This is a NEW ONLY in JAPAN channel restarted in 2020 - if you haven't seen me in a while, welcome back! Subscribe & join the adventure \(^_^)/ I'll take you around the country with me finding stories just like this. Stay safe out there -john
@@onlyinjapan We don't have that to worry about yet! First, we need to get COVID-19 under control, and then, I need to get a new passport after I get my drivers license. But, believe me, I so want to go now! 😄
I was in an earthquake 2 times... once, when I was in Los Angeles when I was in my early 20's. That one wasn't a huge one, only in the 4's on the Richter, but I could feel it. Then, about 10 years ago, right here in central Pennsylvania. Yep, I was at alone at work and I felt my desk chair moving back and forth. I thought it was an earthquake, and I asked the mailman when I saw him... he said he thought I was just tired because he hadn't felt anything. I find out later that day that there was an earthquake, a low 3.0, so I hadn't lost my mind at all!
It certainly was - both of which were not in our control. I think living with earthquakes here also makes us realize how delicate life is - how lucky we are and how quickly it can go away.
My wife and I were planning to go for a 2-week long Western Japan trip 10 years ago, and when everything's set, i went to the travel agency in the morning to reserve tickets and accomodations right on March 11, 2011. Just an hour or two later, the flash news came on... We cancelled the trip. Not because we found it dangerous to go (Kansai and Kyushu were not much affected), but we just didn't feel right to be casual visitors when the Japanese people were in such a devastating situations.
It’s crazy because my friends and I checked out one of those simulators in Tokyo a few days before the 2011 earthquake happened. I was teaching a private English class when it happened. Ended up huddled under a table with 2 women screaming as if it was the end. Not being from Japan and only experiencing tremors before that, I totally anticipated building collapse. It was one of the most terrifying days of my life and I’m so thankful for Japanese engineering.
I feel like we had a very similar reaction to the 2011 earthquake. I was studying abroad in Tokyo at the time. I had recently gotten back to my apartment/dorm and was watching videos on my laptop when it hit. I had a similar experience that I didn’t move at first thinking “oh, an earthquake” and figuring it would be over soon. Then the shaking got worse and I noticed my bookshelf swaying so I got up and got in the doorway of my bedroom. From there I could see outside the glass of our balcony doors. I could see the building next to ours swaying in different directions. The power lines were moving in waves like when kids sway a jump rope. I remember just being frozen for the 5+ minutes of shaking. When the shaking stopped, we turned on the news to see all of the tsunami alerts. When I realized how big and bad the situation was, I called my mom back at home in the US since she worked nights, I knew she might see the news. I was able to call and leave her a message to let her know I was okay. Then, after that, the cell service went down. I remember staring at the tv and watching the tsunami hit the coastlines of northern Japan and feeling so helpless for the people there. I remember getting used to the ground shaking for the weeks I remained in Japan because of the aftershocks. I remember after my University decided that I had to come home, I had phantom feelings of minor earthquakes like the hundreds of aftershocks I felt afterwards. It was such a surreal experience that is engraved into my memory. My heart still races when I share my experience with others, and my students each year for the anniversary. I still hope to return to Japan some day and get to continue to see all of the places that I was unable to get to because my abroad experience was cut short.
I didn't have the experience of a 9.1 earthquake, but of a 5.5/6. At first (because I was a kid) I was wow some info that the teacher told us is going to be used! And then it continued with various after shocks. Even now and then when train passes near my home I kinda have this small reminder of the earthquake with a quick time reflection of:"is it a train or an earthquake?"
I know this comment is old but I just wanted to say I was also in the 2011 earthquake (I was about 11) and even 10 years later I can still feel phantom shakes. Not as bad as it was at the beginning but it's so validating to hear someone else has this experience.
@@firerinart I definitely had a very similar sensation after the earthquake and all of the subsequent aftershocks/triggered earthquakes after the major one. I would get random sensations of shaking for a good while after returning to the US. Plus, very intense dreams as well.
I had a friend who was a total goofball in Japan, and he lived in Kobe during the 1995 earthquake. He was such a heavy sleeper that he slept through the whole thing!
I have a similar story! I am a very heavy sleeper and slept through the fire alarm once. It was very scary, but luckily it was an alarm malfunction and not an actual fire. If it was an actual fire and my parents wasn’t there to wake me up, I would’ve died.
Hey John! Just wanted to say your videos are one of the best out there! Very informative but still fun to watch. Also impressed to hear how the earthquake of 2011 changed you.
ONLY in Japan is an example for the perfect UA-cam Channel. It started from a passionate person about a specific topic he thrives for, creating interesting and entertaining videos with a constant improvement of quality. Thank you!
It’s what UA-cam should have been, but people get greedy and big corporations wanted a slice. Now everyone’s sponsored by something, trying to sell you something, or just click baiting you and lying about the content or quality of the story.
I have experienced an earthquake but it was weak like on April of 2018 or 2019 i was just playing Minecraft then I felt shaking and i was just a kid back then like 8 or 9 bruh lol
In Iceland, we've been having swarms of earthquakes for more than two weeks now. From midnight last night to 07, we had 750 earthquakes, 15 of them above Mag. of 3. We're still waiting to see if there's going to be an eruption. It's been a while since we had this much ground activity. The ground feels like it's constantly trembling. 😬
I hope everything is okay. Kanae and I have been talking for 2 years on returning to Iceland esp since we couldn't see the aurora in December 2018! It's super hard to have that hanging over you everyday - there COULD be an eruption ... stay safe!
@@onlyinjapan No structural damages or any of that (yet). Definitely come to Iceland during winter, it's when it's cheaper too! At this point, we just want it to erupt and get it over with, haha. The lava is predicted to flow towards the ocean with minimal gasses released, so it shouldn't be bad... Hope all is well in Japan! Wanting to come visit again! 😁
I've experienced two earthquakes here in Indonesia AND THEY WERE MINOR EARTHQUAKES AND I WAS EXTREMELY FREAKED OUT BY IT!! I honestly can't imagine how horrifying it is to experience a level 9 earthquake mad respects for the people of Japan
9:25 Poor John the way he did the little sad sound and later said "That brings back a lot of bad memories I never wanted to experience again" made me sad ;-;
Hey Hannah's back! I love the approach to the interview scenes - John sorta-sat down so he and Imamura-san are at the same height. Not only does it make for a nice balanced composition, it shows respect to the other party (eg thay you're equals, etc). Now if only we can see 2011 footage, right. Yeah the cringe will be there but eh, that's John-level authenticity for you
You're right - should always be eye level. I didn't want him looking up at me. The positioning made it natural to sit too. I had very little time to set this up - shoot it, do your best, move on. Oh you know it!! My early work is super cringe for everyone outside Japan but here, it was awesome! hahaha
I was looking for this comment! I lived outside of Ottawa and have experienced 3 Mount Royal earthquakes; one that woke me up, one when I was hiking and one where I was in an office tower. Lucky for me the biggest one was when I was hiking, so I practically missed it.
A beautifully done video! I appreciate the fact that you didn’t mention the nuclear disaster that I feel has been focused on forever. I know it was problematic and destroyed an area, but it scared many people and did paint Japan in a bad light. I remember the media coverage in America that people were terrified to eat fish, milk, or food imported from Japan for a while. It was incredibly sad, but you turned this into a very unbiased and informative episode. Earthquakes are a way of life in Japan, but it can be a problem when you become complacent or aren’t prepared. Just like with everything in life, we become too comfortable and I like that they have a simulator to help people handle such events the right way. I’ve never experienced an earthquake from what I remember. We do get small ones around here from time to time, but I would probably panic if I was there and it started knocking my stuff or self around. The fact that the buildings sway too freaks me out! I know that they’re built in a way to do that so they can remain stable during movement, but still, that’s so scary! Also, it was nice to see Hanna in this episode. I hope she’s doing well.
You speak of it as if it was in the past when it's something very real even today. It's not contained properly and the amount of contamination leaking is staggering.
I love this episode, OiJ brand return to form! It seems this was filmed 2 years ago, watching this gives me a feeling of nostalgia, glad that you were able to release it in your new channel and hoping you're able to make edited videos more frequently
I came back after hearing the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that hit the Ishikawa Prefecture off the Sea of Japan my heart goes out to the people who had to evacuate from Ishikawa and nearby Prefectures that were hit by the earthquake and the 241 people who died from the earthquake.
