For those living in a region prone to seismic activity, it’s incredibly sobering to see images from Japan where safety is ingrained into their culture. While many of the buildings did not collapse from the initial shaking, the second punch in the form of a tsunami finished off what the quake started.

The west coast of Canada has been fairly complacent in its standards and with an ever increasing building boom, Metro Vancouver may not even hold up to a medium or larger sized tremor. This reality is very unnerving.

All that we can do is ensure we are prepared and hope that we may never have to experience the same destruction that plagues those who live in an area like the Ring of Fire.

Check out this post on Gakuranman for photos, videos and Twitter updates from Japan.

The Canadian Red Cross is also accepting donations for aid in the stricken north-east region.

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