Honshu Japan One Year Later

1 Year Anniversary

Devastating 9.0 Mag Quake

Honshu, Japan

It was a year ago today that the world watched as a very powerful earthquake hit off the coast of Honshu, Japan.  What followed was an equally powerful tsunami.  Both of these events caused caused significant loss of life and damages throughout Japan.   They also started the largest nuclear crisis of modern times as the reactors were near meltdown.  The quake and tsunami left 16,000 dead and 3,000 people injured.

Remembering

A moment of prayerful silence was held across the country at 2:46 pm, the precise time the 9.0 magnitude quake occurred off Japan's Pacific coast on March 11, 2011.   In Tokyo, about 1,200 people, including the Emperor and the Empress, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and families of the victims, attended Sunday's ceremony. 

In Washington, DC, President Barack Obama said, "As we mark one year since the catastrophic earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disasters in Japan, Michelle and I join all Americans in honoring the memory of the 19,000 victims lost or missing. We continue to be inspired by the Japanese people, who faced unimaginable loss with extraordinary fortitude. Their resilience and determination to rebuild stronger than before is an example for us all."  

Lasting Effects

When the earthquake and tsunami struck, Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant lost off-site power, throwing out its primary and backup cooling systems.  The nuclear fuel overheated despite company efforts to pump first seawater and then freshwater in to cool it. Hydrogen gas built up and exploded, blasting open four of the facility's six reactor buildings and spreading radiation far and wide in air, soil and seawater.

Nuclear meltdowns at three of the six reactors at Fukushima Daiichi went officially unacknowledged for months. The Japanese government ordered everyone within 30 kilometers of the damaged nuclear plant to evacuate and opened shelters for evacuees in schools and public buildings.

At today's memorial service in Tokyo, Prime Minister Noda said, "We will provide all possible support for the affected areas, which are now trying to revive their hometowns as safer and more livable towns. "We will do our best to revive Fukushima and recreate a beautiful hometown." 

Quakes Continue

This region of Japan is prone to earthquakes. In fact, the image included here from the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program, isn't from one year ago, but rather from today. A much weaker quake, measuring at Magnitude 4.7 , hit in the same location off the shore of  Honshu, Japan.  For the people of  Japan, it is something that they live with all their lives.

Magnitude 4.7 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Sunday, March 11, 2012 at 11:08:26 UTC 

Earthquake Details

Magnitude	4.7
Date-Time	Sunday, March 11, 2012 at 11:08:26 UTC Sunday, March 11, 2012 at 08:08:26 PM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location	38.682°N, 142.577°E
Depth	35.8 km (22.2 miles)
Region	NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances	155 km (96 miles) ENE of Sendai, Honshu, Japan 167 km (103 miles) SE of Morioka, Honshu, Japan 201 km (124 miles) ENE of Yamagata, Honshu, Japan 416 km (258 miles) NE of TOKYO, Japan
Location Uncertainty	horizontal +/- 17.9 km (11.1 miles); depth +/- 8.1 km (5.0 miles)
Parameters	NST= 19, Nph= 19, Dmin=374 km, Rmss=0.94 sec, Gp=220°, M-type=body wave magnitude (Mb), Version=7
Source	Magnitude: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D) Location: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID	usb0008exk

Our continued thoughts and prayers for the people of Japan.  May the hopes of the Prime Minister, to revive the area, become a reality.

Related Blog Posts: 

Cruise Lines Return to Japan  (six months later, some cruise lines have returned)

Strong Quakes Continue to Rattle Japan

Another Strong Quake Hits Japan

After the Tohoku Earthquake

Severe Tsunami Impacting Japan & Hawaii 

Azamara Quest Skips Osaka Call

QM2 Skips Nagasaki Sails to China

 

 

Heavy Rains from Typhoon Roke

› View larger image  
Credit: SSAI/NASA, Hal Pierce

Typhoon Roke

(Western North Pacific Ocean)

Makes Landfall 

Along Southeast 

Coast of Honshu

This rainfall map was created from TRMM satellite data from Sept. 15 to 22, 2011 over and around Japan. It shows a band of very heavy rain stretching northeastward from eastern Kyushu across Shikoku and into southern Honshu from 300 mm (~12 inches, shown in green) to in excess of 550 mm (~22 inches, shown in red). Rainfall of 50 mm/~2 inches appear in light blue, and over 150 mm (~6 inches are shown in blue. )The thin black line is Roke's track, storm symbols mark Roke's 6-hourly positions.) Credit: SSAI/NASA, Hal Pierce 

Heavy Rainfall in  Japan's Honshu Region

We don't generally monitor tropical storms in the Western North Pacific Ocean during the Atlantic and East Pacific Hurricane Season of June - November but Typhoon Roke warrants mention.   Earlier this year Honshu, Japan suffered a series of devastating earthquakes and a tsunami which cancelled cruises, damaged property, injured and killed many people, and put the country at the brink of a major nuclear disaster.   Still recovering from that devastation, Honshu found itself in the path of Typhoon Roke which made landfall as a Category 1 Typhoon.   It had been as high as a Category 4 Typhoon earlier.

