GOLDEN MEMORY VACATIONS

Report On Hazards
Japan, Tokyo
Derek M Thompson

2012

5998 ALCALA PARK

Here at Golden Memory Vacations, or GMV for short, we make sure we give your
vacation the S.E.A.L of approval! S.E.A.L stands for safe, easy, arousing, and loving. We
guarantee that at GMV that we will bring you all of these and more! Most important to us as
you travel the world is your safety, specifically the natural hazards that you could face in your
travels abroad. In this edition of Reports On Hazards we will be taking a closer look at Tokyo
Japan and the major hazards that you need to be aware of and educated about before
exploring the beautiful city.
The largest city in Japan, Tokyo is at the center of the Japanese archipelago in southern
Kanto. Directly to the south are the Tamagawa and Kanagawa Rivers which both border Tokyo.
It is bordered to the east by the Edogawa River and Chiba Prefecture. The Saitama Prefecture is
located in northern Tokyo and finally the west is surrounded by a mountain range that includes
Mount Kumotori, Mount Takao, Mount Mitake and Mount Mihara.i Tokyo is mainly located on
the North-western part of the Tokyo Bay (see Figure1). Tokyo is built at the exact intersection
of three major tectonic plates which include the North American plate, the Philippine plate and
the Pacific plate (see Figure2 and 3). The climate in Tokyo is similar to the climate of the United
States. They have summer and winter at the same time that we do with their average
temperature being around eighty degrees Fahrenheit in the summer and forty degrees
Fahrenheit in the winter. During the summer it gets very humid and during the winter their
days are very mild and sunny. There are over one hundred and eighty volcanoes in Japan but
the two that are most likely to affect Tokyo are mount Asama which is located north-west of
Tokyo and Mount Fuji which is located south-west of Tokyo. Both are active and Fuji is a threat
to Tokyo and Asama has effected Tokyo recently(see Figure4).ii September is typhoon season
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for Japan but Tokyo is rarely hit because it is surrounded by water that is not warm enough to
sustain such a powerful storm.iii Tokyo is two thousand one hundred and eighty eight square
kilometres which is roughly .6 percent of the total area of Japan. Even though Tokyo makes up
only a small percent of the land in Japan its population is over ten percent of Japans total
population. It's population density of six thousand and twenty nine people per square
kilometre makes it the most densely populated region in Japan. The total population of Tokyo
is a little over thirteen million people (see Figure5).iv
EARTHQUAKES:

2011/0
3/11

Honshu,
Japan

15,000
+

9.0

At least 15,703 people killed, 4,647 missing, 5,314 injured,

130,927 displaced and at least 332,395 buildings, 2,126 roads,
56 bridges and 26 railways destroyed or damaged by the
earthquake and tsunami along the entire east coast of Honshu
from Chiba to Aomori. The majority of casualties and damage
occurred in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima from a Pacific-wide
tsunami with a maximum run-up height of 37.88 m at Miyako.
The total economic loss in Japan was estimated at 309 billion
US dollars. Electricity, gas and water supplies,
telecommunications and railway service disrupted and several
reactors severely damaged at a nuclear power plant near
Okuma.

2005/8
/16

Honshu,
Japan

none

7.2

At least 39 people injured in Miyagi, 9 in Iwate, 5 in

Fukushima and 3 in Saitama Prefectures. A house
collapsed at Kazo. Landslides occurred in several
rural locations. Power outages occurred and bullet
train service was temporarily suspended in
northern Japan. A local tsunami was generated
with a wave height of 10 cm on the coast of
northern Japan. Felt (VI) at Sendai, (V) at Misawa
and (IV) at Tokyo.

TSUNAMIS:

2011/0
3/11

1946/
20/12

Honshu,
Japan
(Tsunami in
Tokyo)

15,000
+

Honshu,
Japan

1,443

Magnitude
of
earthquake
that caused
tsunami

9.0

8.1

At least 15,703 people killed, 4,647 missing, 5,314 injured,

130,927 displaced and at least 332,395 buildings, 2,126
roads, 56 bridges and 26 railways destroyed or damaged by
the earthquake and tsunami along the entire east coast of
Honshu from Chiba to Aomori. The majority of casualties and
damage occurred in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima from a
Pacific-wide tsunami with a maximum run-up height of 37.88
m at Miyako. The total economic loss in Japan was estimated
at 309 billion US dollars. Electricity, gas and water supplies,
telecommunications and railway service disrupted and
several reactors severely damaged at a nuclear power plant
near Okuma.

A catastrophic magnitude 8.1 Mw earthquake

on December 20, 1946 on the south coast of
Honshu, Japan was felt almost everywhere in
the central and western parts of the country.
The number of homes destroyed directly by the
earthquake was 2,598; 1,443 people died. In
addition, 1,451 homes were washed away by
the ensuing tsunami waves. The tsunami was
observed on tide gauges in California, Hawaii
and Peru.

