Living with Earthquakes ー　Earthquakes, the Nankai Trough, Active Faults, and My Life in JapanAugust 4, 2026, Reiwa8

Today, I read a newspaper article about the Kumamoto Earthquake.

A maximum seismic intensity of 7.
Many evacuation centers.
People suffering from staying in their cars during extreme summer heat.

Behind every number, there are individual lives, families, and stories.

An earthquake can suddenly change ordinary life.

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## The Difference Between Nankai Trough Earthquakes and Active Fault Earthquakes

Until today, I did not fully understand the difference between a Nankai Trough earthquake and the type of earthquake that occurred in Kumamoto.

A Nankai Trough earthquake occurs at the boundary between tectonic plates under the ocean.

The Philippine Sea Plate is moving beneath the plate on which Japan is located. Stress builds up over many years, and when it is released suddenly, a huge earthquake can occur.

These earthquakes can affect a very wide area and may cause large tsunamis.

On the other hand, the Kumamoto Earthquake was caused by movement of an inland active fault.

An active fault is a fault that has moved many times in the past and may move again in the future.

Because the earthquake source can be shallow, strong shaking can occur near the fault.

Although both are earthquakes, their causes and patterns of damage are different.

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## Thinking About Earthquakes While Living in Ehime

Now I live in Ehime.

Ehime also has the Chuo Tectonic Line Fault Zone, one of Japan's major active fault systems.

This reminded me that we should not only think about the Nankai Trough earthquake, but also understand the characteristics of the place where we live and prepare for possible disasters.

However, nobody knows exactly when an earthquake will happen.

I was born in Osaka, spent my university years in Kobe, and lived in Shizuoka for many years.

Earthquakes have always been close to my life.

When I married my husband from Shizuoka, people around me said, "Why are you moving to such a dangerous place?"

But later, the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake occurred.

The earthquake did not happen where people expected.

Natural disasters do not follow human predictions.

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## Memories of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake

At the time of the earthquake, I was living in Shizuoka.

My husband said in the morning, "There was shaking."
He noticed that a clock was moving.

I did not feel the earthquake.

However, when I arrived at work, the news was completely focused on the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake.

I called my parents in Nara, but the telephone lines were not working.

It was only in the afternoon that I was finally able to confirm that they were safe.

However, I could not contact my friends in Kobe for a long time.

One friend, a doctor who lived in Kobe, took an entire day to return to Osaka because of traffic jams and damaged roads.

An earthquake does not only destroy buildings.

It also affects communication, transportation, hospitals, and every part of daily life.

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## A Story I Can Never Forget

Among the many reports after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, there is one story I have never forgotten.

A family was trying desperately to save an elderly family member trapped inside a collapsed house.

They tried to move the fallen wooden materials, but a fire began to approach.

The elderly person said,
"Leave me. You must escape."

The family could not save that person.

They left a bottle of water in front of the house and escaped.

The next day, they found the person's remains.

Even now, I cannot forget this story.

In an extreme situation, human beings sometimes face situations where there is no perfect choice.

Running away does not mean abandoning someone.

Sometimes it means accepting the limits of what humans can do in front of the power of nature.

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## How Should We Face Earthquakes?

I have continued paying earthquake insurance for many years.

Fortunately, I have lived without experiencing a major disaster myself.

Sometimes I wonder if all that preparation was unnecessary.

But somewhere in Japan, there are always people suffering because of earthquakes.

As Japanese people sharing the same country, how should we understand their pain?

An earthquake is not only someone else's problem.

None of us knows when we may become victims ourselves.

Therefore, we should not only fear earthquakes.

We should prepare.

And we should remember that behind every number in a disaster report, there is a person, a family, and a life.

Living in Japan means living with earthquakes.

The best thing we can do is to prepare calmly and continue valuing our daily lives.
 
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