Natural disasters in Japan

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Japan is the country that is the most affected by natural disasters mainly due to it being in the Ring of Fire. Two out of the five most expensive natural disasters in recent history have occurred in Japan, in 1995 and 2011, costing $181 billion. Japan has also been the site of some of the 10 worst natural disasters of the 21st century. Many types of natural disasters occur in Japan such as tsunamis, floods, typhoons, earthquakes, cyclones, and even volcanic eruptions. The country has gone through thousands of years of natural disasters, [1] affecting its economy, development, and social life. Some other major disasters in Japan were more recent, such as the January 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake and the March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which triggered the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.

Contents

Volcanic eruptions

Volcano at Sakura-jima Sakurajima at Sunset.jpg
Volcano at Sakura-jima

Many volcanic eruptions have taken place in Japan.

List of major volcanic eruptions

YearVolcanoDeath toll [2] [3] Note
1640 Hokkaido Komagatake about 700
1707 Mount Fuji None
1721 Mount Asama 15
1741 Oshima (Hokkaido) 1,467
1779 Sakurajima 153
1783Mount Asama1,151
1785 Aogashima 130~140
1792 Mount Unzen about 15,000
1822 Mount Usu 103
1888 Mount Bandai 461〜477 [4]
1900 Mount Adatara 72
1902 Izu Torishima 125
1914Sakurajima58~59
1926 Mount Tokachi 144
1940 Miyakejima 11
1952 Bayonnaise Rocks 31
1958 Mount Aso 12
1991Mount Unzen43
2014 Mount Ontake 63

VEI-7 Volcanic eruptions

Mount Aso 4 pyroclastic flow and the spread of Aso 4 tephra. The pyroclastic flow reaches almost the whole area of Kyushu, and volcanic ash is deposited over 15 cm in a wide area from Kyushu to southern Hokkaido. Aso-4 tephra 90-85ka.svg
Mount Aso 4 pyroclastic flow and the spread of Aso 4 tephra. The pyroclastic flow reaches almost the whole area of Kyushu, and volcanic ash is deposited over 15 cm in a wide area from Kyushu to southern Hokkaido.

There are three VEI-7 volcanoes in Japan. These are the Aira Caldera, Kikai Caldera and Aso Caldera.

Mount Aso is the largest active volcano in Japan. Mount Aso had four eruptions 300,000 to 90,000 years ago. It emitted huge amounts of volcanic ash that covered all of Kyushu and up to Yamaguchi Prefecture.

VEI 7 eruptions have happened in the following locations of Japan.
NameZoneLocationEvent / notesYears ago before 1950 (Approx.)Ejecta volume (Approx.)
Kikai Caldera Japan, Ryukyu Islands Akahoya eruption 5,300 BC7,300 [5] 170 km3
Aira Caldera Japan, Kyūshū Aira-Tanzawa ash30,000 [5] 450 km3
Aso Caldera Japan, Kyūshū Aso-4 pyroclastic flow90,000600 km3
Mount Aso Japan, Kyūshū Four large eruptions between 300,000 and 90,000 years ago.300,000600 km3

Earthquakes

Japan has had a long history of earthquake catastrophes and seismic activity. In the past twenty years, the most severe earthquake that occurred was the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

Japan earthquake JAPAN EARTHQUAKE 20110311.png
Japan earthquake
After an earthquake Hanshin-Awaji earthquake 1995 346.jpg
After an earthquake

