M6.1 quake jolts Chiba, surrounding areas

Yep! That was a shaker! It got me running out of the convenience store. I heard the AU earthquake alarm go off about five seconds before it hit.

Needless to say, we felt that one here in Tokyo. The ground moved for about two minutes, plus or minus a few seconds.

Guess we might be in for another night of rocking and rolling.

A 3 in Tokyo? Apparently I don't have the Japanese earthquake scale down yet, it thought it felt stronger than the one that originated off the coast of Hokkaido.

Ah, wait. That does not make sense. Chiba is much much closer, so of course that one feels stronger. But still, I have no much clue on how strong the earthquakes are when it happens.

Hokkaido a few hours ago and now Chiba. Where next? Be safe everyone.

My cat is going crazy, scratching to get out. I hope that things calm down soon. Its a bit active tonight, isnt it!

I was in the toilet :(

"It got me running out of the convenience store"

I'll bet it got a lot of people running TO the convenience store, lol.

wow stay safe people! This may be a long night indeed.. :(

Very noticable. And long. A reminder of a year ago, when this sort of thing came every few hours.

21:05 JST 14 Mar 2012 Chiba-ken Toho-oki M6.1

19:49 JST 14 Mar 2012 Sanriku Oki M5.9

18:09 JST 14 Mar 2012 Sanriku Oki M6.8

http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/quake_singendo_index.html

Was ready to leave the house here in Narita, dog & cats are a bit freaked, we dont need this crap!

Dude! I was talking about earthquakes and checking a map about hazardous areas that I ve got just this afternoon on the city hall. It seems that is going to be a busy night.

Dude!! Does that map somehow have a prediction for the next 12 hours? DUDE! You've got to share that map with us!!

Hazardous areas? Anyone know any safe ones?

Man... freaky stuff. Stay safe, people!

Nice!!

I'm gonna spend the night in my bamboo grove.

Yep, that was a bit of a shaker up here on the 17th floor, and it seemed to go on for a loooooong time.

Elbuda - get OFF the toilet and give us all a night of peace please!!! ;)

Welcome to Japan! Not sure how smart it is to run out into the street. There are dangers there as well. Falling glass, utility lines and poles, other debre from buildings. Be safe guys and I am praying for you!

@Lazzaris Alberto - great link man! it just sounded off when the next quake off of Fukushima hit - felt it rocking in my apt in Tokyo just as it finished counting down to the expected quake

Yesterday I thought a big one is overdue (due to a drop in the daily energy releases). I hope these were enough for now. While the Sanriku and Fukushima guys might have been aftershocks from the 6.8 quake, the Chiba quake could be a new guy. I expect a rough night. Stay safe!

Thanks lazzaris for the link.

Check out www.japanquakemap.com

A smaller one little while ago. Hopefully its just releasing pressure. Could be a shaky sleep for a lot of people tonight.

Any doubt that the next big one will be in Tokyo ? We just dont know how big but definitely, the pressure must be now too much for the Tokyo undergound to resit....warned!!!!

Yeah we definitely got a bonus on the length of the shake time here in Tokyo.

It's very scientific in here. I feel the IQ!

Why do posters often write, "Stay safe people" for this kind of news?

Is anyone planning on "staying unsafe"?

Better a lot of small ones than one big one. Not that it's any fun being 7 floors up in one. I wonder how much the really tall buildings were swaying?

good luck guys!

What's going on people? There hasn't been a strong one like that in Chiba since New Year's day. I am also a little bit surprised by the frequency of the earthquakes. I have never experienced anything like that before, but my gf told me it was similar to the days following the big one last year. (i was not here at that time).

Anyway, please, take care everybody and sleep well.

People run outside to an open area like a wide street or a parking lot to get out of the way of any buildings that might fall or roofs that might cave in. It's especially smart if you have kids, you can hold them and protect their heads. 6.1 is pretty big. Still not too late to buy an extra pack of toilet paper, baby wipes, 2L water, and some canned goods to store in your closet.

I was taught that the best place to be was in a door frame. Unfortuantely a lot (most) Japanese houses have heavy tile roofs over wood frame construction, so the house might collapse and if there is a fire the wood is good fuel. I actually feel safer in the high rise. I hope to not have any data that proves me right or wrong....

choiwaruoyaji, because running out of a high rise into a street raining glass will get you killed. You need to think about what you would do doing a quake if it happened NOW! You are in a park, are you safer in the toilet or running out to among trees? A tree falling on you can kill you dead. What about traffic, some drivers are going to lose control in a big quake. You might be safer in the high rise than out of it. What would happen if a 30 meter tall Tsunami hit Tokyo? If you had run out into the park, you are dead. Like a pilot, do some research and do some planning. When flying I was always think of what I would do if there was an emergency NOW.

YuriO,

where I live there isnt anything but some trees that wud certainly rather dodge(unlikely) than be in the house if it collapses, so when I am home the safest place is right outside my front door, thats a big reason I left the big smoke, plus inaka is much nicer day to day, less stressful by a long shot

@choiwaru - Stay safe!

It was only a 3 in Tokyo and I didn't feel it as such a strong one, especially compared to some of the aftershocks in the first month after the big one last year, but I seem to be in the minority! Anyway, we all got a peaceful night's sleep luckily.

@Serrano

Thanks, you too... or at least, don't stay unsafe.

GW:

" where I live there isnt anything but some trees that wud certainly rather dodg "

Really? Seems to me trees are pretty safe. They wont collapse, no windows to fall down, and if you have an earthquake strong enough to uproot a tree, it would be the end of the world anyway.

thats why we just step out into the yard!

the calm before the storm

yes, I took some pics of earthquake clouds in the afternoon. (that day) They were almost prefectly shaped (I've seen EQ clouds a few times) but not exactly UFO flat shaped as usual. I still told my wife and said "Hey I saw some EQ clouds this afternoon. Then sitting here on the 2nd floor in the computer, music room the house started shaking....at 9:06PM. Oh shit! I left my camera downstairs...ran down to get it but by the time I got back upstairs it was over. Second time in a week that I saw EQ clouds. My first time was way back in Nagano after skiing...in 1983 or '84. Everyone thought I was crazy, until we got to the minshiku and were in the hotspring bath and it started shaking! I even got the March 11th 2011 big on video. Ya know what made the video more powerful. The sound of the two metal sliding shutters that were in their side place slamming together like hard cymbals... with the stereo and monitors and guitar cords hanging from the shelf...thought that was it. ah well...

My first time was way back in Nagano after skiing Everyone thought I was crazy, until we got to the minshiku and were in the hotspring bath and it started shaking! I even got the 2011 big on video. Ya know what made the video more powerful. The sound of the two metal sliding shutters that were in their side place slamming together like hard cymbals.Thanks for the information and success. http://www.kabbanet.ro