2004 Chūetsu earthquake

Earthquake in Japan hist February 2026 2004 Chūetsu earthquake Collapsed houses in Nagaoka City 新潟県中越地震 JA 中越地震 (12).jpg 270px 2004-10-23 08:56:00 usp000d6vk 7421058 2004 10 23 17:56:00 JST (UTC+9) Japan Niigata Prefecture#Japan 13 km mi j y 6.8w y 6.6 Muikamachi fault 442+ 825+ recorded (as of 30/11/2004)j 6.5 on 23 October 2004 (strongest) Niigata, Fukushima, Gunma, Nagano and Saitama Prefectures, Japan Reverse 68 fatalities, 4,805 injuries 7 MMI 11/12 US$40 billion ((equivalent to $US 40 2004 1 c billion in US) 2.56 g The Chūetsu earthquake 中越地震 Chūetsu jishin occurred in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, at 17:56:00 JST (08:56:00 UTC) on 23 October 2004. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) officially named it the "Heisei 16 Niigata Prefecture Chūetsu Earthquake" 平成16年新潟県中越地震 Heisei ju-roku-nen Niigata-ken Chuetsu Jishin.https://www.jma.go.jp/jma/press/0410/24a/name041024.pdf 平成16年10月23日 17時56分ころ発生した地震の命名について 3 April 2018 Japan Meteorological Agency The reverse-faulting shock achieved a maximum JMA seismic intensity of Shindo 7 and Modified Mercalli intensity of XI–XII (Extreme). It caused widespread destruction and casualties in Niigata Prefecture, while also causing damage and injuries in Fukushima, Gunma, Saitama and Nagano Prefectures. At least 68 people were killed, of which 52 were disaster-related deaths aggravated by illnesses and stress attributed to the earthquake and its effects. More than 131,600 houses were damaged in four prefectures, of which 17,700 partially or fully collapsed. It caused economic losses of US$40 billion, which made it the second costliest natural disaster in history at the time. Tectonic setting The northwestern side of Honshu lies on the southeastern margin of the Sea of Japan, an area of oceanic crust created by back-arc spreading from the late Oligocene to middle Miocene. The extensional tectonics associated with the spreading formed a series of N–S trending extensional faults and associated basins. Currently the area is being deformed by contractional tectonics, causing inversion of these earlier basins, forming anticlinal structures.Sato H. Yoshida T. Takaya I. Sato T. Ikeda Y. Umino N. amp 2004 Late Cenozoic tectonic development of the back arc region of central northern Honshu, Japan, revealed by recent deep seismic profiling Journal of the Japanese Association for Petroleum Technology 69 2 145–154 0370-9868 10.3720/japt.69.145 free The earthquake is thought to have occurred due to reverse movement on one of these reactivated faults.Kawasumi H. Kawasumi H. General Report on the Niigata Earthquake of 1964 http://www.iris.edu/seismo/quakes/1964niigata/Kawasumi1968.pdf 1968 Tokyo Electrical Engineering College Press Tokyo, Japan 1. Introduction 10 June 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100604203633/http://www.iris.edu/seismo/quakes/1964niigata/Kawasumi1968.pdf 4 June 2010 live Earthquake 250px|thumb|left|Severe damage to a road leading to the dormitory of Nagaoka University of Technology The United States Geological Survey (USGS) recorded a moment magnitude of 6.6,M 6.6 - 8 km SSW of Ojiya, Japan 2004 usp000d6vk while the Japan Meteorological Agency put the magnitude at 6.8. At 18:03:12 JST (09:03:12 UTC), another event, with a magnitude of w 6.1M 6.1 - 2 km NE of Ojiya, Japan 2004 usp000d6vn or j 6.3, struck near, with a maximum intensity of Shindo 5+ at Kawaguchi and Nagaoka.Seismic Intensity Database Search https://www.data.jma.go.jp/eqdb/data/shindo/index.html#20041023180312 23 October 2004 31 December 2025 Japan Meteorological Agency A third earthquake occurred at 18:11:57 JST (09:11:57 UTC), measuring w 5.8M 5.8 - 15 km SSE of Kashiwazaki, Japan 2004 usp000d6vq or j 6.0 and having a maximum