Shakeup

No, I'm not talking about the 10 administration resignation announcemets. Maybe more on that later.

But first, the media blitz leading up to the election, added to its normal lack of interest in world events, resulted in little coverage of the big October earthquakes in Japan. Tremors and aftershocks are still occuring. There has now been over 2000 tremors of varying strength and they are forecast to last for at least another month.

69,000 people still homeless.

The first big quake, a 6.1 on the Richter scale lasting only12 seconds, hit the key Koi breeding region of Niigata prefecture. A second quake hit within minutes, followed by a series of aftershocks. Other impacted towns included Nagaoka, Takezawa, Uragara and Mushigame. Up to now the only areas accessible are Ojiya, Budokubo & Aikawa. Major villages such as Nigorisawacho, Iwamagi, Koguriyama, Uragara, Nigoro, Takezawa, Mushigame and Yomogihira are all out of bounds to vehicles excepting those with official passes.

Koi stocks are in severe danger, some have lost many already and others have generators which are enough to power air pumps but few have filters and heaters working. Huge landslides are common throughout the area and many mud ponds have been destroyed.

Here's a brief summary of some major Koi breeding houses. Here is a report, with disaster pics. More pics here. Some more.