MY FIRST JISHIN

TOKYO 7 May 08 - A strong earthquake struck off the coast of Japan early Thursday, the national Meteorological Agency said, waking up people 160 kilometres away in Tokyo.Two people suffered minor injuries from falling furniture, public television broadcaster NHK reported. An 18-year-old man was hit when his stereo speakers fell onto his bed, and a 25-year-old man was hit by objects rattled off shelves. There were no other immediate reports of injuries or damage from the magnitude 6.8 earthquake, NHK said. No tsunami warning was issued.

The earthquake occurred at 1:45 a.m. offshore at a depth of about 40 kilometres, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The epicentre was about 160 kilometres northeast of Tokyo. A second quake with a magnitude of 5.3 struck the same area about 30 minutes later, and more aftershocks could follow, Tamotsu Aketagawa, an official who monitors earthquakes for the country's Meteorological Agency, told The Associated Press.

"Since it was a very large-scale earthquake, we would expect to see some modest aftershocks," he said.

Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world because it sits atop four tectonic plates. Tokyo has not been hit by a major quake since 1923, when 140,000 people died in the Great Kanto Earthquake. ( The Associated Press)

- that was what the AP had to say. As for me, it was a first warning for me - how badly unprepared i am for this! So from today onwards... I will write more on the matter of earthquake and related issues. Albeit knowing that i am in a country which is so prone to earthquakes and tsunamis, but yet i turned a blind eye to it. what the hell is wrong with me?!? i hope my writing and the info shared will shed light to myself and those interested in this issue. ja ne!