It didn't just end on 3/11 We went through about 3 months of constant daily aftershocks, some of them larger than M7. It got to the point where we would experience phantom tremors and a common remark would be 'Hey, was that another earthquake?'
That simulator is an amazing learning tool. It seemed a little silly at first, but seeing your reaction as to how realistic it really was absolutely amazed me. Very impressive setup at that museum, and thank you for sharing your experience!
So thankful that the previous channel didn't delete your old videos, else I wouldn't have found this channel. When the 2011 earthquake simulation started, I can see that you were on the verge of tears. You are a really brave man, John! And this video has been really informative, as is your other videos. If I ever move to Japan in the future or if I ever visit and experience earthquake, I will at least know what to do now!
Great Video John! I had no idea Japan had a separate way to rate earthquakes. I will have to check out that learning center sometime! 10 years since that catastrophic day, we must always be as prepared and respect the earth because Nature can be brutal at times. Remembering all those who unfortunately lost their lives or loved ones 10 years ago today.
Wow new thing learnt today, That Shindo scale measurement is ingenious if paired with ritcher scale, highly practical for tremor prone areas such as Japan .
We in the Philippines also use an indigenous scale called the PEIS to describe earthquake intensities in a more locally-understandable manner. It's a halfay between the Modified Mercalli and the Shindo scales too.
Can hardly believe it's been 10 years. The memories are still quite fresh. For me typhoons were easy to get used to, but earthquakes will always make my pulse race, and my heart thump in my chest.
This is the first time I found out about Japan's life safety learning center. Thank you for showing us this incredible place. It is a testimony to Japan's care for its people through disaster preparedness. I hope you are recovering from your bad memories of earthquakes in Japan.
When the Kobe simulation was running, we could see on your face the effect of the memory of Tohoku. Then when the Tohoku sim was running, I don't think I've ever seen your eyes that wide before! Very good video, sir!
Great video. I live in New Zealand, about 400km south of Christchurch, which experienced a similar level earthquake around luchtime on february 22nd 2011. It was felt strongly across most of the country, resulting in the loss of 185 lives. Japanese search and rescue teams arrived within 24 hours to lend their experience and skills in the rescue and recovery effort. When the Tohoku quake and subsequent tsunami occured, some were still here. We will be forever bonded by our shared grief.
I luckily was not in Japan for the 2011 Earthquake, but I was there for the 5.9 that occurred in October 2019 when Typhoon Hagibis occurred. I was on the 8th floor of a hotel between Shitaya and Ryusen (a neighborhood I lived in when I was with NHK in 2013) and the entire floor was shaking very violently and it was swaying like the building was going to break into two towards National Route 4, luckily for me that did not happen but I also remembered that there were lifesize windows all around the front door area of my room and with the typhoon hitting at full stop around 5:30pm that day I couldn't leave as unfortunately someone did and was killed because of that. Between the 2011 Japan Earthquake, the 2011 Virginia Earthquake I was a part of and the 2019 Hagibis Earthquake I have learned so much about this and I applaud you for sharing your experiences with that. That means a lot to myself but even greatly the people that will watch this and learn something about it in areas that aren't as susceptible to these types of earthquakes.
Thank you for sharing your story; I'm a recent subscriber so I wasn't aware of this channel's background. 3.11 and its aftermath were such a dark time for me and my friends not only because my entire home country was devastated, but many of my international friends went back to their countries or permanently cancelled their visits. I truly understand their actions and I don't blame them at all, but it was very disheartening nonetheless. Those radioactive jokes and harmful rumors were especially saddening as well. Since then, we've came a long way thanks to you and others who supported us in every way during tough times. Once again, thank you very very much for staying in Japan even after experiencing such a catastrophe. I myself lived in many countries as a foreigner as well, so I understand how much courage it took stay and even promote the damaged country afterwards. You might be classified as 'gaijin', but your spirit is more Japanese than Japanese. You are the hero.
This episode means so much to this community and how the channel came about and what you did helping others durring the time of need that showed your love for Japan and its culture. As always another great video edit, so great to see Hannah(in the beginning of video had to second guess myself if i saw Hannah at the firefighter video watching (thought i was imagining things lol) that simulator of rain storm must have taken a few years of your complexation lol
I remember watching the news that day. It was such a solemn and gloomy day. The world was shocked and devastated. We prayed and hoped for Japan’s safety. I am thankful that Japan recovered quite remarkably and it’s thriving exponentially ❤️🇨🇦 thanks for this video John ❤️ love from Canada
I found this so interesting and informative. Living in such an active earthquake zone it is important to understand the mechanics of earthquakes and safety procedures. Those simulations were very intense! Thanks for giving us a better understanding and also how the events of 2011 helped shape your life and ultimately helped to enrich ours. Thank you John! :o)
I was in the Loma Prieta earthquake (SF Bay Area 1989) which was a Richter 6.9 intensity, Though that quake lasted probably 30 seconds, the trauma of that day still is etched in my memory. You suffer a form of PTSD which keeps you sleepless and on edge for a long time afterwards. I can totally relate to the flashbacks that were triggered of that awful day. Few things are more frightening than a massive earthquake. Great video John-san!
Yes - I filmed this in 2019 and she edited much of this - we all miss her. She's in Japan now and hopefully things get good enough that we can have her back for a bit.
@@onlyinjapan thank you for replying to my comment John. Also thank you for the update I’m glad to know that Hana is doing well and I do hope to see her in future videos ☺️
John, What saddens me is that Japan truly cares about the safety of its citizens in a crisis. We can't say the same about the government back home in the states. I write this as I live 2 miles from the active Hayward fault in the SF Bay Area. We are constantly reminded of mother nature's power and sadly most of us out here as we found out during the Corona pandemic, have to fend for ourselves. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone in Japan in remembrance of this day. I know here in the US, We were paralyzed by the images of the quake, tsunami and nuclear disaster unfolding live on TV. I remember the TVs in the Nightclub had CNN/NHK footage. We all literally came to a stop when it happened. Truly heartbreaking but as time and time has shown, The resilience and perseverance of Japan after significant events, from the attacks of Nagasaki and Hiroshima to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and disaster. 平和と多くの祝福
They had to learn the hard way though. Traditional Japanese architecture is relatively suited for earthquakes. When they transitioned to more western buildings a lot of those ancient practices were ignored. And there was no enforcement of safety practices. Japan failed miserably in the Great Kantou Earthquake. The Yakuza were faster and better in responding with aid than the government. It's been much improved since then but parts of the outcome of the Touhoku Earthquake are still due to negligience by the power company. Oh, and the Japanese have suffered many things with stoicism far before WWII. Like smallpox, the Sengoku Jidai, famines, fires, volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunami, taifoons etc. At least the fauna is friendlier than let's say Australia. ;)
I live in a part of the states that's prone to hurricanes and tornadoes, and everytime natural disaster strikes one an area, if the government response is poor, I've always seen other Americans - local and states away - willing to step up and help the affected communities after the fact. It's always the locals that will take care of you better than the government will in most disasters. We've learned that lesson the hard way after Hurricane Katrina.
Thanks! New small channels don’t get the same suggestions as big channels - I have to work hard to get there :) missed you too - everyone! It’ll take a couple more years to get back to where I was but I’m in this to win this! ٩( ᐛ )و
You can tell that this was recorded pre-COVID not only because Hana is there, but because everyone has uncovered faces. Good to know that content from before the new channel is still being worked on and uploaded.
Lived in Japanese for more than 30 years. It was very informative and cannot agree more. We want to be accustomed with basic dissaster guideline. All students know it in Japan and every major school/company periodically train the evacuation drill. When you go watch the footage from 3.11 you see little to few people scream in panic. If you don't have a plan, go to your local authority website and consult the guideline. Spread the readiness. It can save lives.
I find it admirable that you went through a simulation like this despite what you went through. It takes a lot of courage to do this. From my memory I didn't experienced any earthquake. I was told by my parents that there was one when I was at the age I wouldn't remember. So I appreciate the information you lay out for people who consider visiting or wanting to live in Japan.
I experienced the Kobe quake. I was in northeast Osaka and only lost a few dishes. When I turned on the TV, I saw Kobe on fire and realized this was not a routine earthquake. In 2018, I visited the Kobe Earthquake Museum, which also had a simulator. The staff asked if I wanted to try the simulator, but I just said, "Been there, done that!".
