Real thing

About an hour ago (0843 jst) while I was lying on my mat spread on the tatami floor and reading internet articles on my notebook pc, an emergency message was announced on the TV, saying "earthquake emergency warning; there will occur a fairly strong earthquake very shortly, in the region of the North Eastern Japan."

This was generated from our new and automated "Earthquake Early Warning System" which senses small tremors preceding big one and automatically issue alert messages on TVs and radios nationwide. The system was laid down very recently and as far as I know this was the first time ever the system worked efffectively as expected.

The warning are issued just 30 seconds to a minute prior to the main attack but shall be useful for the people to initiate actions to take cover or getting to safe places, at least.

According to the news threre are not very small damages has been caused but only little of the details are available so far. The affected areas are, according to the TV; prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi, Aomori and Akita.

I believe the earthquake was far smaller in its scale than the recent one occured in China but we are aware what do these mean.

Wow take care over there! Watch yourselfs.

There are two deaths reported so far and a host of injuries has been rescued and treated in the area affected. Many of the transportations are still held up.

It seems Aomori prefecture is OK.

I felt the initial announcement on the TV was at somewhat low tone. The voice was so calm that I didn't think it was real.

Crazy, glad you made it through OK.

Thanks. My house is far from the area and I didn't even feel a tremor.

The epicenter was found to be close to Sendai city. Many of the foreign people should reside there. Three dead and 12 missing are reported as of 1900 JST but the number shall increase.

North of Miyagi prefecture are reported as heavily damaged and still most of the towns and villages are isolated and intense rescue activity is underway.

Size of the area affected is indeed far smaller than that in China but the strength should be none lower. Earthquake is always scarly thing and one will never be used to it but the awareness is essential to live in Japan.

Wow, ppopsie. You be careful over there. Please keep us updated.

Yea you take care of yourself