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

 

 

Carry Proof of Nuclear Medicine Testing

Radiation Monitoring at Cruise Terminals by Customs Officials

Cruise Terminals Are Controlled by CBP

The following story was shared with me over three years ago, but in light of the situation in Japan, it is quite appropriate to share with you now.   Names and other details have been slightly altered to protect the identity of individuals.

When disembarking the cruise ship yesterday, we had a very interesting experience. When we were giving in our customs declaration, another agent came over and asked us to step to the side.

As we had purchased nothing during this short  cruise, I thought it was because I had "zero" on the form for purchases and they were checking this out. But that was not it.

The agent asked me if I recently had anything involving radiation? I mentioned that I had taken my Dad to the doctor the other day and he had some x-rays and one of them was nuclear but not me. He showed me a little gadget on his belt that was glowing red. This gadget was actually a radiation detector and it was going off big time!

Well it actually turned out to be my wife who had a nuclear stress test 5 days earlier and the stuff they inject for this test is radioactive which was still in her system and sending radiation signals out.

Carry Proof of Nuclear Medicine Testing

The man explained, and we are sharing it here, that anytime someone has anything done that involves radiation they should carry something to that effect - the paperwork from the testing lab is sufficient. He never did say how long that stuff stays in one's system. 

He went on to explain that without this someone could be "inconvenienced - his word" when coming back into the country especially for land border crossing, from a longer cruise or coming from many other countries (we only went to Nassau) or if security levels were higher. He was fine once he knew why his detector went off and we were on our way but it sure was an interesting experience and valuable information to pass along.

Anyone undergoing chemo therapy, or any other nuclear medicine testing, should be aware of testing that occurs at border crossings including airports, cruise terminals, and other sites.

Testing is elevated currently due to the radioactivity issues in Japan, so the warning is timely.