I've been in four earthquakes in the magnitude 7 range. The one that struck closest to me was also the biggest one that was 7.3 and it did scare me but I was also 12 years old at the time. It did help that I had experienced my first earthquake at around 4 years old and many other lesser earthquakes before the biggest and closest one, but it was still scary. That earthquake was the only one in which I felt an obvious lessening and then increasing of the shaking, which is probably due to it jumping to the side and across to faults that people didn't think were previously connected. Nothing actually terrible happened for the most part and I think only one person died because the epicenter was way out in the desert where there were too many people and, more importantly, there weren't many structures. It was only 50 km from me though. I tend to react to earthquakes before I'm even consciously awake so my first memory of this earthquake was after I was already under my bed and I remember going to sleep on the top of my bed that night so I must have gotten under there automatically. I remember blue flashes of light coming in from my window during the earthquake but I used to look out my window at night before I went to bed because I wasn't tired when my parents made me go to bed and I saw blue flashes of light coming up right out of where the biggest fault is. I saw it frequently enough that it made it worth while to look out the window until I got tired enough to go to sleep. I saw the same color of blue flashes coming in my window during the earthquake and, just when I looked out to see what was happening in my room, my lamp fell down and so I lowered the little ruffle on the side of my bed again and decided that I didn't want to see what was going on out there. Of course, I just worried about the chimney falling on my room from above and what would happen if I fell from the second story where I was to the first story. This was also the only earthquake in which the first part was bad, then it calmed and I thought it would go away, but then it got big again. We don't usually get earthquakes that do that as much as this particular one did and that was scary. This earthquake was called the Landers Earthquake. I also felt the Northridge Earthquake and it wasn't so bad here so I was surprised when we saw damage out towards LA when we turned on the TV. There was another 7 that wasn't too bad where I was but I was pretty far from that one. The train track was closer and so I thought it was a freight train at first. By the time I realized it was an earthquake and got under the bed, it was basically over. Then there was a 7.1 on Easter and I was just walking in the front door of my mom's house when the shaking started. I know damn well that a person shouldn't run out of a building but I had just walked in the door and I honestly just wanted to escape buildings during the earthquake so I ran back outside again. The thing about running during an earthquake is that you kind of can't stop running (unless you fall, which I haven't managed to do yet, although this was the only time I ever ran during an earthquake). So I ran out the door and, because I knew it was dangerous to run out since it's the outside of buildings that tends to fall apart first, I kept running into the middle of the street. By then, my adrenaline was pumping healthily and so I proceeded to run to the end of the street and, when I got there, I ran for the hills even though the kinds of earthquakes we get don't produce tsunamis unless they indirectly cause an underwater landslide. Even still, I am a good hour's drive from the ocean so it would really take a meteor hitting the ocean for us to have any chance of a tsunami arriving here. Our faults are mostly inland though so the shaking can originate more closely too. In any case, I probably sprinted a half a mile and I hadn't done that since high school. What stopped me was that I realized I didn't know if there was even still an earthquake happening since I was running for the hills so fast. I stopped and the earthquake was over. Then I was kind of bummed that I never got to truly feel the earthquake but it is kind of funny that I ran for the hills so I just went back to my mom's house and told them how much I had run even though I couldn't even feel the earthquake while I was running except for the first jolts. Then there weren't any noteworthy earthquakes for quite a while here but I went to South America and experienced a relatively minor one in the 5 range there. I was in a classroom with other people from the US but I was the only one who went under the desk when I felt the shaking. Everyone asked me what was going on because some of them were from places with few or no earthquakes so they didn't know what was happening and the fact that I got under my desk made them feel like things were even more weird. That earthquake felt different from the ones in California because there was much more up and down motion so it felt more serious to me. I would say that I generally just take cover when there's an earthquake but I got complacent by the time the next 7 range earthquake hit. This time, I got fooled because there was a relatively notable earthquake the day before that was a 6.4 and I almost didn't feel it because I was lying in my bed with a powerful fan blowing because it was hot and the fan always shakes the bed. I only realized it was an earthquake when I realized that shaking was coming from a different direction than my fan. Ironically, I was looking at the map of recent earthquakes. lol So, when I realized there was an earthquake, I went into the hall, which is the strongest place in the house. By that time, it was over and I felt like I had missed out. I felt a few ground motions after that and I assumed that they'd all be aftershocks. Perhaps this happened to some people in Japan in 2011 as well since there were some formidable earthquakes before the 9. I don't know if this happened there but it definitely happened to me when we had a 7.1 the next day. I was sitting at my computer and I felt the ground shake but I figured it would just be another aftershock, albeit a larger one. It shook longer than I felt comfortable with and there was a part that got a little bigger and so that's when I got up and went into the hall. My mom apparently didn't know if she should go into the hall either but, when she saw that I went into the hall, she joined me. One of my cats stayed at the top of her cat tree taking a bath as if nothing unusual was going on and she stayed that way the entire time even though it shook for a minute and a half (granted the biggest earthquake I was in was only two minutes versus having to observe the first rule of emergencies to not panic, even though that 2011 earthquake was many times longer than any of the ones I've felt). The intensity of the shaking is one thing but the duration of the shaking as a whole is another, especially when some strong shaking has occurred because you don't know it's over until it's over. Mind you, I had seen many of the videos, both of the 2011 Japan Earthquake and ones in Chile that had a similar pattern so that made me feel more unnerved perhaps but I was in the best hallway so what else could I do? After that 7.1 earthquake stopped shaking, we went outside for a little while and my mom's dog faced the direction from which the earthquake waves came and started digging. That gave us a good laugh. In any case, the reason I have more chill about earthquakes than I would have been otherwise is because my parents told me about them. When I felt my first one, I remember being eye level with the window sill. I felt shaking and I remember my height because I looked at the window and then I looked around the room and realized that everything was shaking so this must be this earthquake thing that my parents had told me about. My best friend was in the play room with me and so I told her that it was an earthquake so we should go to the hall. That was about when my mom came to check on us. That earthquake was pretty small and, despite it being my first earthquake, it really just tripped me out. Most of the ones I felt after that were bigger. In any case, my best friend freaked out even after the earthquake was over and it was so small that I can't remember us feeling any aftershocks. I also remember trying to watch the World Series in 1989 and having it get interrupted by an earthquake. I asked my mom why we couldn't feel this one because we felt all the other ones in California but I didn't feel a thing from that one. It's really weird how some places suffer more damages than others, even if both places feel the earthquake.
Love the stories from California. Chilean here and yes, like in Japan, we don't think it's over because it's winding down. It can always get stronger again and get inmediate aftershocks. Iquique for example, on April 1st 2014, they got hit by a 8,2 and three minutes later an inmediate 7,5 aftershock, followed by a 7,6 the next day. I didn't feel these since I'm from Santiago, so my only two big ones are the 2010 8,8 and 2015 8,4 quake. The second lasted about 4 to 5 minutes in my area and got me nosediving into seismology.
@oxygen stealer I know but I was further from that earthquake than the Landers one and I guess that the way the waves came out here, it woke a person up but it wasn't so strong. The Landers one was just on the other side of the San Andreas Fault and a bit south from where I was when I felt it and it's still the only earthquake I've been in where stuff in my house actually fell, even if it was only a desk lamp.
You were sitting on this one John especially for today! Just the right video for March 11. As someone from the Pacific Ring of Fire as well, I wish my country had this level of disaster preparedness
I remember that day. I was home alone with my then newborn child and my dog. At first, I was just sitting it out, but then it started getting stronger and stuff were falling, so I rushed out with a baby in one arm and a dog in the other. Then I saw cars stop in front of the house. Normally, drivers don’t feel the many earthquakes here because they’re moving, but drivers felt this one. Parked cars were bouncing off the ground. It was scary, I didn’t know where to go, so I sat down on the curb since my hands were full and I couldn’t brace myself. The aftershocks and blackouts that followed were nerve-wracking, too. Thank you for featuring the bousai -kan. Worth a trip with the family one of these days.
I also visited the disaster learning center in Tokyo in Ikebukuro and tried the simulator. It was scary!! I kept grabbing on to the leg of the table and felt it bouncing around, and it's a steel table! I also tried fire extinguishing and crawled in fake smoke counting elephant pictures. :) During the fire experience they told us that the most common reason for fires in Japan is arson, so that's why paper garbage has to be put outside in the morning and not at night.
I lived in Japan as a child in the 50's, in both Okayama and later in a Tokyo suburb. We got some good earthquakes, I finally got to the point where I just passed out in fear from them, lol. Love watching your vlogs, and I love the Japanese people and culture.
