1. Living on the Ring of Fire http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Pacific_Ring_of_Fire.png

2. The “Ring of Fire” is caused by movement along the edges of tectonic plates. Three different plates meet in Japan. http://www.gdrc.org/oceans/un-seahorse/images/jishin.gif

3. One major type of disaster Japan deals with the earthquake. http://www.ritoru.net/Resources/quake2.jpg http://wwwimage.cbsnews.com/images/2009/08/09/image5227835g.jpg http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200707/r160671_587910.jpg

4. Japanese architects have worked hard to design earthquake-resistant buildings. But earthquakes will always be destructive, even when they don’t cause death. http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/sb10063389g-001/Reportage

5. Schools in Japan have regular earthquake drills. http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01472/earthquake-drill_1472634i.jpghttp://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/01EbeAc8yUb2J/610x.jpg

6. Since earthquakes cannot yet be predicted, they can only prepare and hope to save lives and property. http://www.twelvebar.com/astorytotell/uploaded_images/Elmo-798613.JPG

7. Japan also has 186 volcanoes, and a third of them are active volcanoes. http://virgil.org/dswo/fs/japantour/shared/japan-volcanoes.gif

8. Mt. Fuji, a beautiful mountain right outside of Tokyo, is a volcano. It is a threat to the people of Tokyo. http://wallpaper-s.org/63__Cherry_Blossoms_And_Mount_Fuji,_Japan.htm

9. Kagoshima is built right by an active volcano. Children are required to wear helmets to and from school. http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/japan/pictures/volcano_sakurajima_kagoshima.jpghttp://images.travelpod.com/users/jo-jo/nagoya.1101866880.update_040.jpg

10. And, of course, some kids don’t exactly follow the rules. https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6075/6085099336_654ace353a_z.jpg http://sumojoesays.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Austronesian-Expeditions-Kagoshima-Kids-300x214.jpg 500 eruptions in 2013!

11. Sometimes you need more than just a helmet. Therefore, there are “volcano shelters” around Kagoshima. http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/57026634.jpg http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/56947873.jpg

12. Volcanic eruptions can be predicted and people can be evacuated, but the damage to homes, businesses, and entire cities cannot be stopped. http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/volcano/gifs/volcanodiagram.GIF

13. Tsunamis have hit Japan in the past, and will hit it again. http://serc.carleton.edu/images/NAGTWorkshops/visualization/collections/japan1960.jpghttp://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/brochures/images/ts-p5mve.jpg http://fohn.net/biggest-tsunami/1703-awa-japan.jpg

14. Tsunamis usually are caused by under-ocean earthquakes. http://www.cnsm.csulb.edu/departments/geology/people/bperry/Geol303photos/waves/TsunamiDiagramEWNZ.jpg http://www.seismic.ca.gov/images/tsunamiwave.jpg

15. They can also be caused by under- ocean volcanoes. But this is not common. http://sciencefun.today.com/files/2009/03/pacific-volcano.jpg

16. Tsunami escape routes are posted in Japan, guiding people to higher ground. http://www.astoncrisis.com/crisiscms/images/shizuoka_evacuation_sign.jpghttp://image24.webshots.com/25/9/64/60/49296460XkyDFi_ph.jpg http://scripps.ucsd.edu/japan/journal/0719/images/photo2.jpg

17. Japanese learn at a young age how to evacuate to higher safety. https://sp2.yimg.com/ib/th?id=H.4590947653780882&pid=15.1 https://sp3.yimg.com/ib/th?id=H.4590947653780875&pid=15.1 https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=H.4590947653780872&pid=15.1 https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=H.4590947653780876&pid=15.1

18. Tsunami towers and tsunami shelter buildings are also used. http://www.fj-i.co.jp/tsunami_tower_english.img/st11.jpghttp://www.rotarysamui.org/rotary/images/stories/tsunami/watertower/Water%20Tower_08.jpg

19. In the 2011 tsunami, these structures saved lives. http://nimg.sulekha.com/others/original700/japan-earthquake-2011-3-28-19-30-8.jpghttp://news.opb.org/media/uploads/images/articles/040711_tsunami3_big.jpg

20. The Pacific Ocean also has a warning system for tsunamis. This system warns when a tsunami first forms. http://www.fig.net/pub/figpub/pub38/figure_8.jpg http://www.sialnews.com/images/2011/10/Indian- Oceans-tsunami-alert-system-test-on-12th-October- 2011.jpg

21. When a huge tsunami hit in the Indian Ocean in 2004, they had NO tsunami early warning system. http://www.groundviews.org/wp-content/uploads/Countries-affected-by-2004-Dec-tsunami-graphic-courtesy-BBC.gif

22. People didn’t know the tsunami was coming until it was too late. http://www.miadhu.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/2004-tsunami.jpg

23. When a huge under-ocean earthquake happens, ocean water actually pulls back from the shore. These tourists wanted to see what was out there, and got caught in the Indian Ocean tsunami. http://geol105naturalhazards.voices.wooster.edu/files/2011/03/tsunami_wave_coming _time_to_run.jpg http://geol105naturalhazards.voices.wooster.edu/files/2011/03/tsunami_wave_coming _too_late_to_run.jpg

24. Since that disaster, a tsunami warning system has been installed in the Indian Ocean. http://www.khaolak.net/images/iotws.jpg http://www.khaolak.net/images/thailand-tsunami- detection-buoy.jpg

25. Japan has always had to deal with natural disasters from tectonic plate movement. Their best hope is to educate people and to be prepared. http://www.bugbog.com/images/maps/japan-map.jpg