Tsunami Warnings
Tsunami, otherwise known as tidal waves, are unfortunately common in Japan. They are usually caused when earthquakes happen under the sea. The water then moves towards the coast quickly, all the time building height and strength. Because of the frequency of tsunami and earthquakes in Japan, the Meteorological Agency has systems in place to alert the general public via television and radio as soon as possible.
Sometimes, while watching TV, you’ll hear a beep and text will flash across the top of the screen. These are also earthquake and tsunami notices, but aren’t as major.
I’ve dug up a video on YouTube that shows what the major emergency alerts look like. The beeping at the start of the video is the official signal start of the Emergency Warning System – and it’s quite spooky. This video was broadcast in July 1993, and it seems that despite the warning, 200 people were killed by the tsunami.
It always amazes me how such a geographically dangerous area (earthquakes, tsunami, volcanoes) like Japan and particularly Tokyo managed to get such a large population. There’s a theory that Tokyo is due for “The Big One” – a large earthquake that according to statistics, is overdue by about a decade. I’ll try and write more about that in another post.
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