Thanks for referring back to this video. I had not seen it yet. Only been back in Japan since last May. The earthquakes have been more often it seems..I will look up this museum and I think there are others now? Your channel has been so helpful and encouraging for my transition back. Thanks John, Kanae, and Leo 😊
I tried another earthquake simulator in another centre. I tried the shindo 6 upper (age 13 or up is required to try shindo 7) and it felt like the whole thing and stunnnnnnnnnnning up and down and shaking and rumbling. I’m so scared and at that night when I got back to the hotel and sleep, I had a nightmare. Japan’s earthquakes are truly really scary.
great video John.... loved my trip to Japan and your videos provided me the knowledge to see so many things and places so thank you very much....once the pandemic passes hope to get back and will definitely go to the earthquake center to experience the shake lab... I got caught out on the streets during part of Hagibis and that simulator was pretty close to what it felt like
The Shindo scale is, arguably, far more meaningful to the layperson than the Magnitude scale. During the simulation of the Tohoku earthquake, you can see the trauma in his eyes. EDIT: I enjoyed your interview with the BBC regarding the events of that tragic day and your efforts to help with the aftermath.
Thanks for listening! I was honored to talk with the BBC about it - I didn't know what they'd ask but know I had to keep answers short and sweet for the news. I'm super glad for the chance to talk about how Fukushima shouldn't mean meltdown but delicious peaches, hot springs, friendly people, wilderness.
I remember during the earthquake of 3/11. It was 2:46 and we were almost done with school. At first the earthquake was small but it got bigger and bigger overtime. While John has said the simulation lasted about a minute, I believe the actual earthquake lasted lot longer and was close to 6 minutes. Even after the main earthquake, there were so many after shocks.
I remember when it happened I was in the library of my college (at the time I was at Temple University), which I think was like 3 or 4 floors high and watching the book cases coming down around me. We were ushered down the narrow stairwell down to the front of the building where I watched parked cars go back and forth. We knew it was bad. My classmates, both foreign and Japanese, were crying. I remember watching a television from a nearby konbini only to then learn about the tsunami. A lot of us slept at the college that night in empty classrooms because we couldn't commute back home. My heart goes out to everyone who were injured or passed away, and to all those that lost things dear to them. Even now, living back in America, I often think back on it. I can't imagine being in the simulator and experiencing it again exactly as it was. Thank you for sharing your experience.
I live in Christchurch, New Zealand and we also had a big earthquake in 2011, and another big one in 2010. We have an earthquake museum (quake city) where you can learn about the earthquakes and the victims. It was a devastating earthquake and lots of people lost their lives. It was not as strong as the tohoku earthquake though.
Seems like a great service to provide so people can be prepared. That must have been a very long minute! I’m sorry you were reminded of those awful feelings. I’ve only experienced one moderate earthquake in my life, and I was half asleep. It did not last too long. I can’t imagine this, and how scary it was. I guess we all need to be prepared. Thanks for the video. It’s very informative.
We went threw Northridge and that was bad. I couldent imagen going threw what happened in Japan. We were asleep and I heard the earthquake coming in my sleep, it sounded like a monster. It's roar zoomed at us like you hear a truck zoom up to you. Then the bed started banging on the ground and my feet couldn't find the ground as I jumped up. Earthquakes, am I right? What a pain in the behind.
John, you have my admiration because you have invested all of your time in this... I would tell my friends and family to watch this video and subscribe... I'm a first-time viewer of your video. UA-cam's algorithm just landed me here, and I'm surprised... Thank you, UA-cam, for providing the perfect recommendation... John, I love you. Stay safe, love from India.
Makes me remember the Ridgecrest Earthquake that happened July 5. There was a foreshock on July 4th. Wasn't anywhere as powerful as what happened in Japan, but I remember the longer lasting quakes than the short lived ones because it really feels like you're on a boat in moving waters.
It was interesting how the simulation brought you back old memory for the Great Earthquake but at the sam times teaches people how to react to a big earthquake like that
Genuinely helpful and informative video. I commend you for taking videos for us, in that scary environment. Been putting aside my visit, and now I definitely want to learn more.
I know they said they used actual earthquake data for the simulator, but I still find it incredible how accurately they were able to recreate the shaking patterns. If you watch footage of the 1995 Hanshin Earthquake, the shaking you see in the videos is exactly mirrored in the simulator. It’s uncanny.
This is a NEW ONLY in JAPAN channel restarted in 2020 - if you haven't seen me in a while, welcome back! Subscribe & join the adventure \(^_^)/ I'll take you around the country with me finding stories just like this. Stay safe out there -john
Do they let you keep the coats and boots when you leave the hurricane simulator?
No - you give them back and @Prod. Cheesy Flows - 😂 don’t make Scratch ask for the boots and coat when he goes! Hahaha
@@onlyinjapan We don't have that to worry about yet! First, we need to get COVID-19 under control, and then, I need to get a new passport after I get my drivers license. But, believe me, I so want to go now! 😄
Double congratulations to you John! For your newborn and for hitting 100k subscribers! Way to go!
I was in an earthquake 2 times... once, when I was in Los Angeles when I was in my early 20's. That one wasn't a huge one, only in the 4's on the Richter, but I could feel it. Then, about 10 years ago, right here in central Pennsylvania. Yep, I was at alone at work and I felt my desk chair moving back and forth. I thought it was an earthquake, and I asked the mailman when I saw him... he said he thought I was just tired because he hadn't felt anything. I find out later that day that there was an earthquake, a low 3.0, so I hadn't lost my mind at all!
This brings back so many memories. I knew someone who died in the 2011 Tsunami. The tsunami was scarier than the earthquake.
It certainly was - both of which were not in our control. I think living with earthquakes here also makes us realize how delicate life is - how lucky we are and how quickly it can go away.
minecraft
@@hydro9313 i agree ngl
I knew a great man that died in the 2011 tsunami too. The creator of High school of the dead.
@@japeeilagan6163 wait what?...Didnt he die from some sickness?
My wife and I were planning to go for a 2-week long Western Japan trip 10 years ago, and when everything's set, i went to the travel agency in the morning to reserve tickets and accomodations right on March 11, 2011. Just an hour or two later, the flash news came on...
We cancelled the trip. Not because we found it dangerous to go (Kansai and Kyushu were not much affected), but we just didn't feel right to be casual visitors when the Japanese people were in such a devastating situations.
素晴らしい配慮ですね。今度は是非東北にも来てください。美味しいものもいっぱいありますから。（東北民）
@@ああ-e4w1e ありがとうございます。絶対にもう一度行きます。
Wow..
I was Visitating Japan On Osaka there Wasn’t earthquake’s but just low ones.. their was a low earthquake but I didn’t feel it.
honestly good on u thats very respectful
It’s crazy because my friends and I checked out one of those simulators in Tokyo a few days before the 2011 earthquake happened. I was teaching a private English class when it happened. Ended up huddled under a table with 2 women screaming as if it was the end. Not being from Japan and only experiencing tremors before that, I totally anticipated building collapse. It was one of the most terrifying days of my life and I’m so thankful for Japanese engineering.
Thanks for sharing your story. Me too - so thankful when building sway and stay safe!
Fr?
@@articfoxmanga2220 True story.
@@articfoxmanga2220 idk yeah
Wow that's pretty cool
every time there’s an earthquake that’s between 6.5 and 7.3 I’m always home alone at night. It’s like wtf does the earth want me to die alone?
Yes
😂😂yes
Your comments is so funny 🤣🤣🤣
Thats sad. Be safe ;)
Lol earth just want you to get scared
I feel like we had a very similar reaction to the 2011 earthquake. I was studying abroad in Tokyo at the time. I had recently gotten back to my apartment/dorm and was watching videos on my laptop when it hit. I had a similar experience that I didn’t move at first thinking “oh, an earthquake” and figuring it would be over soon. Then the shaking got worse and I noticed my bookshelf swaying so I got up and got in the doorway of my bedroom. From there I could see outside the glass of our balcony doors. I could see the building next to ours swaying in different directions. The power lines were moving in waves like when kids sway a jump rope. I remember just being frozen for the 5+ minutes of shaking. When the shaking stopped, we turned on the news to see all of the tsunami alerts. When I realized how big and bad the situation was, I called my mom back at home in the US since she worked nights, I knew she might see the news. I was able to call and leave her a message to let her know I was okay. Then, after that, the cell service went down. I remember staring at the tv and watching the tsunami hit the coastlines of northern Japan and feeling so helpless for the people there. I remember getting used to the ground shaking for the weeks I remained in Japan because of the aftershocks. I remember after my University decided that I had to come home, I had phantom feelings of minor earthquakes like the hundreds of aftershocks I felt afterwards. It was such a surreal experience that is engraved into my memory. My heart still races when I share my experience with others, and my students each year for the anniversary. I still hope to return to Japan some day and get to continue to see all of the places that I was unable to get to because my abroad experience was cut short.