intensity of Shindo 6+ at Ojiya.Seismic Intensity Database Search https://www.data.jma.go.jp/eqdb/data/shindo/index.html#20041023181156 23 October 2004 31 December 2025 Japan Meteorological Agency A fourth event, measuring w 6.3M 6.3 - 2 km NNE of Ojiya, Japan 2004 usp000d6vu or j 6.5, struck at 18:34:04 JST (09:34:04 UTC) with a maximum intensity of Shindo 6+ in Kawaguchi, Nagaoka and Tōkamachi.Seismic Intensity Database Search https://www.data.jma.go.jp/eqdb/data/shindo/index.html#20041023183405 23 October 2004 31 December 2025 Japan Meteorological Agency Intervening and subsequent earthquakes of lesser intensity also shook the region. Within 116 hours of the mainshock, 15 earthquakes with intensities of Shindo 5− or higher struck the Chūetsu region.平成16年（2004年）新潟県中越地震について（第15報）August 2019 InternetArchiveBot yes PDF File. Japan Meteorological Agency Date 2004/10/29, Retrieval 2018/04/03 The mainshock was caused by a rupture on the Muikamachi fault.六日町断層帯 地震本部 https://www.jishin.go.jp/regional_seismicity/rs_katsudanso/f103_muikamachi/ 2024-01-02 Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion The focal mechanism of the earthquake suggests a rupture on a reverse fault along a northeast-trending plane dipping northwest. The rupture lasted up to 15 seconds, extending up to 20-30 km mi by 14-25 km mi, with the greatest slip being concentrated within 10 km mi of the hypocenter. Ground effects GPS observations revealed that Ojiya experienced a horizontal movement of 8.1 cm in in a west-southwestern direction and an uplift of 26.5 cm in, while Sumon experienced a horizontal movement of 21 cm in in a west-northwestern direction and subsidence of up to 6.3 cm in.Okada 2014 The earthquake also triggered at least 442 documented landslides in Niigata Prefecture, resulting in six fatalities. The earthquake struck several days after Typhoon Tokage made landfall in the country, with heavy rainfall associated with the typhoon contributing to at least 37 mudslides triggered by the earthquake.Japan Reeling From Series of Quakes http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58579-2004Oct24.html dead 22 October 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20171022052953/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58579-2004Oct24.html The Washington Post 24 October 2004 4 January 2026 Observed modes of landslides and slope failure included translational soil slips, deepseated rotational slumps and debris flows. Intensity 250px|thumb|right|A road destroyed by a landslide in Myoken, Nagaoka City The earthquake achieved 7 on the Japanese Shindo intensity scale at Kawaguchi, Niigata,Seismic Intensity Database Search https://www.data.jma.go.jp/eqdb/data/shindo/index.html#20041023175600 23 October 2004 31 December 2025 Japan Meteorological Agency making it the second earthquake to reach such intensity after the 1995 Kobe earthquake.地震の揺れ、防災科学技術研究所は [震度7] と報告 Yomiuri Shimbun 2004-10-24 2026-01-01 http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/science/news/20041024i213.htm dead ja https://web.archive.org/web/20041027005242/http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/science/news/20041024i213.htm 2004-10-27 It is also the time Shindo 7 was observed after the JMA scale's latest revision in 1996.https://www.data.jma.go.jp/eqdb/data/shindo/index.html 震度データベース検索 2019-08-01 気象庁 It corresponded to a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity (MMI) of XI–XII (Extreme).Preliminary Observations on the Niigata Ken Chuetsu, Japan, Earthquake of October 23, 2004 https://www.eeri.org/lfe/pdf/japan_niigata_eeri_preliminary_report.pdf Learning from Earthquakes Earthquake Engineering Research Institute January 2005 7 February 2026 1-12 According to the USGS, around 206,000 people were exposed