Two earthquakes last night - first one just after 7pm our time, a 6.9 off the Wakayama coast south of where I am located; then another one just before midnight, this one about a 7.3, similar area, I think. I felt both of them - not a lot of shaking, just vibrating windows. Then there was a tsunami-warning broadcast over the TV and radio; there was only about a half-meter rise where I am on the coast, but nearer the epicenter it rose to about a full meter.

What was kinda freaky is hearing the public address go off. I can`t understand it, but I can pick out a few words, like `jichin` (earthquake) and `tsunami`. It`s disturbing when you have no idea what is being said: it could have been saying, `Run! Run away! There is a huge earthquake going to hit followed by one mother of a tsunami! We`re all going to die! Ahhhhhh!` And I`d be sitting there smiling away, listening to Creedence on my CD player, no idea whatsoever. Ah, well - at least I wouldn`t know what hit me.