On a peaceful morning of the 21st of July at approximately 6:19am, I was still asleep, only to have a magnitude 5.1 (Shindo scale) earthquake struck Nara, which could be felt as far as Kyoto (where I was). Wow.. didn’t think I would experience an earthquake, but I did! Being semi-awake, I actually thought it was some really strong wind! The whole ordeal lasted only about 5 seconds. And in my mind I thought, ‘Geez.. that was some quick wind blowing by!’. And then I found this reported on Japanese weather website:
It was probably only a magnitude 3 where I was. But it certainly feels weird having the floor moving under you, that’s for sure! This whole concrete building felt like jelly wobbling, yet nothing was damaged. It’s a testament to the Japanese civil engineers and all the earthquake experiences they have in building design!!
After all, Japan experiences something like 1000 of these minor tremors a year. So, you are bound to experience one, if you are here long enough! This magnitude 5.1 earthquake is barely news at all, and everyone just goes on with their lives like nothing happened.
It’s a unique experience, but I am not sure if I want to experience that again!