to shaking corresponding to MMI IX (Violent), 261,500 were exposed to MMI VIII (Severe) shaking and 1.38 million others were subjected to shaking levels of MMI VI-VII (Strong-Very strong).EXPO-CAT Earthquake Catalog https://earthquake.usgs.gov/static/lfs/data/pager/catalogs/ December 1, 2008 United States Geological Survey Version 2007-12 8 February 2026 A peak ground acceleration of 2,515 gal (2.56 g) was recorded in Kawaguchi, Niigata,災害時地震速報 平成 16 年 (2004 年) 新潟県中越地震 ja https://www.jma.go.jp/jma/kishou/books/saigaiji/saigaiji_200407.pdf 23 October 2004 7 February 2026 Japan Meteorological Agency with an acceleration of 1,500 gal (1.53 g) recorded at Ojiya. +Locations with a seismic intensity of Shindo 5− and higherIntensityPrefectureLocations 7NiigataKawaguchi6+NiigataOjiya, Yamakoshi, Oguni6−NiigataNagaoka, Tokamachi, Tochio, Koshiji, Mishima, Horinouchi, Hirokami, Sumon, Irihirose, Kawanishi, Nakasato, Kariwa 5+NiigataMinamiuonuma, Tsunan, Jōetsu, Izumozaki, Mitsuke5−NiigataKashiwazaki, Sanjō, Tsubame, Nishikan-ku, Kamo, Niigata CityFukushimaTadami, Yanaizu, NishiaizuNaganoIizunaGunmaKatashina, Shibukawa, TakasakiSaitamaKuki Aftershocks Throughout 23 October, 164 aftershocks were recorded in Niigata Prefecture, with 110 additional aftershocks occurring on 24 October. Aftershocks continued, with a total of 600 perceptible events recorded by 31 October and 825 overall by 30 November 2004.Ko Masaki Akio 2006 29-37 Most of these aftershocks were distributed within a 30 km mi 20 km mi area. +List of aftershocks with a seismic intensity of Shindo 5− and higherTime (JST)EpicenterMagnitude(USGS)Magnitude(JMA)Intensity(Shindo)DepthNotes23 October 17:59:37 37.268 138.866 type:eventw 5.7j 5.35+10 km mi 0 (USGS United States Geological Survey)16 km mi 0 (JMA Japan Meteorological Agency)M 5.7 - 6 km ESE of Ojiya, Japan 2004 usp000d6vmSeismic Intensity Database Search https://www.data.jma.go.jp/eqdb/data/shindo/index.html#20041023175937 23 October 2004 31 December 2025 Japan Meteorological Agency23 October 18:03:1237.318 138.816 type:eventw 6.1j 6.35+10.5 km mi 0 (USGS United States Geological Survey)9 km mi 0 (JMA Japan Meteorological Agency)23 October 18:07:3137.285 138.772 type:eventw 5.4j 5.75+10 km mi 0 (USGS United States Geological Survey)15 km mi 0 (JMA Japan Meteorological Agency)M 5.4 - 2 km SW of Ojiya, Japan 2004 usp000d6vpSeismic Intensity Database Search https://www.data.jma.go.jp/eqdb/data/shindo/index.html#20041023180730 23 October 2004 31 December 2025 Japan Meteorological Agency23 October 18:11:5737.239 138.608 type:eventw 5.8j 6.06+18 km mi 0 (USGS United States Geological Survey)12 km mi 0 (JMA Japan Meteorological Agency)23 October 18:34:0437.318 138.808 type:eventw 6.3j 6.56+10 km mi 0 (USGS United States Geological Survey)14 km mi 0 (JMA Japan Meteorological Agency)23 October 18:57:2637.193 138.745 type:eventw 5.6j 5.35+10 km mi 0 (USGS United States Geological Survey)8 km mi 0 (JMA Japan Meteorological Agency)M 5.6 - 6 km NNW of Tōkamachi, Japan 2004 usp000d6w3Seismic Intensity Database Search https://www.data.jma.go.jp/eqdb/data/shindo/index.html#20041023185726 23 October 2004 31 December 2025 Japan Meteorological Agency23 October 19:36:4537.225 138.640 type:eventw 5.7j 5.35−10 km mi 0 (USGS United States Geological Survey)11 km mi 0 (JMA Japan Meteorological Agency)M 5.7 - 15 km NW of Tōkamachi, Japan 2004 usp000d6w7Seismic Intensity Database Search https://www.data.jma.go.jp/eqdb/data/shindo/index.html#20041023193645 23 October 2004 31 December 2025 Japan Meteorological Agency23 October 19:45:5737.305 138.655 type:eventw 5.7j 5.76−10 km mi 0 (USGS United States Geological Survey)12 km mi 0 (JMA Japan Meteorological Agency)M 5.7 - 11 km SE of Kashiwazaki, Japan 2004 usp000d6w8Seismic Intensity Database