Major Local Earthquake last Sunday

While I was having my breakfast last Sunday, another earthquake occured. It was the strongest I've felt for a few months and being in my apartment, the same place as teh big one, it scared the shit out of me. When it stopped I immediately looked at this diagram which shows the earthquake activity in Niigata for the last 24 hours. Sure enough, a big red circle had appeared in Oguni-town showing a size 5 earthquake had hit just north of Tokamachi.


A 5 you say? That's nothing surely? Well, compared to the Big One last October, of course it is, but it's still significant enough to scare you (and it's was the biggest to hit Niigata since 23rd Oct 2004). After Sunday's quake, my TV/Computer stand and books on my window ledge had moved two inches from the walls. The worst casualty was my mug of tea that had stood up, but half it's contents had sloshed over onto the floor. Still, I'm greatful it didn't build into another big earthquake.