Almost no other country in the world is rocked by such frequent and damaging earthquakes as Japan – an island nation that sits on the boundary of four tectonic plates, the constantly-shifting slabs of the Earth’s crust.
It also lies on the “Ring of Fire,” a 25,000-mile arc that stretches around the Pacific, where the world’s most active volcanoes are located – and the most earthquakes take place.
The impact of these quakes was on full display this week after a deadly 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture, prompting thousands of emergency responders to mobilize in search, rescue and relief efforts.
Officials say 28 people died following the earthquake, though they’re still investigating whether they’re all linked to the disaster, Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara Minoru said Thursday.
Japan is well-prepared for disasters like these, having invested billions of dollars into cutting-edge quake detection technology, response and evacuation systems, and quake-proof infrastructure.