Search https://www.data.jma.go.jp/eqdb/data/shindo/index.html#20041023194557 23 October 2004 31 December 2025 Japan Meteorological Agency24 October 14:21:3437.266 138.633 type:eventw 4.8j 5.05+10 km mi 0 (USGS United States Geological Survey)11 km mi 0 (JMA Japan Meteorological Agency)M 4.8 - 13 km SSE of Kashiwazaki, Japan 2004 usp000d6ykSeismic Intensity Database Search https://www.data.jma.go.jp/eqdb/data/shindo/index.html#20041024142134 24 October 2004 31 December 2025 Japan Meteorological Agency25 October 00:28:0837.187 138.676 type:eventw 5.2j 5.35−13.2 km mi 0 (USGS United States Geological Survey)10 km mi 0 (JMA Japan Meteorological Agency)M 5.2 - 10 km NW of Tōkamachi, Japan 2004 usp000d6zpSeismic Intensity Database Search https://www.data.jma.go.jp/eqdb/data/shindo/index.html#20041025002808 25 October 2004 31 December 2025 Japan Meteorological Agency25 October 06:04:5737.308 138.701 type:eventw 5.7j 5.85+11 km mi 0 (USGS United States Geological Survey)15 km mi 0 (JMA Japan Meteorological Agency)M 5.7 - 8 km W of Ojiya, Japan 2004 usp000d70dSeismic Intensity Database Search https://www.data.jma.go.jp/eqdb/data/shindo/index.html#20041025060457 25 October 2004 31 December 2025 Japan Meteorological Agency27 October 10:40:5037.284 138.885 type:eventw 6.0j 6.16−14.1 km mi 0 (USGS United States Geological Survey)12 km mi 0 (JMA Japan Meteorological Agency)M 6.0 - 7 km ESE of Ojiya, Japan 2004 usp000d75kSeismic Intensity Database Search https://www.data.jma.go.jp/eqdb/data/shindo/index.html#20041027104050 27 October 2004 31 December 2025 Japan Meteorological Agency4 November 09:57:2837.434 138.752 type:eventw 5.3j 5.25+10 km mi 0 (USGS United States Geological Survey)18 km mi 0 (JMA Japan Meteorological Agency)M 5.3 - 8 km WSW of Nagaoka, Japan 2004 usp000d7ncSeismic Intensity Database Search https://www.data.jma.go.jp/eqdb/data/shindo/index.html#20041104085729 4 November 2004 31 December 2025 Japan Meteorological Agency8 November 11:15:5837.396 138.862 type:eventw 5.5j 5.95+10 km mi 0 (USGS United States Geological Survey)0 km mi 0 (JMA Japan Meteorological Agency)M 5.5 - 6 km S of Nagaoka, Japan 2004 usp000d7x5Seismic Intensity Database Search https://www.data.jma.go.jp/eqdb/data/shindo/index.html#20041108111558 8 November 2004 31 December 2025 Japan Meteorological Agency10 November 03:43:0837.368 138.825 type:eventw 5.1j 5.35−10.3 km mi 0 (USGS United States Geological Survey)5 km mi 0 (JMA Japan Meteorological Agency)M 5.1 - 7 km NNE of Ojiya, Japan 2004 usp000d818Seismic Intensity Database Search https://www.data.jma.go.jp/eqdb/data/shindo/index.html#20041110034308 10 November 2004 31 December 2025 Japan Meteorological Agency28 December 03:43:0837.239 138.787 type:eventw 4.8j 5.05−35.8 km mi 0 (USGS United States Geological Survey)8 km mi 0 (JMA Japan Meteorological Agency)M 4.8 - 6 km S of Ojiya, Japan 2004 usp000dc1rSeismic Intensity Database Search https://www.data.jma.go.jp/eqdb/data/shindo/index.html#20041228183036 10 November 2004 31 December 2025 Japan Meteorological Agency Impact 250px|thumb|right|A collapsed house Casualties At least 68 fatalities and 4,805 injuries were related to the earthquake; all deaths and 4,795 injuries occurred in Niigata Prefecture, with 6 others injured in Gunma Prefecture, 3 in Nagano Prefecture and 1 in Saitama Prefecture. Of the 68 fatalities, 10 were caused by collapsing structures, 6 were killed by landslides and 52 died due to illnesses or stress related to the earthquake and its effects. At least 19 people died in Ojiya, 12 in Nagaoka, 8 in Tōkamachi, 6 in Kawaguchi, 5 in Yamakoshi, 3 each in Mitsuke and Koshiji, 2 in Yunotani, and 1 each in Yoshida, Yuzawa, Tsubame, Kawanishi, Yamato, Oguni, Tochio, Horinouchi, Koide and Hirokami.ja 