Strong Earthquake in Japan’s Nagano Injures Dozens, Topples Homes · Global Voices
Nevin Thompson

Screenshot of M6.8 Nagano earthquake courtesy ANN News.
An earthquake struck central Japan on Saturday, November 22, injuring 41 people and collapsing dozens of farmhouses, destroying roads, and toppling tombstones in the village of Hakuba in Nagano prefecture.
The magnitude 6.8 earthquake trapped 21 people under collapsed houses, but all were freed and no deaths were reported.
Many houses collapse, 41 people injured after strong earthquake strikes Nagano in Japan. http://t.co/XHuCqPkXfS pic.twitter.com/3UrOFF3rkE
— わんわんわん公 (@watanabewankou) November 23, 2014
白馬村堀ノ内地区。一階部分が完全につぶれています。 pic.twitter.com/d97isDNPjM
— 山口のりひさ (@yamaguchijcpngn) November 23, 2014
Horinouchi Ward in Hakuba Village. The first floor has totally collapsed.
Hakuba in Nagano Prefecture lies about 200 kilometers northwest of Tokyo, and was the site of the 1998 Winter Olympics.
Following the quake, it was discovered that Hakuba sits atop an active fault line. The shifting ground caused considerable damage to roads and other infrastructure around the village, as well as to cemeteries.
被害、オリンピック道路です。悲しいな。 #地震 #白馬 pic.twitter.com/avP1VjNf5G — 金ちゃん (@kinchan795) November 22, 2014
Olympic Avenue has been damaged, so sad. #地震 (earthquake) #白馬 (Hakuba)
The earthquake also caused power outages that affected rapid express trains on routes in different parts of central Japan. Many Twitter users posted about being stuck on shut-down trains.
地震速報の影響？車掌アナウンスによると東海道新幹線の新横浜〜岐阜羽島で停電らしい pic.twitter.com/k3GuDDe0DV — Neriken (@nerikenn) November 22, 2014
I wonder if the earthquake is responsible for this? The conductor has announced that a power outage has shut down Shinkansen bullet train service has shut down between Yokohama and Gifu in central Japan.
Twitter users near the earthquake in Nagano posted photos of the aftermath of the temblor:
やばい！地震 アップルランドが大変なことになってる pic.twitter.com/NgwoTFNwjF
— AbeNori@P.F (@pleasant_vo) November 22, 2014
Oh no! The earthquake has made a huge mess in the liquor aisle!
長野市のドンキホーテにて地震に遭遇。 自分も妻も無事です。 pic.twitter.com/06gQW5stvZ
— まーちょ! (@marcho01) November 22, 2014
The aftermath of the earthquake at the Don Quixote discount store in Nagano City.
A total of 53 aftershocks had been recorded by midday Sunday, the Meteorological Agency’s earthquake and tsunami division said.