Did you know that a typhoon is the same weather formation as a hurricane? The name just changes depending on where the storm occurs. I've experienced plenty of hurricanes in Houston, and I was lucky enough to dodge any serious typhoons while in Japan, though they are common and can be deadly.
However, the biggest shock for me was the earthquakes; I had never experienced an earthquake before going to Japan, and it was absolutely terrifying to feel the whole ground shaking beneath my feet for the first time! Japan sits at the intersection of four tectonic plates: the North American Plate, Pacific Plate, Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian Plate. I felt earthquakes all the time in Tokyo, while I was sleeping, while I was bathing and while I was on the train. It never got any less terrifying for me! While a tsunami is triggered by the same movement of tectonic plates as an earthquake, I'm thankful that it was the one natural disaster that I didn't have to experience first-hand.
As far as natural disasters go, Japan has been incredible when it comes to innovating for safety. The skyscrapers in Tokyo are all flexible so that when an earthquake strikes, they will sway back-and-forth like trees rather than toppling over! As for tsunamis and typhoons, there's not much that can be done to prevent water from washing away homes and property, so the most important thing is to make sure that everyone is prepared to evacuate when the time comes. When I first arrived in Tokyo, I paid a visit to the disaster preparedness center where I learned the protocol for exiting the city, if the worst came to pass.