平成16年新潟県中越大震災による被害状況について(最終報) https://www.pref.niigata.lg.jp/uploaded/attachment/59630.pdf 15 October 2009 4 January 2026 Niigata Prefecture Government A landslide in Myoken, Nagaoka buried a car, killing a mother and one of her two children inside. One hospital patient also died when an artificial respirator detached during the earthquake, while five more died from complications due to sheltering in their cars, including blood clots from inactivity. Damage 250px|thumb|right|The earthquake caused the first derailment of a Shinkansen train during service At least 3,175 homes were completely destroyed, 14,552 were partially destroyed and 113,912 others were damaged. At least 1,063 homes were damaged in Nagano, Fukushima and Gunma Prefectures, with the rest of the damage occurring in Niigata.ja 平成 16 年(2004 年)新潟県中越地震 (確定報) https://warp.ndl.go.jp/web/20151202071947/www.fdma.go.jp/bn/data/010909231403014084.pdf 21 October 2009 4 January 2026 Fire and Disaster Management Agency The number of partially or fully collapsed houses by area include 5,977 in Nagaoka, 3,100 in Ojiya, 1,006 in Kawaguchi, 977 in Tōkamachi and 858 in Koshiji. Economic losses amounted to at least ¥6.28 trillion (US$40 billion), making it, at the time, the second costliest natural disaster in history behind the 1995 Kobe earthquake.Recent damaging earthquakes in Japan, 2003-2008 https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70123995 1-30 6th International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering Kayen R.E. 2008 Arlington, Virginia 7 February 2026 Missouri University of Science and Technology Housing damage, while heavy, was relatively light compared to the extreme ground motions from the earthquake. Most homes in the affected region were traditionally built with wood, bamboo and clay. Homes of this type performed very poorly in many Japanese earthquakes, particularly the 1995 Kobe and 2024 Noto earthquakes.Japan earthquake: Race to find survivors as critical 72-hour window closes https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-67879609 7 February 2026 BBC News 4 January 2024 4 January 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240104073701/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-67879609 live Mackenzie Jean Ng Kelly In Niigata and nearby regions, traditional houses tend to have larger and more numerous interior columns and heavier roof beams to protect them from heavy snowfall, and many were built less than two decades prior to the earthquake, which in turn made them more resistant to earthquake shaking, although collapses were widespread in Ojiya and especially Kawaguchi. Sewage and water mains ruptured, and gas and telephone services were cut off. Over 300,000 homes were affected by power outages, mainly in Ojiya and Nagaoka. Two tunnels along the Kan-etsu Expressway collapsed, and roads near the epicenter were severely damaged.Powerful earthquakes shake Japan http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3946957.stm BBC News 24 October 2004 4 January 2026 In the Imo River basin of Yamakoshi, multiple landslide dams were formed by the earthquake, leaving officials concerned about potential flooding in the area, with 439 people living in 101 households temporarily evacuated.http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/news/20041106it13.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20041109045408/http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/news/20041106it13.htm dead 9 November 2004 ja 「天然ダム」最下流地区の避難勧告、9日にも解除 Yomiuri Shimbunhttp://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/news/20041109it02.