Another Big Earthquake Rattles Japan

Numbers are way down, and hotel discounts are way up

(NEWSER) - Looking for an inexpensive vacation? Go to Japan. This is the country's unofficial message to a dwindling population of visitors scared away by the recent natural disasters and the threat of radiation exposure, the Global Post reports. To draw tourists back in, hotels are offering bargain-bin specials. Japan needs all the help it can get: Its National Tourism Organization reported that, compared to last year, the number of visitors dropped 62.5% in April, 50.4% in May, and 36% in June. More»

Aftershocks expected to continue for up to 10 years

(NEWSER) - As aftershocks from the devastating March 11 earthquake continue to rock Japan, doctors say they been treating large numbers of people suffering from "earthquake sickness." Sufferers sometimes think the ground is shaking even when it isn't; other symptoms include dizziness and anxiety. Doctors liken the feeling of "phantom quakes" to the swaying sensation people feel when they step off a boat onto land. More»

On one-month anniversary of massive shaker

(NEWSER) - A fresh tsunami warning has been issued in Japan following a powerful 7.1-magnitude aftershock off the northeast coast today. Tokyo's international airport was shut briefly and shoppers at an electronics store in central Sendai screamed and raced outside, but returned after a short time when windows stopped rattling, reports AP. A warning was issued for a 3-foot tsunami, similar to the one issued after last week's temblor . More»

Seven ways to donate and spread awareness

(NEWSER) - If the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan has you feeling helpless, turn to Mashable . The site rounds up seven ways you can do something—even if you’re broke:

• Like a page: For each person that “likes” the “Dog Bless You” Facebook page for search and rescue dogs, Explore.org will donate $1.
• Use Twitter hashtags: Hashtags to tweet or follow include #Jishin for general information, #Anpi to confirm the safety of people or places, #Hinan for evacuation info, and #311care for medical care info.

They'd predicted a massive quake southwest of Tokyo

(NEWSER) - For years, Japan’s scientists have been expecting a giant earthquake, pinpointing its location along a fault line southwest of Tokyo—but today’s disaster defied their forecasts. The country’s biggest earthquake occurred 231 miles northeast of the capital along a different fault, the Washington Post reports. Scientists had gone so far as to name the hypothetical southwestern quake the "Tokai Earthquake." They had also installed strain meters throughout that region, identified expected landslide locations on maps, and shared casualty estimates with officials. Seismic hazard maps assigned a more modest earthquake hazard to the region where the quake actually struck. Click to see photos of the devastation. More»