Introduction
| On October 6 at 1:30 in the afternoon a large earthquake hit the western part of Tottori prefecture, Japan. It was the largest earthquake to hit Japan since the devastating Kobe earthquake in 1995. It had a moment magnitude of 6.6 (Mw, JMA), which is about 40% of the Kobe earthquake. The epicenter was located some 30 km south of Yonago, which is port city on the Japan Sea-coast. The focal depth was about 11 km. The right lateral strike-slip fault has not caused any signs of surface rupture. |
| Except for 2 collapsed buildings, a shrine and a one-family house, and the cracked columns of Mizuguchi city hall only minor building damage was observed such as displaced roof tiles and broken windows. Sandboils seen in the Sakai port were evidence of the extensive liquefaction, which caused lateral spreading and retaining wall damage. Some port areas were closed off. Several landslides and rock falls has been reported in the mountaineous region closer to the epicenter. |