information about Fukushima published in English in Japanese media info publiée en anglais dans la presse japonaise
7 Décembre 2012
December 7, 2012
articles from the main Japanese newspapers about today's earthquake
No problems so far with any of the nuclear facilities in the area... but TEPCO has a long history of hiding facts or downplaying the risks.
7 December 2012 Last updated at 11:37 GMT
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20638696
The BBC's Rupert Wingfield Hayes said he felt his building shake "violently"
A 7.3 magnitude quake has struck off Japan's eastern coast, triggering a small tsunami and sparking evacuations.
A one-metre wave hit Ishinomaki in Miyagi Prefecture and many people heeded calls to move to higher ground before all alerts were later lifted.
The quake epicentre was about 245km (150 miles) south-east of Kamiashi at a depth of about 36km, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.
Miyagi was hit by a devastating earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.
Swaying violently
The US-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had said there was no threat to the wider Pacific Ocean but had warned a local tsunami could be destructive for local coastlines.
There have been no reports of deaths, injuries or serious damage, and all tsunami warnings were cancelled at 19:20 local time (10:20 GMT), broadcaster NHK said.
Warnings of the tsunami height had varied between 50cm and 2m.
The BBC's Rupert Wingfield Hayes in Tokyo says any such height would represent a far lower risk of devastation than the tsunami of up to 11 metres that struck in 2011 but that, since then, the country has clearly become jittery about any shaking of the earth.
The tsunami warnings had extended from the top of the main island of Honshu down towards Tokyo and evacuations were ordered from some of the affected areas.
With Japan's early warning system, NHK was able to break off its regular programming and issue an alert about the earthquake shortly before it struck.
A presenter on state broadcaster NHK then told viewers: "Remember last year's quake and tsunami. Call on your neighbours and flee to higher ground now!"
Buildings swayed violently in Tokyo.
Continue reading the main story
Friday's earthquake has been a showcase for Japan's early warning system, first tested in 2004. Many on the ground say they received warning alerts on their mobile phones tens of seconds before the earthquake hit.
Japan's network of seismometers detects the arrival of one of two types of quake waves - the faster-moving but much less damaging "P waves". That surely allows precious seconds to seek shelter but in reality it is only detecting a quake, not predicting one.
The science behind longer-term predictions - hours, days or weeks in advance - is the subject of intense research. This ranges from using satellites to detect tiny deformations of the Earth's surface through purely mathematical approaches to harnessing animals' purported ability to sense coming quakes. But scientists are still some way from making reliable predictions - and avoiding the damaging risk of false alarms.
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda cancelled campaigning for the 16 December election to return to his office.
Communications to Miyagi have proven difficult, with the high volume of telephone calls. Trains in the prefecture were halted and the runway at Sendai airport closed.
English teacher John Heritage, who is in Tagajo in Miyagi Prefecture, told the BBC the earthquake was not as powerful as some he had experienced but was worrying as it went on so long.
He said: "The students were kind of worried. Normally they're pretty calm, but they looked concerned. Then the tsunami alarm started going off and we evacuated to higher ground."
Jamie El-Banna, founder of It's Not Just Mud - a volunteer disaster relief organisation - said he joined the evacuation in Ishinomaki.
He told the BBC: "We live less than a kilometre from the water so we went calmly as far back from the water as possible, which is what the advice is if you can't get to higher ground. Everyone evacuated in a calm, orderly way."
Other people reported being alerted to the earthquake prior to its arrival by Japan's mobile phone-based warning system.
One tweeted that he was given 10 seconds and was able to slow his car before the shaking struck.
The USGS reported at least six aftershocks, the strongest of which was 6.2 in magnitude.
The 9.0 magnitude quake that struck on 11 March 2011 caused a devastating tsunami and left more than 15,000 people dead, with more than 3,200 missing.
That quake triggered a meltdown of fuel rods at the Fukushima nuclear plant, causing radiation leaks and mass evacuations.
The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power, told Agence France-Presse there were no reports of problems there this time, although workers had moved to higher ground.
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Magnitude 7.3 quake hits northeast Japan
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20121207_47.html
A strong earthquake has hit northeastern Japan.
The Meteorological Agency says the 7.3-magnitude quake occurred at 5:18 PM Friday, Japan time.
The quake's focus was 10 kilometers under the seabed off the Sanriku coast. The area was hit by a magnitude-9 quake and tsunami on March 11th last year.
At 6:02 PM, a 1-meter-high tsunami was observed in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture.
At 6:10 PM, a 20-centimeter tsunami was observed at Ofunato Port in Iwate Prefecture.
