Earthquake

Earthquake - Chikoto Kodama (8 yrs old) Japan.

We experience earthquake in our country quite often. Even a small one, I hide myself under the table or desk and my heart is beating fast.
When the mother of my grandmother was about my age, a big earthquake called Kanto Dai Shinsai (Kanto area big earthquake) occurred in Tokyo. It occurred at lunch time, so people were using fire to cook and. so fire broke out here and there, and lots and lots of people died. It was on the 1st of September, since then it is enacted to be "disaster prevention day".

We have an emergency drill every year at school on that day. We hide ourselves at the sign of alarm and stay there for a while then, it is announced "quake is over, but fire broke out from the kitchen. Escape to the yard". We escape with putting the hood on and cover the mouth with a handkerchief or towel. During the time we are escaping from our classroom, our parents are called up by the teachers and come to pick us up. Assuming a real disaster, they must come on foot, so Mom says "Oh! too much trouble every year". At home we always have candles, emergency food and water, preparing for electricity cut caused by disaster, and supply new one every September.

Another big earthquake occurred in Hokkaido island (northern island of Japan) on the 13th of July this year and many people died. If it occurs in Kanagawa where I live, it must be very frightening. I have never experienced any big quake, but if it happens when my family are separated, we may not see each other again. Just thinking about it scares me.

They say catfish foretells an earthquake. I wish I could have it in my home as a pet. When the catfish start struggling, I would know when earthquake would occur, and we could escape quickly a long way off.

                                                                                                                    (November 1993)