Sounds like a genuinely scary experience, glad that you were safe though!
I didn't have the experience of a 9.1 earthquake, but of a 5.5/6. At first (because I was a kid) I was wow some info that the teacher told us is going to be used! And then it continued with various after shocks. Even now and then when train passes near my home I kinda have this small reminder of the earthquake with a quick time reflection of:"is it a train or an earthquake?"
Thank you for sharing your story, glad you were ok
I know this comment is old but I just wanted to say I was also in the 2011 earthquake (I was about 11) and even 10 years later I can still feel phantom shakes. Not as bad as it was at the beginning but it's so validating to hear someone else has this experience.
@@firerinart I definitely had a very similar sensation after the earthquake and all of the subsequent aftershocks/triggered earthquakes after the major one. I would get random sensations of shaking for a good while after returning to the US. Plus, very intense dreams as well.
I had a friend who was a total goofball in Japan, and he lived in Kobe during the 1995 earthquake. He was such a heavy sleeper that he slept through the whole thing!
Was the bed okay?
@@noahi.1381 I believe he slept on a futon on the floor.
Savage
I have a similar story! I am a very heavy sleeper and slept through the fire alarm once. It was very scary, but luckily it was an alarm malfunction and not an actual fire. If it was an actual fire and my parents wasn’t there to wake me up, I would’ve died.
Sheeeesh-
Hey John! Just wanted to say your videos are one of the best out there! Very informative but still fun to watch. Also impressed to hear how the earthquake of 2011 changed you.
Ikr
Earthquake is like an everyday thing in Japan
Yeah..
Right
Yeah right that sums up pretty much
true
Oh hi mak
ONLY in Japan is an example for the perfect UA-cam Channel. It started from a passionate person about a specific topic he thrives for, creating interesting and entertaining videos with a constant improvement of quality. Thank you!
It’s what UA-cam should have been, but people get greedy and big corporations wanted a slice. Now everyone’s sponsored by something, trying to sell you something, or just click baiting you and lying about the content or quality of the story.
As someone who has never experienced an earthquake in their entire life, this seems so scary. I can't even begin to imagine how I would feel
I have experienced an earthquake but it was weak like on April of 2018 or 2019 i was just playing Minecraft then I felt shaking and i was just a kid back then like 8 or 9 bruh lol
Bro earthquakes happen every week where I live lmfao not that big tho
@@t4rgetedd bruh you still a kid then
@@derk486 Yes im 11 gonna be 12 lol
@@t4rgetedd I experienced an earthquake when I was in japan (6-7 years old) it was quite a strong earthquake but it didn't last long
John you have created my favorite 2 channels Thank You.
My cousin's house got crushed by the 2011 tsunami. Luckily, she was traveling during the time.
dang
Its good that shes safe
Dang, your cousin must be a national hero in her past life
What a coincidents..
I read it wrong the 1st time I thought it said she was crushed o.o
Everybody gangsta till you see the shaking outside of the earthquake simulator
Lol
uh oh
mate i cannot fathom how only 218k people are subscribed !!!
the production quality of your videos and the story telling is amazing !
In Iceland, we've been having swarms of earthquakes for more than two weeks now. From midnight last night to 07, we had 750 earthquakes, 15 of them above Mag. of 3. We're still waiting to see if there's going to be an eruption. It's been a while since we had this much ground activity. The ground feels like it's constantly trembling. 😬
I hope everything is okay. Kanae and I have been talking for 2 years on returning to Iceland esp since we couldn't see the aurora in December 2018! It's super hard to have that hanging over you everyday - there COULD be an eruption ... stay safe!
@@onlyinjapan I love your helmet! Did you get it there at that science center in Tokyo as well?
@@onlyinjapan No structural damages or any of that (yet). Definitely come to Iceland during winter, it's when it's cheaper too! At this point, we just want it to erupt and get it over with, haha. The lava is predicted to flow towards the ocean with minimal gasses released, so it shouldn't be bad... Hope all is well in Japan! Wanting to come visit again! 😁
@@scratchpad7954 it’s mine. I have one for Kanae should an earthquake ever happen.
I hope you are ok
Johnさん、ビデオありがとうございます！海外の方にこういった災害についても知ってもらえるのはよい事ですね！
また素敵なビデオ楽しみにしています。頑張ってください^ ^
This brings back horrid memories I was in Ishinomaki-shi And I lost my brother in the Tsunami
im so sorry... that should never have happened. i admire your strength and may your brother rest in peace x
I think your brother was at Okawa Elementary School at that time
Rest in peace 🕊️
I’m sorry....
I'm so sorry X
I've experienced two earthquakes here in Indonesia AND THEY WERE MINOR EARTHQUAKES AND I WAS EXTREMELY FREAKED OUT BY IT!! I honestly can't imagine how horrifying it is to experience a level 9 earthquake mad respects for the people of Japan
Indo gempa tros
東日本大震災から今日で10年。災害の恐ろしさを発信してくださってありがとうございます。
9:25 Poor John the way he did the little sad sound and later said "That brings back a lot of bad memories I never wanted to experience again" made me sad ;-;
Hey Hannah's back!
I love the approach to the interview scenes - John sorta-sat down so he and Imamura-san are at the same height. Not only does it make for a nice balanced composition, it shows respect to the other party (eg thay you're equals, etc).
Now if only we can see 2011 footage, right. Yeah the cringe will be there but eh, that's John-level authenticity for you
You're right - should always be eye level. I didn't want him looking up at me. The positioning made it natural to sit too. I had very little time to set this up - shoot it, do your best, move on.
Oh you know it!! My early work is super cringe for everyone outside Japan but here, it was awesome! hahaha
@@onlyinjapan eh, authentic always trumps cringe. As long as you're not hurting or taking advantage of others, you do you, right?
This is an important video to watch. Living in Canada, I’ve only experienced minor earthquakes maybe twice where I actually felt it.
I was looking for this comment! I lived outside of Ottawa and have experienced 3 Mount Royal earthquakes; one that woke me up, one when I was hiking and one where I was in an office tower. Lucky for me the biggest one was when I was hiking, so I practically missed it.
A beautifully done video! I appreciate the fact that you didn’t mention the nuclear disaster that I feel has been focused on forever. I know it was problematic and destroyed an area, but it scared many people and did paint Japan in a bad light. I remember the media coverage in America that people were terrified to eat fish, milk, or food imported from Japan for a while. It was incredibly sad, but you turned this into a very unbiased and informative episode.
Earthquakes are a way of life in Japan, but it can be a problem when you become complacent or aren’t prepared. Just like with everything in life, we become too comfortable and I like that they have a simulator to help people handle such events the right way.
I’ve never experienced an earthquake from what I remember. We do get small ones around here from time to time, but I would probably panic if I was there and it started knocking my stuff or self around. The fact that the buildings sway too freaks me out! I know that they’re built in a way to do that so they can remain stable during movement, but still, that’s so scary! Also, it was nice to see Hanna in this episode. I hope she’s doing well.
You speak of it as if it was in the past when it's something very real even today. It's not contained properly and the amount of contamination leaking is staggering.
To be fair the Japanese gouvernement and power companies deserve a lot of blame for the nuclear disaster and that shouldn't be forgotten easily.
5:48 緊急地震速報の音、何回聴いてもビックリするし手汗出る
I love this episode, OiJ brand return to form! It seems this was filmed 2 years ago, watching this gives me a feeling of nostalgia, glad that you were able to release it in your new channel and hoping you're able to make edited videos more frequently
I came back after hearing the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that hit the Ishikawa Prefecture off the Sea of Japan my heart goes out to the people who had to evacuate from Ishikawa and nearby Prefectures that were hit by the earthquake and the 241 people who died from the earthquake.
Its rising the number
@@lordadz1615 thanks for reminding me it keeps getting worse.
It didn't just end on 3/11 We went through about 3 months of constant daily aftershocks, some of them larger than M7.
It got to the point where we would experience phantom tremors and a common remark would be 'Hey, was that another earthquake?'
Yes, it felt like a very long ocean voyage on the sea. The aftershocks seemed every 30 minutes for months.