Landslides and flooding triggered by Typhoon Roke left as many as 13 people dead or missing. Authorities had urged more than 2.2 million residents across the country to evacuate their homes as the storm moved north, but it wasn't clear how many had left.

Officials at the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, where engineers are still struggling with small radiation leaks due to tsunami damage, said that the typhoon's driving winds and rain caused no immediate problems there other than a broken security camera.

Typhoon Roke came less than three weeks after Typhoon Talas, which, after landfall September 3rd, became the deadliest typhoon to rip through Japan in three decades.

Talas left more than 100 people dead or missing as record rainfall triggered mudslides and flooding in the country's central region, the highest death toll since Typhoon Tip in 1979, when 110 people were killed.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said Roke was smaller than Talas, but its wind strength was more formidable.
 

Typhoons

A tropical storm in the West Pacific, when it intensifies, becomes a Typhoon. A typhoon is a tropical storm with sustained winds in excess of 119 km/h or approximately 74 mph.

Names for most severe storms on earth:

When the winds are sustained (based on a one-minute average) at 74 mph (64 knots; 119 km/hr), the storm becomes: In the Atlantic Ocean, East Pacific, Central Pacific (east of the International Dateline) and Southeast Pacific (east of 160°E) a Hurricane; in the Northwest Pacific (west of the International Dateline) a Typhoon; in the Southwest Pacific (west of 160°E) and Southeast Indian Ocean (east of 90°E) a Severe Tropical Cyclone; in the North Indian Ocean a Severe Cyclonic Storm; and in the Southwest Indian Ocean (west of 90°E) a Tropical Cyclone.

See where ships are relative to tropical storms

Interactive tracking map (real-time ship tracking)

• Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC) Tokyo - Typhoon Centre
• Tropical Cyclone Forecast Track
• Hong Kong Observatory (Tropical Cyclone Track)
• WMO Severe Weather Information Centre
• Joint Typhoon Warning Center
• NRL Monterey Marine Meteorology Division (Code 7500) Tropical Cyclone Page
• Tropical RAMSDIS Online (Satellite Images)
• Canadian Hurricane Centre 
• HurricaneZone.net
• Chart Converting Zulu Time to Local Time Example: 301500Z = 11:00 AM EDT on the 30th

Strong Quakes Continue to Rattle Japan

Click HERE for NOAA Latest Event Map

Strong aftershocks continue to strike in Northeast Japan.  The latest quake measured in at 7.0M originally but was downsized to 6.6M by the USGS.   This quake was only 100 miles from Tokyo, Japan.

Latest Earthquakes in the World - Past 7 days (click link for USGS data)

Magnitude	6.6
Date-Time	Monday, April 11, 2011 at 08:16:13 UTC Monday, April 11, 2011 at 05:16:13 PM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location	37.007°N, 140.477°E
Depth	10 km (6.2 miles)
Region	EASTERN HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances	36 km (22 miles) W of Iwaki, Honshu, Japan 44 km (27 miles) SSE of Koriyama, Honshu, Japan 71 km (44 miles) N of Mito, Honshu, Japan 161 km (100 miles) NNE of TOKYO, Japan Event ID   usc0002n9v  Source      USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)

Cruise lines have already altered itineraries for most of this year due to the previous earthquake, tsunami, and the resulting nuclear crisis.  Consult your cruise line's website for latest updates.
We will provide updates if specific details are released as a result of the ongoing disasters.

General Tsunami Information

• NOAA West Coast & Alaska Tsunami Warning Center
• NOAA Pacific Tsunami Warning Center
• Tsunami Information Links

Additional Information

• GNS Science

Related Blog Posts: 

Cruise Lines Return to Japan  (six months later, some cruise lines have returned)

Strong Quakes Continue to Rattle Japan

Another Strong Quake Hits Japan

After the Tohoku Earthquake

Severe Tsunami Impacting Japan & Hawaii 

Azamara Quest Skips Osaka Call

QM2 Skips Nagasaki Sails to China

 

After the Tohoku Earthquake

Map of Japan Courtesy USGS

Honshu Earthquake

Upgraded to 9.0 Magnitude

The USGS has continued to review scientific data and  upgraded the magnitude to 9.0 today, making the Tohoku earthquake in Honshu, Japan  the 4th largest in the world since 1900.