1968/
16/05

Honshu,
Japan

52

8.2

Caused destruction in Japan and generated a

tsunami that was observed by tide gauges in Japan
and throughout the Pacific Basin. As a result of the
earthquake and tsunami, 52 people died and 329
people were injured; 676 homes were completely
destroyed and 2,994 homes were partially
destroyed; 13 homes burned down and 529 homes
were flooded; 97 ships were washed away and 30
were sunk. In addition, roads, bridges and
protective dikes were destroyed.

vi

It was September 1st, 1923, and villagers throughout Japan were just sitting down for
lunch. At the same moment the Philippine plate thrust itself on the Eurasian continental plate
causing a massive earthquake at 11:58 AM whose epicenter was thirty miles south of Tokyo.
The first earthquake to be felt lasted fourteen seconds which was long enough to knock down
most of the buildings due to liquefaction. Some buildings simply fell over but some collapsed in
on themselves trapping or crushing thousands of people. A tsunami created by the earthquake
rushed into the flat coastal regions and at some places the tsunami was over thirty feet high.
More than one hundred and fifty people were killed by the tsunami and around six hundred
thousand homes were destroyed. Although the earthquake and tsunami themselves were a
threat to life it was what the earthquake did to the jam packed homes of early twentieth
century Japan. Because the earthquake occurred around lunchtime, most homes had their
wood burning ovens on to cook their food. When the earthquake hit, many buildings
containing these active ovens either collapsed or shook violently enough to knock over the
ovens spilling the burning wood out of the oven. This set the apartments on fire and because
the buildings were in such close proximity to one another, they all burned (Figure 6). The

earthquake destroyed the pipes carrying water to the city and the little water that the fire
departments had was useless because of all the debris and collapsed bridges blocking the fire
truck's path. The fires blazed for three days before the they were finally controlled. In the end
it was said that around forty five percent of Tokyo had burned to the ground including over one
hundred and forty thousand people.vii
Tokyo is more susceptible to earthquakes than other parts of Japan because of the fact
that a major fault runs right underneath it. It was previously thought that the fault was far
below ground and should not cause very great earthquakes. Recent studies have shown
however, that the fault is a lot more shallow than previously thought. This means that
earthquakes will be stronger and have a much bigger impact on Tokyo. The entire city is built
on top of three tectonic plates that subduct under each other, the Eurasian plate, the Philippine
Sea plate, and the Pacific plate (Figure 7).viii Tsunami inundation varies depending on the wave
height and recently it has been up to 1.3 meters in Tokyo (Figure 8). This tsunami wave height
may seem small but Tokyo was slightly protected by the northeast section of Japan being in
between the epicenter and Tokyo. If an earthquake were to occur off of the shore of Tokyo
then the wave height would increase dramatically.
Tokyo today is much more prepared for an earthquake (and its possible subsequent
tsunami) than ever before. Children from an early age are taught what to do and where to go
in case of an earthquake. There are now slides on multi story buildings for emergency
evacuations where speed is necessary. Buildings are now built with very deep foundations and
shock absorbers and some even move independently of the building in order to keep it upright.

In the event of an earthquake, all radio and television stations immediately switch to
earthquake coverage to explain the risks at the moment and mitigate further damage. The
radio and television stations have the ability to inform the public of an oncoming tsunami and
what to do. There are tsunami evacuation routes that direct people to higher ground and event
pre built tsunami defence bunkers. In the case that people are trapped, all offices are required
to have emergency earthquake kits with them that include food, water, and basic medical
supplies. Also in the event of an earthquake all schools pass out gloves and hardhats to protect
the kids.ix If a tsunami does follow an earthquake, Japan has come up with many measures to
protect its citizens. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), has six regional centers that take
earthquake data and oceanic data to predict a tsunami within three minutes of an earthquake.x
The Japanese have around a three percent homeless population rate which is very
high.xi The Japanese government does not like admitting it has a very high homeless population
rate because it is a proud country. Because the homeless rate is so high they are more prone to
the elements because they do not have roofs over their head. They are effected by cold, rain,
heat, and any other element that you can think of. The one thing homeless people in Japan are
not affected by as much as in a less prepared country is that from a young age every Japanese
kid is drilled in earthquake and tsunami drills. These drills prepare the kids to be
knowledgeable their whole lives. Even though they are homeless they still are aware enough as
to what events are taking place to follow the masses of people headed to the evacuation
centres and tsunami bunkers. If anything they are more prepared to survive if the city is shut
down and buildings are destroyed due to earthquake or tsunami. Japan is considered the most
prepared city in the world for earthquake and tsunami related natural disasters. As mentioned
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above, the Japanese have hundreds of ways to mitigate the damage and loss of life that
previously have been devastating. From slide chutes in multi story buildings for quick exit to
the gloves and hardhats that they pass out to school children to protect them from falling
debris, the Japanese are very prepared for an earthquake. And if an earthquake causes a
tsunami then they have tsunami evacuation routes and even tsunami evacuation centres that
are built to stand up to the mighty force of the tsunami waves as they hit the coast travelling
over one hundred and fifty miles an hour. No matter what the hazard is, Japan is well prepared
for anything. Through education and protection they have the ability to cut loss of life by a
huge percentage. A problem with Japan is that they have many nuclear power plants (Figure 9).
These are all a direct threat to the population all over Japan because of the radiation that it
gives off. Radiation is contained easily through cooling mechanisms and safety features. In the
event of an earthquake these safety shutoffs can be damaged and if the nuclear rods heat up
enough the amount of radiation to effect the people can get much more severe and people
within many miles will be affected.
Earthquakes and tsunamis are the main hazards that affect Japan. There can also be
volcanoes and also typhoons but these are a lot less rare. When travelling to Japan make sure
that you educate yourself about the dangers of every hazard you might find but focus on
earthquakes and tsunamis. Make sure you learn where to evacuate to and the warning signs of
these events. Here at Golden Memory Vacations we want your experience as enjoyable as
possible but before all else we want you returning home in one piece. I hope that this report
on hazards that you may experience while visiting Japan has been informative. Just remember

