On Friday afternoon, an earthquake with an early calculated magnitude of 5.2 hit Eastern Japan, near Tokyo. While there was shaking among the buildings in the Japanese capital city, there has not been any reports of damage or injuries. No tsunami warning was issued, and analysts do not expect there to be one.
Just a week ago, on May 24th, a 6.1 magnitude earthquake was recorded in northeastern Japan. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the quake as taking place north of the island of Honshu, and southeast of Hokkaido, originating from a depth of 40 kilometers (25 miles) under the sea. The effects of that quake were most felt by those in Aomori Prefecture, although, thankfully, there were also no reports of damage or injuries there. As that earthquake originated from the ocean, there was concern in the moments immediately after the trembler about a tsunami, but it was quickly announced that warnings were not necessary, and there would be no tsunami.
Japan and it’s citizens are always on the highest alert for earthquakes, especially those that take place so close to the sea. There is fear that one day there may be another disaster like that of March 11th, 2011, when a magnitude 9.0 earthquake caused a tsunami that destroyed the northeastern Tohoku region, leaving nearly 19,000 people dead or missing. Part of the ongoing controversy about restarting one of Japan’s nuclear reactors comes from the fear that the facilities are not adequately prepared for earthquake or tsunami damage, and there should never be a repeat of the nuclear disaster that took place in Fukushima.