List of recent earthquakes in Japan

LocationDateEstimated deaths
Hokkaido earthquake 1993, 12 July
202
Offshore Sanriku earthquake 1994, 28 December
3
Kobe earthquake 1995, 17 January
6,434
Ryukyu Islands earthquake1998, 4 May
0
Geiyo earthquake 2001, 24 March
2
Hokkaido earthquake 2003, 26 September
1
Chuetsu earthquake 2004, 23 October
40
Fukuoka earthquake 2005, 20 March
1
Miyagi earthquake 2005, 16 August
0
Kuril Islands earthquake 2006, 15 November
0
Kuril Islands earthquake 2007, 13 January
0
Noto earthquake 2007, 25 March
1
Chuetsu Offshore earthquake 2007, 16 July
11
Iwate-Miyagi Nairiku earthquake 2008, 14 June
12
Izu Islands earthquake2009, 9 August
0
Shizuoka earthquake 2009, 11 August
1
Ryukyu Islands earthquake2010, 26 February
1
Bonin Islands earthquake2010, 21 December
0
Tohoku earthquake 2011, 11 March
15,881
Miyagi earthquake aftershock 2011, 7 April
4
Fukushima earthquake 2011, 11 April
6
Fukushima earthquake aftershock2011, 10 July
0
Izu Islands earthquake 2012, 1 January
0
Kamaishi earthquake 2012, 7 December
3
Chiba earthquake 2012, 14 March
3
Noto earthquake 2024, 1 January
260

Mudslides

A mudslide, or mudflow, occurs when rocks, sand, and earth are loosened and fall from hills and mountains due to earthquake, rain or snow. In Japan, over two-thirds of the land is mountainous and therefore prone to mudslides. [6]

Major mudslide events

Japan has experienced several major mudslide events, often due to other natural disasters.

Mount Ontake

On September 14, 1984, the Otaki earthquake (magnitude 6.8) in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, caused a major mudslide on the south face of Mount Ontake, which reached speeds of 80~100 km/h. [7]  Heavy rain over several days prior to the quake contributed to causing the mudslide, known as “Ontake Kuzure,” which took the lives of 29 people. After the disaster, barriers against mudslide were erected in nine locations at the foot of Mt. Ontake. [8]

Wakayama & Nara

In September 2011, Tropical Storm Talas (2011), which formed and was named on August 25, made landfall over Japan, bringing heavy rain to the mountainous Kii Peninsula, and causing a mudslide, called “Shinsohokai,” in Wakayama and Nara. "Shinsohokai" means that not only soil collapses, but also bedrock. In this case, houses were covered with earth and sand from the mudslide and there were many injured and killed. [9]

Hiroshima

In June 2010, Hiroshima experienced heavy rains which caused severe damage, including mudslides and river floods; Shōbara had 64 mm rain in an hour and Hiroshima had 30–50 mm on June 12, 20-40mm on the 13th and 20-50mm on the 14th. Five people were killed and six injured; 1,787 houses were destroyed. [10]

Floods

Floods and tsunamis are imbedded in Japanese culture and history. Southern parts of some regions are under sea level like Kyushu, Shikoku and Okinawa. Rising oceans are also making the Tokyo metropolitan area, home to 38 million people, vulnerable to storm surges. [11] Years of pumping up groundwater have caused some parts of the city to sink nearly 5 meters over the past century. This means that large parts of Tokyo are now below sea level and are only protected by outdated dikes. [12]

With a population of 127 million, the population density is very high. Most residential and industrial areas are located in low-lying areas, along rivers; these areas are very vulnerable to river flooding and flash floods. According to a 1985 study, 49 percent of the population and 75 percent of businesses are located in flood-prone areas. Given population growth in the Kanto Plain, where Japan's second-longest river, the Tone, is located, these shares are likely higher today. Water pushed to shore by strong winds or typhoons and coinciding with tide can cause significant sea level rise. These kinds of situations are then called a storm surge. In addition, precipitation is an increasing cause of flooding in Japan. [13]

