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck off Honshu just before 6.00 a.m. Tuesday (4.00 p.m. Monday ET). 

Japanese authorities urged residents in those northeast coastal areas to leave immediately for higher ground and not return until warnings had been lifted. 

The earthquake struck in the same area as the devastating 9.0-magnitude earthquake in 2011 -- one of the worst ever to hit Japan -- which killed more than 20,000 people and triggered a meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

To read more, go here. 

Kyushu Tourism Still Struggling

Above, Kumamoto Station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As it happened in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake, the recent quakes in Kyushu has put a damper on foreign tourism.

News On Japan reported:

Tourism continues to struggle in southwestern Japan two months after major earthquakes, with hotel guests in Kumamoto and Oita prefectures at only 60% of normal levels in late May. 

The sector is a key industry in the Kyushu region, which includes the two prefectures. Expectations are growing that the central government will come to the aid of affected businesses.

The Tohoku region of northeast Japan still hasn't seen a full recovery in foreign tourism.

To read more, go here.

Japan Planning Tohoku Tourism Campaign

Above, the statue of Date Masamune at the site of Sendai Castle. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of the most picturesque areas of Japan is the Tohoku region. Matsushima is often compared to Carmel, California in scenic beauty.

Unfortunately, since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, the region hasn't fully recovered as a tourist draw to this date, despite that the rest of Japan is seeing record tourism numbers.

However, the Japanese government is planning to fix that problem.

The Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun) reported:

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — Japan will start a campaign to attract more foreign visitors to the Tohoku region, transport and tourism minister Keiichi Ishii told a press conference Tuesday. 

The action will be taken as the number of visitors to Tohoku has not returned to levels before the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that hit the region.

To read more, go here. 

Government Pledges To Boost Tohoku Tourism

Above, Matsushima Bay. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

While the rest of Japan has reaped the benefits of the boom in foreign tourism, the Tohoku region has been floundering in comparison. The Japanese govenment pledges to do something about that this year.

The Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun) reported:

The government will gear up its promotion drive in the Tohoku region, naming 2016 as the region’s “inaugural year of tourism reconstruction” in the basic post-disaster reconstruction policy adopted at Friday’s Cabinet meeting. 

The number of international overnight visitors in the six prefectures of the Tohoku region is stagnating partly because of concerns resulting from the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Whether the government can resolve such concerns will likely be key in attracting more foreign visitors.

To read more, go here. 

Japan Observes 5th Anniversary of Great East Japan Earthquake

Above, Godaido and Matsushima after the tsunami.

It hardly seems like five years have now passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster struck the Tohoku region of Japan. I remember getting a phone call from my supervisor telling me about the quake. I had visted Japan three months earlier and brought him a Godzilla toy.

I spent the rest of my graveyard shift that night checking news reports and chatting with friends. Having been through the Northridge Earthquake in 1994, I had empathy with those in the affected areas, but the Northridge Earthquake paled in comparison to what was happening in Japan.

In the days following, I followed the news reports on the disaster. I was particularly interested in how Matsushima Bay (near Sendai) and the Godaido Hall fared. I visited there in 2007 as it was one of the areas my father was briefly stationed during the Korean War. I was relieved to see that Godaido Hall survived the tsunami. If it weren't for the 200 tiny islets in the bay blunting the force of the tsunami, it would not have survived.

The Japan Times reported:

At 2:46 p.m. Friday, millions of people observed a moment of silence across Japan as the country marked the fifth anniversary of the March 2011 quake and tsunami that devastated coastal areas of the Tohoku region, killing at least 19,304 and leaving an additional 2,561 still unaccounted for as of Thursday. 

The anniversary comes as about 174,000 evacuees from disaster-hit areas are still living outside their damaged hometowns.

To read more, go here.

Yahoo! Japan Donating To Earthquake Relief For Each "3.11" Search Today

Today marks the fourth anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.

This year, again, Yahoo! Japan will donate ¥10 to earthquake relief for each "3.11" search on their search engine.

According to Rocket News 24:

Four years on, the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear crisis that befell Japan’s Tohoku region on March 11, 2011 have very little effect on the day-to-day lives of most people in the country. The rolling blackouts have stopped. Batteries and bottled water are once again readily available. Trains are running, and whole cities aren’t spending hours walking home from work or school. 

But while a return to normalcy is a desirable, and ultimately necessary, part of recovery, it’s also important to remember what happened. To stem the forgetfulness that often accompanies the later stages of coping with tragedy, on March 11 Yahoo! Japan will be making a donation to the Tohoku recovery efforts for every person that searches for “3.11” through the company’s search engine.

The Internet provider and portal conducted an identical initiative last year, supplying a total of 25,683,250 yen (approximately US $216,000) to charitable organizations. This year, Yahoo! will be making its donation to the Tohoku Recovery Support Organization (Tohoku Fukkou Shien Dantai in Japanese). 

A 10-yen donation will be made for each user who searches for “3.11” between midnight and 11:59 p.m. on March 11. To reiterate, the donation is made per user, not per search. Once you’ve searched once, you’ve done your job, so there’s nothing to be gained by repeating the search over and over again.

 To get to Yahoo! Japan's search box, go here.