to have a good time while keeping in mind the dangers that lurk beneath. I hope you have a
pleasant trip and we will see you soon.

Figure1
From: http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/1c779de0bbf7.gif
Showing the major rivers that propagate through Tokyo and what part of Tokyo they effect.

Figure2
Found:http://japanfocus.org/data/TectonicJapan.gif
Showing how the plates subduct around each other.

Figure3
Found: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/world/japan/gshap.php
Showing the three plates effecting Tokyo and the percent chance that a hazard will affect the region.

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Figure4
Found: http://www.explorevolcanoes.com/volcanoimages/map_japan_volcanoes.gif
Showing the locations of major volcanoes around Japan but specifically looking at the volcanoes
affecting Tokyo.

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FIGURE 5
from:http://warp.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/283520/www.stat.go.jp/english/data/handbook/img/fig2_9.j
pg
Showing the population density of Japan but specifically looking at Tokyo.

Figure 6
Found: http://content.lib.washington.edu/cgibin/getimage.exe?CISOROOT=/ic&CISOPTR=456&DMSCALE=100.00000&DMWIDTH=802&DMHEIGHT=5
35.7109375&DMX=0&DMY=0&DMTEXT=&REC=1&DMTHUMB=0&DMROTATE=0
Showing people running from the fire as it consumed around 45 percent of the city.
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Figure 7
Found: http://www.georesources.co.uk/kobeplates2.gif
Showing where Tokyo is in relation to the plates and seeing that it is located right where they all
converge.

Figure 8
Found:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/2011_Tohoku_earthquake_observed_tsu
nami_heights_en.png
Showing wave heights as they broke onto the shores of Japan.

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Figure 9
Found:http://elainemeinelsupkis.typepad.com/energy_news/images/2007/07/18/japan_nuclear_reacto
rs_2.jpg
Showing the major volcanoes but more importantly the nuclear power plants in Japan.

Informative figure 1
Found: http://usgsprojects.org/tokyo/submitted/swissre.pdf
Showing the areas affected by earthquakes the most from 1600 to 2000 and make note that Tokyo is
effected most

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Informative figure 2
Found: http://usgsprojects.org/tokyo/submitted/swissre.pdf
Showing earthquakes greater than 6.7 since 1649

Informative figure 3
Found: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/world/japan/seismicity.php
Showing seismic activity for the past decade with earthquakes over magnitude 6.5.

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Informative figure 4
From:http://serc.carleton.edu/images/NAGTWorkshops/visualization/collections/2011_japan_earthqua
ke_tsunami.jpg
Showing how the tsunami propagated throughout the pacific and how long it took for waves to make
landfall.

Website: http://www.asiarooms.com/en/travel-guide/japan/tokyo/tokyo-overview/geography-of-tokyo.html
Website: http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/japans-mt-asama-erupts-sends-ash-over-tokyo.html
iii
website: http://traveltips.usatoday.com/weather-climate-tokyo-15614.html
iv
Website: http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/ENGLISH/PROFILE/overview03.htm
v
Website: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/world/historical_mag.php
vi
Website: http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/hazard/tsu_travel_time_events.shtml
vii
Website: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/The-Great-Japan-Earthquake-of1923.html?c=y&page=1
viii
Website: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/07/0714_050714_tokyoquake.html
ix
Website: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8375591/Japan-earthquake-country-betterprepared-than-anyone-for-quakes-and-tsunamis.html
x
Website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12709793
xi
Website: http://www.globaled.org/japanproject/socialissuesproject/homeless/page2.html
ii

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