Yeah, I just felt perpetually nauseous all day every day. Such a bizarre feeling.
Phantom tremors from constantly expecting another earthquake. 😟That sounds terryfying.
@@onlyinjapan 7:06 Yea but is like 9.1 and 9.5 ...
@@eily_b and stressful
That simulator is an amazing learning tool. It seemed a little silly at first, but seeing your reaction as to how realistic it really was absolutely amazed me. Very impressive setup at that museum, and thank you for sharing your experience!
this episode brings lots of memory from that day as I was watching the news.
So thankful that the previous channel didn't delete your old videos, else I wouldn't have found this channel. When the 2011 earthquake simulation started, I can see that you were on the verge of tears. You are a really brave man, John!
And this video has been really informative, as is your other videos. If I ever move to Japan in the future or if I ever visit and experience earthquake, I will at least know what to do now!
Great Video John! I had no idea Japan had a separate way to rate earthquakes. I will have to check out that learning center sometime! 10 years since that catastrophic day, we must always be as prepared and respect the earth because Nature can be brutal at times. Remembering all those who unfortunately lost their lives or loved ones 10 years ago today.
This channel is better than the "other" channel
Wow new thing learnt today, That Shindo scale measurement is ingenious if paired with ritcher scale, highly practical for tremor prone areas such as Japan .
It's Richter scale btw. But yeah, didn't know (or remember) that Japan had a different scale.
We in the Philippines also use an indigenous scale called the PEIS to describe earthquake intensities in a more locally-understandable manner. It's a halfay between the Modified Mercalli and the Shindo scales too.
John, incredible! I haven’t done this experience, but it must be really scary! Thank you very much for showing it to us!
Can hardly believe it's been 10 years. The memories are still quite fresh. For me typhoons were easy to get used to, but earthquakes will always make my pulse race, and my heart thump in my chest.
This is the first time I found out about Japan's life safety learning center. Thank you for showing us this incredible place. It is a testimony to Japan's care for its people through disaster preparedness. I hope you are recovering from your bad memories of earthquakes in Japan.
When the Kobe simulation was running, we could see on your face the effect of the memory of Tohoku. Then when the Tohoku sim was running, I don't think I've ever seen your eyes that wide before! Very good video, sir!
Great video. I live in New Zealand, about 400km south of Christchurch, which experienced a similar level earthquake around luchtime on february 22nd 2011. It was felt strongly across most of the country, resulting in the loss of 185 lives. Japanese search and rescue teams arrived within 24 hours to lend their experience and skills in the rescue and recovery effort. When the Tohoku quake and subsequent tsunami occured, some were still here. We will be forever bonded by our shared grief.
I luckily was not in Japan for the 2011 Earthquake, but I was there for the 5.9 that occurred in October 2019 when Typhoon Hagibis occurred. I was on the 8th floor of a hotel between Shitaya and Ryusen (a neighborhood I lived in when I was with NHK in 2013) and the entire floor was shaking very violently and it was swaying like the building was going to break into two towards National Route 4, luckily for me that did not happen but I also remembered that there were lifesize windows all around the front door area of my room and with the typhoon hitting at full stop around 5:30pm that day I couldn't leave as unfortunately someone did and was killed because of that. Between the 2011 Japan Earthquake, the 2011 Virginia Earthquake I was a part of and the 2019 Hagibis Earthquake I have learned so much about this and I applaud you for sharing your experiences with that. That means a lot to myself but even greatly the people that will watch this and learn something about it in areas that aren't as susceptible to these types of earthquakes.
Thank you for sharing your story; I'm a recent subscriber so I wasn't aware of this channel's background. 3.11 and its aftermath were such a dark time for me and my friends not only because my entire home country was devastated, but many of my international friends went back to their countries or permanently cancelled their visits. I truly understand their actions and I don't blame them at all, but it was very disheartening nonetheless. Those radioactive jokes and harmful rumors were especially saddening as well. Since then, we've came a long way thanks to you and others who supported us in every way during tough times.
Once again, thank you very very much for staying in Japan even after experiencing such a catastrophe. I myself lived in many countries as a foreigner as well, so I understand how much courage it took stay and even promote the damaged country afterwards. You might be classified as 'gaijin', but your spirit is more Japanese than Japanese. You are the hero.
10:15 Wow, I think John was starting to flip out, He didn’t look ok. I hope he’s alright.
This episode means so much to this community and how the channel came about and what you did helping others durring the time of need that showed your love for Japan and its culture. As always another great video edit, so great to see Hannah(in the beginning of video had to second guess myself if i saw Hannah at the firefighter video watching (thought i was imagining things lol) that simulator of rain storm must have taken a few years of your complexation lol
I remember watching the news that day. It was such a solemn and gloomy day. The world was shocked and devastated. We prayed and hoped for Japan’s safety. I am thankful that Japan recovered quite remarkably and it’s thriving exponentially ❤️🇨🇦 thanks for this video John ❤️ love from Canada
I went to this exact centre in 2019! It was really interesting, considering I've never experienced an earthquake or storm like that before
I found this so interesting and informative. Living in such an active earthquake zone it is important to understand the mechanics of earthquakes and safety procedures. Those simulations were very intense! Thanks for giving us a better understanding and also how the events of 2011 helped shape your life and ultimately helped to enrich ours. Thank you John! :o)
I was in the Loma Prieta earthquake (SF Bay Area 1989) which was a Richter 6.9 intensity, Though that quake lasted probably 30 seconds, the trauma of that day still is etched in my memory. You suffer a form of PTSD which keeps you sleepless and on edge for a long time afterwards. I can totally relate to the flashbacks that were triggered of that awful day. Few things are more frightening than a massive earthquake. Great video John-san!
I’m so happy to see Hana back I thought that was her but wasn’t sure until you mentioned her name. It’s nice to see her again .
Yes - I filmed this in 2019 and she edited much of this - we all miss her. She's in Japan now and hopefully things get good enough that we can have her back for a bit.
@@onlyinjapan oh that’s awesome she edited a lot of that! Glad to hear she’s back. I know she was in America for a while during the shut down.
@@onlyinjapan thank you for replying to my comment John. Also thank you for the update I’m glad to know that Hana is doing well and I do hope to see her in future videos ☺️
Loving the design quality and your amazing personality. Nostalgic to the quality you have already perfected.
Please keep up the amazing work.
Earthquake early warning to me WHAT can I go to Japan
.
What
Ocado WART
Asda lorry toy you are expected to be honest
UK rain 🌧
Tesco blue rain 🌧
Asda rain 🌧
John, What saddens me is that Japan truly cares about the safety of its citizens in a crisis. We can't say the same about the government back home in the states. I write this as I live 2 miles from the active Hayward fault in the SF Bay Area. We are constantly reminded of mother nature's power and sadly most of us out here as we found out during the Corona pandemic, have to fend for ourselves. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone in Japan in remembrance of this day. I know here in the US, We were paralyzed by the images of the quake, tsunami and nuclear disaster unfolding live on TV. I remember the TVs in the Nightclub had CNN/NHK footage. We all literally came to a stop when it happened. Truly heartbreaking but as time and time has shown, The resilience and perseverance of Japan after significant events, from the attacks of Nagasaki and Hiroshima to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and disaster. 平和と多くの祝福
They had to learn the hard way though.
Traditional Japanese architecture is relatively suited for earthquakes. When they transitioned to more western buildings a lot of those ancient practices were ignored.
And there was no enforcement of safety practices.
Japan failed miserably in the Great Kantou Earthquake. The Yakuza were faster and better in responding with aid than the government.
It's been much improved since then but parts of the outcome of the Touhoku Earthquake are still due to negligience by the power company.
Oh, and the Japanese have suffered many things with stoicism far before WWII. Like smallpox, the Sengoku Jidai, famines, fires, volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunami, taifoons etc.
At least the fauna is friendlier than let's say Australia. ;)
I live in a part of the states that's prone to hurricanes and tornadoes, and everytime natural disaster strikes one an area, if the government response is poor, I've always seen other Americans - local and states away - willing to step up and help the affected communities after the fact. It's always the locals that will take care of you better than the government will in most disasters. We've learned that lesson the hard way after Hurricane Katrina.
Isn't a caring government considered communist in the US?
@@eily_b lol yeah pretty much. but then those same people complain when the govt. doesn't care so you really cant win
Glad to have you back! Took UA-cam 8 months to show me your new channel, missed you a lot!
