Every summer we go to a beach resort and stay a few days.
This year we planned to go there from Sunday, August 9 until yesterday (Tuesday, August 11) because all five of us had those days off from work or school clubs.
We checked the weather forecast for those days last week and it said that it would rain a little bit on August 9 and then it’d be nice the rest of the time.
But that’s not how it turned out…
When we arrived at the beach on Sunday, it was a bit cloudy but still nice weather and very hot. So the kids went swimming a bit. If they had known that that’d be their only chance to swim, they would’ve stayed in the water longer.
After they finished swimming, they took a shower and changed their clothes and we went for a walk around.
My second daughter caught a カブト虫 (rhino beetle).
Then it began to rain.
We went back to the room and ate dinner. And we turned on the TV and I checked the weather forecast.
A typhoon was hitting the east coast of Japan! 😦
The forecast said that the typhoon would be gone and the weather would clear up on the afternoon of August 11. The day we we going back home!
And then, while we were eating dinner, an 地震 (earthquake) struck!
The area we were in registered a “level 4 earthquake” on the Japanese shindo earthquake scale. (The Japanese scale goes from 1-7).
It was an unwelcome fright! But luckily it wasn’t strong enough to knock anything down where we were.
The weather forecast was correct. The typhoon stayed the whole time we were there. It ruined our beach trip.
The wind and rain was very strong the entire time we were there. Both the beach and the nearby waterslide pool park were closed.
And then yesterday morning at about 5:30AM, another big 地震 (earthquake) struck! This one had the epicenter in 静岡県 (Shizuoka Prefecture), and registered a “level 6” (out of “7”) there!
Where we were it registered as a “level 4” again. Once again, not big enough to do damage where we were…but big enough to wake us up!
I hate earthquakes!
But we still had fun together. Indoors.
We played games, watched TV, talked, and enjoyed time together.
We planned to take the 6:30PM train home yesterday (August 11).
At about 5:00PM, I noticed that the typhoon seemed to have passed and the weather was clearing up.
Just my luck! The weather was miserable the whole time we were there…and then clears up when were getting ready to leave!
Since we had time, and the storm passed, we took a walk around again.
There were many surfers taking advantage of the big waves brought by the typhoon.
Even though we didn’t get to swim as we planned, we still had a good time.
And as I said, we go to this beach every summer. This was the first time that the weather wasn’t beautiful while we were there.
Hopefully it’ll be nice weather again next year!
Tokyo Five 
Wow, most people are unlucky if they’re in either a hurricane or an earthquake and you guys got both at once! We were worried about you when we saw the news about the earthquake, glad everyone is fine.
Didn’t you guys have a Rhino beetle before? Did your daughter take this one home?
LikeLike
>most people are unlucky if they’re in either a hurricane or an earthquake and you guys got both at once!
Actually it was a typhoon. Hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones are similar…I think what it’s called simply depends on what part of the world it occurs in.
>Didn’t you guys have a Rhino beetle before?
Nearly every summer we have at least one.
>Did your daughter take this one home?
Yes.
We also have an Elephant Beetle still in the larvae stage.
This is a huge beetle and takes a very long time to complete the larvae cycle into an adult beetle. But it should become an adult soon (we’ve had it for over a year).
LikeLike
I am so glad you are all okay! that must have been quite a scare. it sounds like you all the best of it anyway. the beach looks beautiful there. remember the hurricane that hit Florida when you all came over for vacation at the condo? that was pretty scary too. I hope I never do experience an earthquake. they seem like they would be so scary because you just don’t know how bad it will be until it’s over. well, pls let us know how bad the earthquake was that hit you all today. we just heard about it on the news and are a little worried about you all. love you all Mom
LikeLike
>remember the hurricane that hit Florida when you all came over for vacation at the condo?
Yes, it was also in August (2001) when we went to Florida on holiday…and a hurricane kept us indoors for three days.
It was kinda deja vu! (*.*)
>let us know how bad the earthquake was that hit you all today.
It did no damage where we are. We’re fine.
LikeLike
That stinks that your vacation plans were thwarted by yucky weather…
But I am very glad that everyone is alright and no damage was done where you live.
LikeLike
It would’ve been nice to go swimming…but we still had a good time.
LikeLike
I hope that at least your hotel was beautiful.
LikeLike
Yes, very nice.
It was on the beach. Nice view.
LikeLike
Glad you guys are alright. Better luck next time with the weather I guess.
Rhino Beetle= Heracross (pokemon)
LikeLike
>Glad you guys are alright. Better luck next time with the weather I guess.
Thanks.
>Rhino Beetle= Heracross (pokemon)
I don’t know much about Pokemon…so I used google images to see a picture of “Heracross”.
Yeah, it looks like a Rhino Beetle…but I wonder why since it’s name is obviously based on the “Hercules Beetle“.
In Japanese, the Rhino Beetle that my daughter caught (shown in my photos above) is called 「カブト虫」 (Kabuto Mushi).
A 「ヘラクレスオオカブト」 (“Hercules Beetle“) is a type of Rhino Beetle, but is bigger and has a different horn.
LikeLike
I heard that on the news and actually thought of you.
LikeLike
Thanks.
Luckily, there was no damage from neither the earthquakes nor the typhoon where we were.
In other parts of the country, there were people injured and killed by both of them.
LikeLike
oooh, bad luck….Sorry to hear that!
I’ve never felt an earthquake, or been in a typhoon, for that matter, it must be very disconcerting, as you never expect it, or know how strong it will be.
LikeLike
>I’ve never felt an earthquake, or been in a typhoon
You’re lucky. They’re both terrible!
Having grown up on the east coast of the U.S., I never experienced an earthquake until I came to Japan, but I’ve been through a couple hurricanes in Florida when I lived there and they’re similar to typhoons.
LikeLike