Shortly after 7 PM, the Meteorological Agency lifted all tsunami warnings and advisories for the region.
The quake had an intensity of 5-minus on the Japanese scale of zero to 7 in parts of Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Ibaraki and Tochigi prefectures.
Smaller jolts were felt in Tokyo and other areas.
Dec. 7, 2012 - Updated 10:55 UTC (19:55 JST)
http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20121207p2g00m0dm078000c.html
TOKYO (AP) -- Japan's Meteorological Agency has lifted a tsunami warning for the country's northeastern coast.
The warning was issued after a magnitude 7.3 quake struck offshore at 5:18 p.m. (0818 GMT) Friday, swaying buildings across much of Japan. There were no immediate reports of serious damage but two people were reportedly hurt.
After the quake, authorities issued a warning that a tsunami potentially as high as 2 meters (2.2 yards) could hit. Ishinomaki, a city in Miyagi, reported that a tsunami of 1 meter (1 yard) hit at 6:02 p.m. (0902 GMT).
About two hours after the quake struck, the tsunami warning was cancelled.
December 07, 2012(Mainichi Japan)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/quake_tsunami/AJ201212070090
A magnitude-7.3 earthquake struck off the coast of northeastern Japan in the same region that was hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami last year. Tokyo high-rises swayed for minutes, one city reported a small tsunami and at least two people were reported injured.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.3 and struck in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Miyagi prefecture at 5:18 p.m. on Dec. 7. The epicenter was 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) beneath the seabed and 240 kilometers (150 miles) offshore.
The tsunami warning was issued for Miyagi Prefecture, while tsunami advisories were issued for the prefectures of Aomori, Iwate, Fukushima and Ibaraki. The warning and advisories were canceled at 7:20 p.m.
According to the Nuclear Regulation Authority, no reports had been submitted about problems at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co., the Onagawa nuclear power plant, operated by Tohoku Electric Power Co., or the Tokai No. 2 nuclear power plant, operated by Japan Atomic Power Co.
TEPCO officials held a news conference and said there were no irregularities at the Fukushima No. 1 or No. 2 nuclear plants. Monitoring posts also did not detect any unusually high radiation readings.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority also said there were no problems at the nuclear fuel reprocessing facility at Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture, operated by Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd.
After the quake, which caused buildings in Tokyo to sway for at least a minute, authorities issued a warning that a tsunami potentially as high as 2 meters could hit. Ishinomaki, a city in Miyagi, reported that a tsunami of 1 meter hit at 6:02 p.m.
Traffic was being stopped in some places to check on roads.
Shortly before the earthquake struck, NHK television broke off regular programming to warn that a strong quake was due to hit. Afterward, the announcer repeatedly urged all near the coast to flee to higher ground.
The quake and tsunami warning forced Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda to cancel campaigning in Tokyo ahead of a Dec. 16 election. Noda was on his way back to his office, but there was no immediate plan to hold a special Cabinet meeting.
Public spending on quake-proofing buildings is a big election issue.
Japanese were posting photos of their TV screens with tsunami warnings on Facebook, asking each other whether they were safe and confirming their whereabouts.
“It shook for a long time here in Tokyo, are you guys all right?” posted Eriko Hamada, inquiring about the safety of her friends.
Phone lines were overloaded, and it was difficult to contact residents in Miyagi.
“Owing to the recent earthquake, phone lines are very busy, please try again later,” the telephone operator said.
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN AND WIRE REPORTS
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20121207x1.html
AFP-Jiji, Kyodo
Authorities issued a tsunami alert for the northeast coast Friday after a powerful 7.3-magnitude undersea earthquake struck, setting buildings in Tokyo swaying violently.
They said tsunami up to 1 meter high could sweep ashore in areas badly hit by the March 2011 tsunami that devastated a large swath of the Tohoku region coast, killing thousands.
A 1-meter wave was seen in the Ayukawa district in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, shortly past 6 p.m., NHK said. In addition, a 20-cm wave was logged by a tsunami gauge off Kinkazan in Miyagi.
It wasn't immediately clear if the waves caused any damage.
Residents in cities along the Sanriku coast were advised to evacuate to higher ground.
Those include Rikuzentakata, Ofunato, Yamada in Iwate Prefecture, as well as Miyagino and Wabayashi wards in Sendai and Ishinomaki and Iwanuma in Miyagi Prefecture.
Telephone operator NTT said the network in the areas was jammed with the weight of calls.
A presenter on NHK repeatedly told viewers to get to safety.
"Remember last year's quake and tsunami," he said. "Call on your neighbors and flee to higher ground now!"
The U.S. Geological Survey put the quake's magnitude at 7.3. It said the temblor struck a relatively deep 36 km under the Pacific.