Thanks! New small channels don’t get the same suggestions as big channels - I have to work hard to get there :) missed you too - everyone! It’ll take a couple more years to get back to where I was but I’m in this to win this! ٩( ᐛ )و
You can tell that this was recorded pre-COVID not only because Hana is there, but because everyone has uncovered faces. Good to know that content from before the new channel is still being worked on and uploaded.
Man, I miss those times :(
Thanks for putting this out and visiting that special visitor's center. So very practical!
Lived in Japanese for more than 30 years. It was very informative and cannot agree more.
We want to be accustomed with basic dissaster guideline. All students know it in Japan and every major school/company periodically train the evacuation drill. When you go watch the footage from 3.11 you see little to few people scream in panic.
If you don't have a plan, go to your local authority website and consult the guideline.
Spread the readiness. It can save lives.
The production value of this episode was fantastic John, keep it up G.
I find it admirable that you went through a simulation like this despite what you went through. It takes a lot of courage to do this.
From my memory I didn't experienced any earthquake. I was told by my parents that there was one when I was at the age I wouldn't remember. So I appreciate the information you lay out for people who consider visiting or wanting to live in Japan.
Thanks John for this very educational video, hope it never happens again. Be safe out there!
I experienced the Kobe quake. I was in northeast Osaka and only lost a few dishes. When I turned on the TV, I saw Kobe on fire and realized this was not a routine earthquake. In 2018, I visited the Kobe Earthquake Museum, which also had a simulator. The staff asked if I wanted to try the simulator, but I just said, "Been there, done that!".
Thanks John. This channel is very special to me and many others, great content here.
あなたの日本に対するお気持ちに感謝します。せめてものお礼に👍ボタンを心を込めて押しました。ありがとうございます。
日本語通じるかな？頑張れ自動翻訳。
Great video 🎉
I've been in four earthquakes in the magnitude 7 range. The one that struck closest to me was also the biggest one that was 7.3 and it did scare me but I was also 12 years old at the time. It did help that I had experienced my first earthquake at around 4 years old and many other lesser earthquakes before the biggest and closest one, but it was still scary. That earthquake was the only one in which I felt an obvious lessening and then increasing of the shaking, which is probably due to it jumping to the side and across to faults that people didn't think were previously connected. Nothing actually terrible happened for the most part and I think only one person died because the epicenter was way out in the desert where there were too many people and, more importantly, there weren't many structures. It was only 50 km from me though.
I tend to react to earthquakes before I'm even consciously awake so my first memory of this earthquake was after I was already under my bed and I remember going to sleep on the top of my bed that night so I must have gotten under there automatically. I remember blue flashes of light coming in from my window during the earthquake but I used to look out my window at night before I went to bed because I wasn't tired when my parents made me go to bed and I saw blue flashes of light coming up right out of where the biggest fault is. I saw it frequently enough that it made it worth while to look out the window until I got tired enough to go to sleep. I saw the same color of blue flashes coming in my window during the earthquake and, just when I looked out to see what was happening in my room, my lamp fell down and so I lowered the little ruffle on the side of my bed again and decided that I didn't want to see what was going on out there. Of course, I just worried about the chimney falling on my room from above and what would happen if I fell from the second story where I was to the first story. This was also the only earthquake in which the first part was bad, then it calmed and I thought it would go away, but then it got big again. We don't usually get earthquakes that do that as much as this particular one did and that was scary. This earthquake was called the Landers Earthquake. I also felt the Northridge Earthquake and it wasn't so bad here so I was surprised when we saw damage out towards LA when we turned on the TV.
There was another 7 that wasn't too bad where I was but I was pretty far from that one. The train track was closer and so I thought it was a freight train at first. By the time I realized it was an earthquake and got under the bed, it was basically over.
Then there was a 7.1 on Easter and I was just walking in the front door of my mom's house when the shaking started. I know damn well that a person shouldn't run out of a building but I had just walked in the door and I honestly just wanted to escape buildings during the earthquake so I ran back outside again. The thing about running during an earthquake is that you kind of can't stop running (unless you fall, which I haven't managed to do yet, although this was the only time I ever ran during an earthquake).
So I ran out the door and, because I knew it was dangerous to run out since it's the outside of buildings that tends to fall apart first, I kept running into the middle of the street. By then, my adrenaline was pumping healthily and so I proceeded to run to the end of the street and, when I got there, I ran for the hills even though the kinds of earthquakes we get don't produce tsunamis unless they indirectly cause an underwater landslide. Even still, I am a good hour's drive from the ocean so it would really take a meteor hitting the ocean for us to have any chance of a tsunami arriving here. Our faults are mostly inland though so the shaking can originate more closely too. In any case, I probably sprinted a half a mile and I hadn't done that since high school. What stopped me was that I realized I didn't know if there was even still an earthquake happening since I was running for the hills so fast. I stopped and the earthquake was over. Then I was kind of bummed that I never got to truly feel the earthquake but it is kind of funny that I ran for the hills so I just went back to my mom's house and told them how much I had run even though I couldn't even feel the earthquake while I was running except for the first jolts.
Then there weren't any noteworthy earthquakes for quite a while here but I went to South America and experienced a relatively minor one in the 5 range there. I was in a classroom with other people from the US but I was the only one who went under the desk when I felt the shaking. Everyone asked me what was going on because some of them were from places with few or no earthquakes so they didn't know what was happening and the fact that I got under my desk made them feel like things were even more weird. That earthquake felt different from the ones in California because there was much more up and down motion so it felt more serious to me. I would say that I generally just take cover when there's an earthquake but I got complacent by the time the next 7 range earthquake hit.
This time, I got fooled because there was a relatively notable earthquake the day before that was a 6.4 and I almost didn't feel it because I was lying in my bed with a powerful fan blowing because it was hot and the fan always shakes the bed. I only realized it was an earthquake when I realized that shaking was coming from a different direction than my fan. Ironically, I was looking at the map of recent earthquakes. lol So, when I realized there was an earthquake, I went into the hall, which is the strongest place in the house. By that time, it was over and I felt like I had missed out.
I felt a few ground motions after that and I assumed that they'd all be aftershocks. Perhaps this happened to some people in Japan in 2011 as well since there were some formidable earthquakes before the 9. I don't know if this happened there but it definitely happened to me when we had a 7.1 the next day. I was sitting at my computer and I felt the ground shake but I figured it would just be another aftershock, albeit a larger one. It shook longer than I felt comfortable with and there was a part that got a little bigger and so that's when I got up and went into the hall. My mom apparently didn't know if she should go into the hall either but, when she saw that I went into the hall, she joined me. One of my cats stayed at the top of her cat tree taking a bath as if nothing unusual was going on and she stayed that way the entire time even though it shook for a minute and a half (granted the biggest earthquake I was in was only two minutes versus having to observe the first rule of emergencies to not panic, even though that 2011 earthquake was many times longer than any of the ones I've felt). The intensity of the shaking is one thing but the duration of the shaking as a whole is another, especially when some strong shaking has occurred because you don't know it's over until it's over. Mind you, I had seen many of the videos, both of the 2011 Japan Earthquake and ones in Chile that had a similar pattern so that made me feel more unnerved perhaps but I was in the best hallway so what else could I do?
After that 7.1 earthquake stopped shaking, we went outside for a little while and my mom's dog faced the direction from which the earthquake waves came and started digging. That gave us a good laugh. In any case, the reason I have more chill about earthquakes than I would have been otherwise is because my parents told me about them. When I felt my first one, I remember being eye level with the window sill. I felt shaking and I remember my height because I looked at the window and then I looked around the room and realized that everything was shaking so this must be this earthquake thing that my parents had told me about. My best friend was in the play room with me and so I told her that it was an earthquake so we should go to the hall. That was about when my mom came to check on us. That earthquake was pretty small and, despite it being my first earthquake, it really just tripped me out. Most of the ones I felt after that were bigger. In any case, my best friend freaked out even after the earthquake was over and it was so small that I can't remember us feeling any aftershocks.
I also remember trying to watch the World Series in 1989 and having it get interrupted by an earthquake. I asked my mom why we couldn't feel this one because we felt all the other ones in California but I didn't feel a thing from that one. It's really weird how some places suffer more damages than others, even if both places feel the earthquake.
Thank you for sharing this, all of it! The stories were really interesting. This may be the longest comment ever! Fantastic!