The rescue and recovery efforts continue in Northeastern Japan while aftershocks continue and the country works hard to prevent a nuclear disaster.  

The earthquake and resulting tsunami will have a lasting impact on Japan and the world.  It is estimated that the death toll could exceed 10,000 and the damage could soar into billions of dollars.   The loss of life and damage is just one dimension of this natural disaster.   The economy will suffer due to the loss of revenue from tourism and other industries during this crisis. 

Social media played a significant role in bringing this disaster to the world immediately.   When standard telephone communication failed, text messages, sent around the world, told loved ones that for now, they were OK.  Incredible images and videos were instantly available.  The U.S. and other countries offered assistance after seeing the devastation.

Impact on Cruises

Azamara Club Cruises and Cunard Line modified their itineraries in the wake of the earthquake.  These changes were needed because the ports were temporarily closed for damage assessment.  See related blog posts for more details about those changes and messages from the cruise lines in reaction to the disaster.

Related Blog Posts: 

Cruise Lines Return to Japan  (six months later, some cruise lines have returned)

Strong Quakes Continue to Rattle Japan

Another Strong Quake Hits Japan

After the Tohoku Earthquake

Severe Tsunami Impacting Japan & Hawaii 

Azamara Quest Skips Osaka Call

QM2 Skips Nagasaki Sails to China

 

Updated March 16th:

Royal Caribbean  Legend of the Seas sailing that is scheduled to depart Shanghai (Baoshan), China on Saturday, March 19. Legend of the Seas will now call on Cheju Island, South Korea on Sunday, March 20, and stay overnight in Hong Kong, China from 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 22 until midnight on Wednesday, March 23. Legend of the Seas will return to Shanghai on Saturday, March 26 as scheduled.

The most recent cruise modification is on Oceania Nautica which was scheduled to call at two ports in Japan this week.

Oceania Cruises made the following statement on Facebook:
"Due to latest events in Japan the current schedule of Nautica has been changed, calls in Hiroshima and Kobe have been cancelled and replaced with an extra day in Kaoshiung, Taiwan and an extra day in Shanghai. Guests will also have two days in Hong Kong."

While these ports are not in the immediate vicinity of the earthquake, Oceania Cruises decided to make these changes in the interest of safety.

Cruise lines will continue to monitor the situation and make additional modifications as needed. We will provide updates as the situation is warranted.   Our thoughts and prayers join those of people around the world who are concerned for the people of Japan during this time of crisis.

Azamara Quest Skips Osaka Call

Azamara Quest

Japan Closes

Ports of Call 

Impacts Azamara Quest

The devastating earthquake and the resulting tsunami that struck off the coast of Honshu, Japan yesterday, caused widespread death, injury, and damage leaving the country in a state of emergency. 

Related Blog Posts: 

Cruise Lines Return to Japan  (six months later, some cruise lines have returned)

Strong Quakes Continue to Rattle Japan

Another Strong Quake Hits Japan

After the Tohoku Earthquake

Severe Tsunami Impacting Japan & Hawaii 

Azamara Quest Skips Osaka Call

QM2 Skips Nagasaki Sails to China

 

[NOTICE] For overseas visitors traveling Northeastern Japan and the surrounding areas including Tokyo

 

U.S. State Dept. Travel Alert - Japan (issued March 11, 2011)

 

Azamara Quest was in Nagasaki, Japan at the time of the earthquake and resulting tsunami. It was on the Northeast side of Japan, in a protected bay far away from danger. The ship sailed into deep waters about an hour after the earthquake and was in no danger. The next scheduled port of call was Osaka, which is 38 hours sailing time from Nagasaki.

Azamara Club Cruises released the following statement today, as it cancelled the Quest's next port of call:

"The entire country of Japan is still assessing the extent of the damage caused by the earthquake and tsunami. While initial reports suggest that Kyoto (Osaka) did not sustain major damage, we feel that the recent events and continuing aftershocks have the potential to seriously disrupt Azamara Quest's experience and our operations in port."

Cruise lines that have upcoming calls in Japan will be monitoring the situation and making itinerary changes as necessary.   We will provide updates as we learn of any changes.

Several cruise lines issued statements in the wake of the disaster  (read more here)