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20041109045408/http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/news/20041109it02.htm dead 9 November 2004 ja 天然ダム」最下流竜光地区の避難勧告を解除 Yomiuri Shimbun For the first time in its 40-year history, a Shinkansen train derailed while in service, the train being too close to the epicenter to be halted by the automatic UrEDAS earthquake detection system. Eight out of ten cars of the Toki 325 service (a 200 Series Shinkansen train) derailed on the Joetsu Shinkansen line near Kawaguchi, between Nagaoka Station in Nagaoka and Urasa Station in Yamato; no injuries were reported among the 155 passengers. The railbed, bridges and tunnels were all affected.A brief history of earthquake warnings IEEE Spectrum 2007 +Casualties and damage in Niigata Prefecture PrefectureArea Fatalities Injuries HousingDamage Max. Shindo Fully Collapsed Half Collapsed Partially DamagedNiigataNagaoka122,1089275,96948,9546+Nakanoshima -18 -262,6125+Koshiji3931528352,7646-Mishima -83251,6776-Yamakoshi5253393081066+Oguni1241256441,2146+Mitsuke3514525439,4225+Tochio192453005,7816-Yoita -4 -69865+Washima -3 - -3055+Izumozaki -1 -71005+Ojiya197856222,8358,9956+Kawaguchi6626065434497Horinouchi1148562591,4926-Koide1741191,1295+ Yunotani222 - -3865-Hirokami14812761,2266-Sumon -216336896-Irihirose -3 -51376-Muikamachi -1531 8465+Yamato16438175+Shiozawa -5 - -7075+Tokamachi8557100 1,02711,0756-Kawanishi1255871,5596-Nakasato -9 -96596-Matsudai -1 -33505+Matsunoyama -2 - -905+Tsunan -13 -12335+Kashiwazaki -65273224,6105-Takayanagi - - -32685-Nishiyama -711346585-Kariwa -8671278336-Bunsui -282487 5-Sanjō -8 - -301 5-Sakae -3 -95175-Shitada - - - -194Kamo -4 -41275-Teradomari, Niigata -1 -155865+Niigata City -4 - - -5-Shirone - - - -14Niitsu -1 - - -4Kosudo - - - -14Yokogoshi -1 - - -4Kameda -1 - - -4Tsubame112 -545-Myōkō -1 - - -4Yoshida1 - - -25-Maki -1 - - -5-Yuzawa11 - - -4Jōetsu -1 - -105+Yasuzuka - - - -85+Uragawara - 1 - - -5-Maki - - - -15-Kakizaki - - - -25-Sanwa - - - -45-Total 68 4,795 3,175 14,552 112,8497 Response and aftermath By 24 October, 98,000 households, most of them in Nagaoka and Ojiya, were still left without power; that number dropped to 34,000 on 26 October and 2,300 on 3 November. Damage assessments became difficult due to landslides and the disruption of communications in rural areas. There were reports of locals rescuing people from collapsed homes. By the morning of 24 October, the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) opened a disaster headquarters in Ojiya to coordinate relief efforts, and dispatched 300 personnel, 21 helicopters and 65 vehicles to transport food and water to evacuation sites. They also evacuated tens of thousands of residents to emergency shelters, and used helicopters to airlift stranded villagers from the hamlet of Shiotani. A Souryu serpentine robot was used to inspect a collapsed house, marking the first time a snakebot was used at a natural disaster site.Murphy Robin 2014 Disaster Robotics MIT Press 26 9780262027359 Rescuers found difficulties reaching the towns of Kawaguchi and Yamakoshi, whose residents had to depend on airlifted food and water until they could be rescued the following day. In Kawaguchi, about 300 people took refuge in an elementary school and awaited assistance. By the evening of 25 October, relief supplies were coming in over the roads, but still with not enough food for the population. In Yamakoshi, 250 residents spent two nights in a gymnasium without power or water before they were evacuated. All but six of Yamakoshi's 2,200 residents were evacuated and taken to three sites in Nagaoka. The national government applied the disaster relief law to 29 localities, which meant that government would cover the cost of relief and shelter. Over 82,000 people were evacuated to emergency shelters in total, including 34,000 in Nagaoka, with 14,500 people in Ojiya seeking refuge across 93 evacuation centers. On 