AsiaOne News: Cheap Yen, Fading Fukushima Fears Lure Japan Tourists

Above, a view of Yokohama from the Landmark Tower. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

We are now approaching the fourth anniversary of the March 11, 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and resulting tsunami and Fukushima nuclear disasters. These, and Japan's high yen, sent the Japan tourism industry into a major tailspin.

Four years later, Japan's tourism industry has rebounded and fears over radiation has subsided. And, the yen is a lot cheaper than it was four years ago.

AsiaOne News has a two-page article on Japan's rebound.

It begins with:

TOKYO - The 2011 earthquake and tsunami that smashed into Japan laid waste to the country's tourism industry, leaving a coastline in ruins, killing thousands and sparking the worst atomic crisis in a generation. 

But, four years on, the sector is bouncing back, shattering expectations on visitor numbers, largely owing to a weak yen and fading fears about the fallout from the Fukushima disaster. 

Worries about radiation sent the number of inbound visitors to Japan into a steep dive and the thought of attracting new tourists seemed an impossible goal in the days and weeks after the catastrophe. 

But last year Tokyo logged a record 13.41 million international visitors, double the number of 2011 and more than half of the 20 million it hopes to attract during the 2020 Olympic Games.

To read more, go here.

Tohoku - Where Japan's Past and Present Co-Exist

Above, the statue of Date Masamune at the ruins of Sendai Castle. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of my favorite places in Japan I visited was the coastal town of Matsushima in Tohoku.

There, many small islets dot Matsushima Bay, providing beautiful scenic views. Those small islets also helped to shield the town from the tsunami generated by the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011.

The Star Online (Malaysia) has an article on places to see in the Tohoku Region of Japan that inlcudes Matsushima and nearby Sendai.

It begins with:

This region is an intriguing mix of trainee geishas, vestiges of feudal Japan, fresh seafood and smooth saké! 

TRAVELLING north to Japan’s Tohoku region in the middle of winter might seem like the perfect opportunity to turn into a popsicle but, as I discovered, it is well worth a visit there in early January, as there is more to see than just the snow.

 To read more, go here.

Record 13.4 Million Foreign Tourists Welcomed To Japan In 2014

Above, Jonathan Bellés, Yoshikazu Ishii and Armand at the Tsukuba Hotel in Ueno last February.

A record 13.4 million foreign tourists came to Japan in 2014, which is up about 30% from 2013's record of 10 million foreign visitors. This is according to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) estimate as reported in an article by Nikkei Asian Review.

According to the article, foreign visitors spent about 2.03 trillion yen ($17.2 billion) during their Japan visits. This was 40% more in tourist spending from the previous year.

It is remarkable that Japan has seen record numbers of foreign visitors during the past two years. This is especially true after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.

They wrote:

Overseas travelers are increasingly a force to be reckoned with in Japan. 

In 2011, the number of foreign tourists dropped after the devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdowns hit the east coast of Japan that March. The number of visitors started rising again in 2012, and surpassed the threshold of 10 million for the first time in 2013.

Jonathan Bellés of Spain and I were just two of the 13.4 million foreign visitors when we visited Japan last February. So, we did our part in helping Japan hit the record.

Much of the increase was due to the weakening yen and the easing of some visa requirements, particularly for other Asian countries. The weakening yen made goods in Japan comparatively cheaper.

Will Japan top last year's record number of foreign visitors this year?

To read more, go here.

Blog Post Picked Up By...The Daily Ghoul

Usually, my blog posts may get picked up by The Japan Daily or by some other travel-oriented website. This time, an online "newspaper" called The Daily Ghoul picked one up.

The Daily Ghoul's focus? Here's what they say:

Delivering News of the Paranormal from All Over the World

The blog post was this one:

To read The Daily Ghoul, go here.

Tohoku Survivors Visited By Deceased Family Members?

At the age of fifteen, my first part-time job was as as dishwasher at a convalescent hospital. Convalescent hospitals are derided as "warehouses for the elderly" and most patients/residents at those places don't make it out alive.

One day, I saw a dessert cup move by itself on a stainless steel kitchen counter. Ever since then, I have a completely open mind concerning paranormal or supernatural phenomena. As Lou Costello's character (Wilbur) said in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, "I saw what I saw when I saw it!"

I also had a different experience when my father died, but I won't go into that.

Why I bring this up is because Rocket News 24 has an interesting article on a reporter who is interviewing and recording stories from survivors of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami who claim to have been contacted by relatives who were killed in that disaster.

The article starts with:

What happens after we die? Is it possible to communicate with loved ones after they are gone? And if not, how can we explain the stories of those who claim to have done so? These questions are pertinent to the work of journalist Shuji Okuno, who researches the yūrei banashi, or ghost stories, of relatives bereaved by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. 

Over 18,000 people were killed in the disaster in March 2011, most by drowning; including 2,601 bodies that were never recovered. Okuno has been researching and recording the stories of Tohoku people bereaved by the disaster who say they were visited by the spirits of their deceased family members, often at the exact moment of their passing.

Okuno and NHK has been criticised over the reporting of these stories. My feeling is, and this is due to my own experience: If that's what they feel actually happened and they are comforted by it, what right does anyone have to put them down?

To read the full article, go here.