Flood management

Flood management has been important in Japan for generations. The first form of flood management dates back to the 4th century when the Manda Levee (embankment) was built at the Yodo River. Here a narrow path runs along the old river near the inhabited areas. Today there is even a monument. [14] Japan has many large-scale projects to protect its inhabitants from the water. For example, there is a lot of emphasis on breaking high waves and a lot of research is being done into the behavior of tsunamis. [15] After the devastating tsunami of 2011, the Japanese government decided to protect all vulnerable villages and towns along the coast by building sea walls that range from 8.5 meters to 24 meters in height. As much as eleven billion is spent on building this 400-kilometer-long concrete wall. [16] Inland, flood management in Japan is also important against river flooding. Many of these projects are also recognizable to us. They are working on widening the river channels and building dikes. This is to limit the rise in a river's water level by increasing its cross-section and to prevent the land from flooding in times of flooding. They have drainage basins, which are used to temporarily store the overflow of the river during a flood and to drain it again after the risk of flooding has passed. This prevents the downstream water levels from rising. They also have pumping stations, here pumps are used to drain rainwater into the river in areas where the water level in the river is higher than the land. They also dredge in Japan. This is done to lower the water level in a river by deepening or dredging the river bed. Another important way of flood management is to create so-called shortcuts or shortcuts. The length of a river channel is shortened by straightening bends, so that flood water can flow through it quickly. And a flood management approach widely used by Japan is dams, such as the 186 meter high Kurobe Dam in Toyama. These dams are huge, so it often takes years to build them. The function of these dams is to regulate the water flow upstream at the time of a flood, so that the flow is reduced downstream. [17]

Heatwaves

Heatwaves have become increasingly common in Japan. June 2022 has seen the worst heatwave in 150 years. [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ōtaki, Nagano</span> Village in Chūbu, Japan

Ōtaki is a village located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 April 2019, the village had an estimated population of 753 in 378 household, and a population density of 2.4 persons per km2. The total area of the village is 310.82 square kilometres (120.01 sq mi). At present, Ōtaki's land area is 95% forestland; 86% of which is designated national forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Aso</span> Volcano in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan

Mount Aso, is also known as Aso Volcano and in this sense is the largest active volcano in Japan, and is among the largest in the world. Common use relates often only to the somma volcano in the center of Aso Caldera. It stands in Aso Kujū National Park in Kumamoto Prefecture, on the island of Kyushu. Its tallest peak, Takadake, is 1,592 meters (5,223 ft) above sea level. Mount Aso is in a fairly large caldera with a circumference of around 120 km (75 mi), although sources vary on the exact distance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Ontake</span> Volcanic mountain on the island of Honshu, Japan

Mount Ontake, also referred to as Mount Kiso Ontake, is the 14th highest mountain and second highest volcano in Japan at 3,067 m (10,062 ft). It is included in Kyūya Fukada's 1964 100 Famous Japanese Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuma River (Japan)</span> River in Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyūshū, Japan

The Kuma River is a river in Kumamoto Prefecture, central Western part of Kyūshū, Japan. It is sometimes referred as Kumagawa River. It is the longest river in Kyushu, with the length of 115 km long and has a drainage area of 1,880 km2 (730 sq mi). The river's estuary was designated part of Japan's 500 Important Wetlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1948 Fukui earthquake</span>

The 1948 Fukui earthquake occurred in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. The magnitude 6.8 quake struck at 4:13:31 p.m.(JDT) on June 28, 1948. The quake's hypocenter was approximately 10 km north-northeast of Fukui, in the present-day neighborhood of Maruoka, Sakai City. The strongest shaking occurred in the city of Fukui, where it was recorded as 6 on the Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity scale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1964 Niigata earthquake</span> June 1964 earthquake in Japan

The 1964 Niigata earthquake struck at 13:01 local time on 16 June with a magnitude of either 7.5 or 7.6. The epicenter was on the continental shelf off the northwest coast of Honshu, Japan, in Niigata Prefecture, about 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of the city of Niigata. The earthquake caused liquefaction over large parts of the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1984 Nagano earthquake</span> Earthquake in Japan

The 1984 Nagano earthquake hit the western part of Nagano Prefecture, Japan on September 14, 1984, at 08:48 local time. Registering a magnitude of Ms 6.3, the earthquake destroyed Otaki, and triggered major landslides. The earthquake left at least 29 people dead or missing, making it the deadliest earthquake in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami</span> Megathrust earthquake off Japans east coast

On 11 March 2011, at 14:46 JST, a Mw 9.0–9.1 undersea megathrust earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, 72 km (45 mi) east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region. It lasted approximately six minutes and caused a tsunami. It is sometimes known in Japan as the "Great East Japan Earthquake", among other names. The disaster is often referred to by its numerical date, 3.11.

