INSIDE JAPAN from our view

Magnitude 6.9 quake hits wide areas of Japan, causing small tsunamis  Japan Times:TOKYO — An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 jolted extensive areas on the Pacific side of the Hokkaido, Tohoku and Kanto areas Tuesday morning, with small tsunamis observed in several parts of Tohoku, northeastern Japan. The quake occurred at 6:39 a.m. and a 30-centimeter tsunami reached Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, at 7:25 a.m., with smaller waves observed elsewhere, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The quake measured 3 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in the affected areas. Its focus was at a shallow depth under the seabed in the Pacific some 310 kilometers east of the Oshika Peninsula in Miyagi Prefecture.

This magnitude was corrected to 7.1 by the Japan Meteorological Agency. Japanese are so accustomed to tsunamis that we are unlikely to behave too sensitively. Especially for people who live Tohoku region, northeastern Japan. This area is known as one of the most frequent earthquake areas in Japan.

 And we are helped by NHK, the public broadcasting company, to face with earthquakes and tsunamis. As usual, NHK broadcasted tsunami warning today as long as Meteorological Agency confirmed that there was no longer danger of tsunamis.

 But it costs too much to maintain NHK and Japan Meteorological Agency which both have branches nearly everywhere in Japan. Japanese people like to keep them, I guess. However, I doubt this system functions even though the same one is constructed.