25 October, thousands of people were airlifted from about 60 mountainous communities, which remained closed to road access. Thirty police and JSDF helicopters evacuated residents in seven municipalities. By 26 October, about 320 people were still stranded in five hamlets. Aftershocks and landslide dams posed continuing problems. A j 5.2 aftershock of 4 November halted the Jōetsu Shinkansen line between Niigata and Nagaoka. A j 5.9 aftershock on 8 November again halted operations and closed a portion of the Kan-etsu Expressway. Continued rain during the ten days following the earthquake raised concerns about water behind landslide dams in Ojiya and Yamakoshi. The JMA set up alarm units and surveillance cameras at five landslide dams, Niigata Prefecture prepared pumps to lower water levels, and the prefecture asked 439 residents in 101 households to evacuate. By 28 November, authorities attributed 40 deaths to the earthquake, with the death toll rising to 68 by October 2009. As a result of post-earthquake fatalities from stress-related illnesses, Niigata Prefecture encouraged people to move into JSDF tents or to stay in accommodations farther away. Elderly residents were especially susceptible to exposure and stress-related illnesses. Agricultural activities in Yamakoshi were disrupted by the earthquake, and residents feared permanent consequences. The village's main industry is the raising of carp, which it provides to ponds and lakes throughout Japan. Residents of the village also had to leave behind 1,000 cattle. In order to save his business, a cattle owner in Yamakoshi began to airlift 700 cattle out of the village by helicopter on 2 November, at considerable expense. The Tokyo Stock Exchange fell on 25 October, with the largest losses to the East Japan Railway Company, companies with production facilities in Niigata, and insurers. However, The Japan Times reported on 1 November that shares of construction-related companies had increased sharply on the Tokyo Exchange, since investors anticipated a supplementary national budget to pay for reconstruction following the earthquake and recent typhoons. However, reconstruction became challenging to homeowners, since only 11.2% of households in Niigata Prefecture had earthquake insurance, compared to 17.2% nationally at the time. In popular culture The earthquake led to the cancellation of an episode of Pokémon: Advanced Battle, the eighth season of the Pokémon animated series. The episode, originally scheduled to air on 4 November 2004, would have featured multiple Whiscash causing an earthquake. The episode never aired in Japan or anywhere else in the world, and the move "Earthquake" was no longer featured in the animated series. The movie A Tale of Mari and Three Puppies was based on events that took place during the earthquake. See also List of earthquakes in 2004 List of earthquakes in Japan References Citations Sources Japanese 250 978-4-487-80881-6 日本の地震地図: 南海トラフ 首都直下地震対応版 Earthquake Map of Japan: Nankai Trough Tokyo Metropolitan Earthquake Edition Yoshimitsu Okada 26 July 2014 Tokyo Shoseki Hosono Ko Tsukinishi Masaki Yoshida Akio 内陸大地震の余震活動域の深さの時間変化 Temporal Change in the Depth of the Aftershock Activity Zone of Large Inland Earthquakes Earthquakes 2 1 2006 10.4294/zisin.59.29 29-37 Japanese free External links Earthquakes Kill 21, Hurt 2000 in Japan 1964 Niigata quake 7421058 Niigata, Japan (Publication regarding the earthquakes) – NASA Earth Observatory Category:2004 disasters in Japan Category:Chūbu region 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami Category:2004 earthquakes Category:2004 in Japan Category:Hokuriku region Category:History of Niigata Prefecture Category:October 2004 in Japan Category:Landslides in Japan Category:Shindo 7 earthquakes