A potent magnitude 6.6 Mw intraplate aftershock occurred at 17:16 JST (08:16 UTC) on 11 April, in the Hamadōri region of Fukushima, Japan. With a shallow focus of 13 km (8.1 mi), the earthquake was centred inland about 36 km (22 mi) west of Iwaki, causing widespread strong to locally severe shaking. It was one of many aftershocks to follow the 11 March Tōhoku earthquake, and the strongest to have its epicentre located inland.

This article describes the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) severe weather terminology. The JMA defines precise meanings for nearly all its weather terms as the Information for Severe Weather Preparation. This article describes JMA terminology and related JMA weather scales. Some terms may be specific to certain regions.

The 1968 Tokachi earthquake occurred on May 16 at 0:49 UTC in the area offshore of Aomori and Hokkaido. The magnitude of this earthquake was put at Mw 8.3. The intensity of the earthquake reached shindo 5 in Aomori, Aomori and Hakodate, Hokkaido.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natori River</span> River in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan with important water supply

The Natori River is a river located in central Miyagi prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. It starts at Mount Kamuro in the Ōu Mountains and flows in an easterly direction through the cities of Natori and Sendai. The river's headwaters start in the Zao Mountain range, it flows through the Sendai Plain and ends by draining into Sendai Bay. The river's estuary is located on Japan's east coast, and faces the Pacific Ocean. The river's flow is the greatest during the snow melt season from March to April, the rainy season from June to July and during the typhoon season from September to October. The river's length is 55 km, and its tributaries are the Hirose, Masuda and Goishi Rivers. The Natori provides water for 1 million people in the city of Sendai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Kumamoto earthquakes</span> Earthquake in Japan

The 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes were a series of earthquakes, including a magnitude 7.0 mainshock which struck at 01:25 JST on April 16, 2016 beneath Kumamoto City of Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu Region, Japan, at a depth of about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi), and a foreshock earthquake with a magnitude 6.2 at 21:26 JST (12:26 UTC) on April 14, 2016, at a depth of about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi).

The following is an overview of the year 2018 in Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1982 Nagasaki flood</span>

The 1982 Nagasaki flood was caused by a cloudburst that occurred mainly in Nagasaki, Japan in July 1982.

There were two major earthquakes in 2003 in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. The first quake in May injured 174 and caused $97.3 million in damage. Another quake in July injured 677. More than 11,000 buildings were affected, causing an estimated $195.4 million in damage.

The 1961 Kita Mino earthquake is an earthquake that occurred on August 19, 1961, near the border between Ishikawa, Fukui and Gifu Prefectures in Japan. The magnitude was 7.0. The earthquake left 8 people dead and 43 people injured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Nagano earthquake</span> Earthquake in Japan

On November 22, 2014, at 22:08 local time, an earthquake struck southeast of Hakuba, Nagano Prefecture. It had a magnitude of 6.2 Mw according to the United States Geological Survey, with a maximum intensity assigned IX (Violent) on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, it is recorded as 6.7 MJMA and at its peak intensity at Shindo 6 Lower on the Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity scale. The earthquake did not result in any deaths, however 41 people sustained mild to severe injuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Fukushima earthquake</span> Severe off-shore earthquake near Fukushima, Japan

On March 16, 2022, at 23:36 JST, a strong earthquake struck off the coast of Fukushima, Japan. The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.4 according to the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA), while the United States Geological Survey (USGS) gave an estimate of 7.3. Immediately after the event a 30‑cm tsunami was reported. The event is known in Japanese as Fukushima-ken Oki Jishin. As a result of this natural disaster, four people died and 247 were injured.

References

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