When Will the Big Earthquake Hit?

I was born and raised in Japan. Like most Japanese, I have experienced many earthquakes. As a child, I still remember the sound of the ground rumbling and the steel frames of buildings making eerie noises.

On August 8, 2024, a massive earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 struck Kyushu Island, Japan. After significant earthquakes like this, there's often concern about the possibility of another major quake following. People started worrying, particularly about the potential for the dreaded Nankai Trough earthquake.

The Nankai Trough is an area with a history of massive earthquakes, and it's in a state where a major quake could happen at any time. Some even believe that a large earthquake in the Nankai Trough could trigger an eruption of Mt. Fuji.

The next day, on August 9, 2024, another earthquake occurred in Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, where I used to live. According to the news, the major train lines stopped, and there was chaos as people could not return home.

There are many rumours about earthquake predictions. The oldest one involves catfish being able to sense impending earthquakes. It's not just catfish; some say snakes can detect them, too. Long ago, my neighbours and I saw a few rare snakes on the road, and my neighbours started to worry. The next day, there was a big earthquake. However, there's no scientific evidence to back these claims.

Now, people in Japan are worried about earthquakes. Some rumours have been spreading widely online, with predictions of a possible quake on August 14 or 16. Most people know these predictions aren't scientific, but they can't help feeling anxious. Experts in today's science cannot predict when earthquakes will occur. It might be tomorrow or ten years later. What we know is that it's undoubtedly coming.

I hope that one day scientists will discover a reliable way to predict earthquakes, but even that could bring its challenges. Predictions can lead to social problems, which reminds me of the Japanese drama "JAPAN SINKS: People of Hope."

"JAPAN SINKS: People of Hope."
https://www.netflix.com/au/title/81477445

Japan is prone to natural disasters, which may be beyond human control. But we can only hope that measures will continue to be developed to minimise the damage as much as possible.