The epicenter was 284 km east of Sendai, or 459 km northeast of Tokyo, according to the USGS.
There was no threat of a Pacific-wide tsunami, U.S. monitors based in Hawaii said. Officials in both Indonesia and the Philippines said there was no threat of a localized tsunami.
Tokyo Electric Power Co. said there were no reports of any problems at its crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.
"No abnormalities have been recorded on instruments at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant's six reactors," a Tepco spokesman said. "All workers were ordered to take shelter inside buildings at the Fukushima plant.
"No abnormalities were confirmed with the radiation monitoring posts at the Fukushima plant. No abnormalities were seen with the water processing facilities."
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda rushed to his office to monitor the situation.
East Japan Railways Co. (JR East) temporarily suspended all services in Miyagi Prefecture.
Bullet train services on the Tohoku and Joetsu shinkansen lines were also halted to check for damage.
The Tokaido Shinkansen Line briefly suspended services between Tokyo and Odawara, Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) said.
Haneda Airport in Tokyo was reported to be operating normally but Sendai airport was closed.
The tsunami warning was lifted at around 7:20 p.m.
Friday's jolt probably aftershock of March quake
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20121207_41.html
Japan's Meteorological Agency says the powerful earthquake that occurred off northeastern Japan on Friday is thought to be an aftershock of the massive quake that hit the region in March of last year.
The Agency says the latest quake took place on the east side of the Japan Trench, where two plates collide and one slides under the other.
Dec. 7, 2012 - Updated 11:07 UTC (20:07 JST)
1-meter high tsunami wave observed in Ishinomaki
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20121207_45.html
The Meteorological Agency says a 1-meter high tsunami wave was recorded at 6:02 PM Japan Time in the Ayukawa District in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture.
Miyagi was one of the areas hard-hit last year by the March 11th earthquake and tsunami.
The agency issued a tsunami advisory for the region after a powerful earthquake occurred off northeastern Japan at 5:18 PM on Friday.
Dec. 7, 2012 - Updated 11:06 UTC (20:06 JST)
Utilities: Quake did not affect nuclear plants
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20121207_44.html
Nuclear power plant operators in areas hit by Friday's earthquake say they have received no reports of danger at their facilities.
Tohoku Electric Power Company says all three of the reactors at its Onagawa plant in Miyagi Prefecture were offline before the quake.
The company also says monitoring posts near the plant show no abnormal levels of radiation.
The utility says another nuclear power plant in Aomori Prefecture shows no signs of trouble.
Tokyo Electric Power Company says the quake did not affect its Fukushima Daiichi and Fukushima Daini nuclear plants.
Fukushima Daiichi was severely damaged by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
The utility says it has told nuclear plant workers to move to higher ground or buildings as a tsunami advisory has been issued to Fukushima Prefecture.
The company says radiation levels near the plants have not changed.
Dec. 7, 2012 - Updated 11:04 UTC (20:04 JST)
Expert: Friday jolt is normal fault type quake
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20121207_43.html
A Japanese expert says the powerful earthquake that occurred off northeastern Japan on Friday is thought to have been triggered when the inside of the Pacific Plate was pulled apart as a result of the massive quake in March last year in the same region.
University of Tokyo Emeritus Professor Katsuyuki Abe says this type of earthquake is known as a normal-fault type quake.
This occurs when the Pacific Plate sinks under the continental tectonic plate.
Professor Abe says the latest quake had a big risk of triggering a tsunami. He added that precautions need to be kept in place until warnings or advisories are lifted.
Abe says the frequency and magnitude of aftershocks from last year's massive quake are on the decline, though there is still a chance of another tremor as powerful as Friday's.
Abe advises people to remain on the alert.
Magnitude 7.3 quake hits northeast Japan
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20121207_47.html
A strong earthquake has hit northeastern Japan.
The Meteorological Agency says the 7.3-magnitude quake occurred at 5:18 PM Friday, Japan time.
The quake's focus was 10 kilometers under the seabed off the Sanriku coast. The area was hit by a magnitude-9 quake and tsunami on March 11th last year.
At 6:02 PM, a 1-meter-high tsunami was observed in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture.
At 6:10 PM, a 20-centimeter tsunami was observed at Ofunato Port in Iwate Prefecture.
Shortly after 7 PM, the Meteorological Agency lifted all tsunami warnings and advisories for the region.
The quake had an intensity of 5-minus on the Japanese scale of zero to 7 in parts of Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Ibaraki and Tochigi prefectures.
Smaller jolts were felt in Tokyo and other areas.
December 4, 2012
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