Love the stories from California. Chilean here and yes, like in Japan, we don't think it's over because it's winding down. It can always get stronger again and get inmediate aftershocks. Iquique for example, on April 1st 2014, they got hit by a 8,2 and three minutes later an inmediate 7,5 aftershock, followed by a 7,6 the next day. I didn't feel these since I'm from Santiago, so my only two big ones are the 2010 8,8 and 2015 8,4 quake. The second lasted about 4 to 5 minutes in my area and got me nosediving into seismology.
Agree on the longest comment ever! It was very interesting, thank you for sharing!
same I’ve been in a few that were 7.0+ magnitude and the worst one was when I was in the shower bc I was just slipping the entire time lmao
@oxygen stealer I know but I was further from that earthquake than the Landers one and I guess that the way the waves came out here, it woke a person up but it wasn't so strong. The Landers one was just on the other side of the San Andreas Fault and a bit south from where I was when I felt it and it's still the only earthquake I've been in where stuff in my house actually fell, even if it was only a desk lamp.
Thank you for this. It shows realistic simulation of the enormous forces of a shindu 7 earthquake
You were sitting on this one John especially for today! Just the right video for March 11. As someone from the Pacific Ring of Fire as well, I wish my country had this level of disaster preparedness
I remember that day. I was home alone with my then newborn child and my dog. At first, I was just sitting it out, but then it started getting stronger and stuff were falling, so I rushed out with a baby in one arm and a dog in the other. Then I saw cars stop in front of the house. Normally, drivers don’t feel the many earthquakes here because they’re moving, but drivers felt this one. Parked cars were bouncing off the ground. It was scary, I didn’t know where to go, so I sat down on the curb since my hands were full and I couldn’t brace myself. The aftershocks and blackouts that followed were nerve-wracking, too. Thank you for featuring the bousai -kan. Worth a trip with the family one of these days.
I also visited the disaster learning center in Tokyo in Ikebukuro and tried the simulator. It was scary!! I kept grabbing on to the leg of the table and felt it bouncing around, and it's a steel table! I also tried fire extinguishing and crawled in fake smoke counting elephant pictures. :)
During the fire experience they told us that the most common reason for fires in Japan is arson, so that's why paper garbage has to be put outside in the morning and not at night.
Nice coverage! Ever think of giving us a tour of the Yokohama Disaster Risk Reduction Learning Center?
I lived in Japan as a child in the 50's, in both Okayama and later in a Tokyo suburb. We got some good earthquakes, I finally got to the point where I just passed out in fear from them, lol. Love watching your vlogs, and I love the Japanese people and culture.
Thanks for referring back to this video. I had not seen it yet. Only been back in Japan since last May. The earthquakes have been more often it seems..I will look up this museum and I think there are others now? Your channel has been so helpful and encouraging for my transition back. Thanks John, Kanae, and Leo 😊
Thanks for tracking back here ^_^ Leo and Kanae say hi 👋
I tried another earthquake simulator in another centre. I tried the shindo 6 upper (age 13 or up is required to try shindo 7) and it felt like the whole thing and stunnnnnnnnnnning up and down and shaking and rumbling. I’m so scared and at that night when I got back to the hotel and sleep, I had a nightmare. Japan’s earthquakes are truly really scary.
uncle john make more content like this videos , this was soo interesting to watch and good luck.
Imagine a real earthquake happening while you experience a fake one 😭
Double the intensity lmao
great video John.... loved my trip to Japan and your videos provided me the knowledge to see so many things and places so thank you very much....once the pandemic passes hope to get back and will definitely go to the earthquake center to experience the shake lab... I got caught out on the streets during part of Hagibis and that simulator was pretty close to what it felt like
The Shindo scale is, arguably, far more meaningful to the layperson than the Magnitude scale. During the simulation of the Tohoku earthquake, you can see the trauma in his eyes.
EDIT: I enjoyed your interview with the BBC regarding the events of that tragic day and your efforts to help with the aftermath.
Thanks for listening! I was honored to talk with the BBC about it - I didn't know what they'd ask but know I had to keep answers short and sweet for the news. I'm super glad for the chance to talk about how Fukushima shouldn't mean meltdown but delicious peaches, hot springs, friendly people, wilderness.
I saw that too and how his body reacted. I can’t imagine how people who lost their homes and such would react. Nature is a beautiful, but scary thing.
Excellent video! I've never been in an earthquake but I can now understand how upsetting it would be!
I remember during the earthquake of 3/11. It was 2:46 and we were almost done with school. At first the earthquake was small but it got bigger and bigger overtime. While John has said the simulation lasted about a minute, I believe the actual earthquake lasted lot longer and was close to 6 minutes. Even after the main earthquake, there were so many after shocks.
I remember when it happened I was in the library of my college (at the time I was at Temple University), which I think was like 3 or 4 floors high and watching the book cases coming down around me. We were ushered down the narrow stairwell down to the front of the building where I watched parked cars go back and forth. We knew it was bad. My classmates, both foreign and Japanese, were crying. I remember watching a television from a nearby konbini only to then learn about the tsunami. A lot of us slept at the college that night in empty classrooms because we couldn't commute back home. My heart goes out to everyone who were injured or passed away, and to all those that lost things dear to them. Even now, living back in America, I often think back on it. I can't imagine being in the simulator and experiencing it again exactly as it was. Thank you for sharing your experience.
I live in Christchurch, New Zealand and we also had a big earthquake in 2011, and another big one in 2010. We have an earthquake museum (quake city) where you can learn about the earthquakes and the victims. It was a devastating earthquake and lots of people lost their lives. It was not as strong as the tohoku earthquake though.
Thank you John. Very educational information. It has been 33 years since the last major earth quake hit N California.
Seems like a great service to provide so people can be prepared. That must have been a very long minute! I’m sorry you were reminded of those awful feelings. I’ve only experienced one moderate earthquake in my life, and I was half asleep. It did not last too long. I can’t imagine this, and how scary it was. I guess we all need to be prepared. Thanks for the video. It’s very informative.
The smallest but greatest detail is the fact that there's a screen/window for the outside
Those simulators look scary! I guess I would want to experience them first before the real thing!
Indeed, after you've felt a strong one, you won't panic as much and think more clearly. Hope all's well down in Mexico!
I must say, this is actually very interesting to watch.
We went threw Northridge and that was bad. I couldent imagen going threw what happened in Japan. We were asleep and I heard the earthquake coming in my sleep, it sounded like a monster. It's roar zoomed at us like you hear a truck zoom up to you. Then the bed started banging on the ground and my feet couldn't find the ground as I jumped up. Earthquakes, am I right? What a pain in the behind.
thank u for making this Video John
Video like this should be top of recommended by the UA-cam algorithm to educate people
John, you have my admiration because you have invested all of your time in this... I would tell my friends and family to watch this video and subscribe... I'm a first-time viewer of your video. UA-cam's algorithm just landed me here, and I'm surprised... Thank you, UA-cam, for providing the perfect recommendation... John, I love you. Stay safe, love from India.
I am so happy you found the channel - Welcome! 🎌 Please stay safe, my family is from Mumbai (and Karnataka) and it’s tough everywhere 🙏 🇮🇳 -John
Makes me remember the Ridgecrest Earthquake that happened July 5. There was a foreshock on July 4th. Wasn't anywhere as powerful as what happened in Japan, but I remember the longer lasting quakes than the short lived ones because it really feels like you're on a boat in moving waters.
incredible video, thank you!
This is awesome. As a retired fireffighter, I wish the US had something like this
Says gojira....
Thank you. Enjoyed this educational Channel so much.
What I learned from this video
ALWAYS CARRY YOUR OWN TABLE WHEN TRAVELLING JAPAN
I hope at least one of fire departments in my country has this learning centre. Thank you for the great content!
I’m from California my whole life and a lot of people here are “used” to earthquakes but I still get anxiety they feel so weird
im scared for the big one
Thank you for facing a recreation of such a traumatic event, and sharing it with the rest of the world.
It was interesting how the simulation brought you back old memory for the Great Earthquake but at the sam times teaches people how to react to a big earthquake like that
Genuinely helpful and informative video. I commend you for taking videos for us, in that scary environment. Been putting aside my visit, and now I definitely want to learn more.
This video makes me really wanna visit Japan someday, seems like a very special and unique country full of nice people!
Great video and congratulations on hitting 100k subs! Keep up the good work and stay safe!
I know they said they used actual earthquake data for the simulator, but I still find it incredible how accurately they were able to recreate the shaking patterns. If you watch footage of the 1995 Hanshin Earthquake, the shaking you see in the videos is exactly mirrored in the simulator. It’s uncanny.