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Bonnin: THE JAPANESE HAVE BEEN ON THE RECEIVING END
OF EARTHQUAKES, TSUNAMIS, AND VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS
FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.
THE VERY LAND THAT THEY LIVE ON
HAS SUBJECTED THEM TO ONE ONSLAUGHT AFTER ANOTHER.
Bonnin: I'M BIOLOGIST LIZ BONNIN.
OH, NO, NO, NO.
Pepper: AND I'M GEOLOGIST MARTIN PEPPER.
TOGETHER, WE'RE GOING TO INVESTIGATE
THE GEOLOGICAL TIME BOMB THAT IS JAPAN.
THE PEOPLE HERE HAVE BATTLED
AGAINST NATURE'S MOST EXTREME EVENTS FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.
VOLCANOES ERUPT, BELCHING CLOUDS OF DEADLY ASH.
OFFSHORE TREMORS TRIGGER KILLER WAVES
WITH THE POTENTIAL TO WIPE OUT COMMUNITIES IN MINUTES.
AND EARTHQUAKES SHAKE CITIES TO THE GROUND.
THE WORLD'S LARGEST CITY IS IN THE DANGER ZONE,
AND SCIENTISTS PREDICT A MAJOR DISASTER IN THE NEXT 30 YEARS.
WILL IT BE CAUSED BY EARTH,
FIRE,
WATER,
OR ALL THREE?
-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
BENEATH THE ISLANDS THAT MAKE UP JAPAN,
FOUR TECTONIC PLATES CONVERGE,
FUELING GEOLOGICAL MAYHEM ON THE SURFACE.
VOLCANOES DOMINATE THE LAND HERE,
AND OVER 100 OF THEM ARE ACTIVE.
THE UNPREDICTABLE AND OFTEN VIOLENT EARTH
IS PART OF DAILY LIFE IN JAPAN.
THE PEOPLE HERE RESPECT IT, FEAR IT, FIGHT IT,
AND TRY TO LIVE WITH IT THE BEST THEY CAN.
AND HAPPILY FOR ME, THEY EVEN KNOW HOW TO ENJOY IT.
I'M GOING TO EXPLORE THE GEOLOGY
WITH AN OUTRAGEOUS OUTDOOR ADVENTURE.
Pepper: I'M HERE IN GUNMA-KEN.
IT'S ABOUT 2 HOURS NORTH OF TOKYO,
AND JUST ABOUT TO EXPERIENCE
ONE OF THE MOST EXTREME SPORTS IN JAPAN.
THE SPORT IS CALLED CANYONEERING.
AND TO HELP ME WITH EQUIPMENT AND ADVICE
IS LOCAL ADVENTURE GUIDE YUGI.
AND YOU NEED TO TAKE THE HAMMER WITH YOU?
ALL RIGHT.
SO BEST NOT HAVE ANYTHING IN YOUR HANDS.
SO LET ME JUST...
THANK YOU.
LET'S GO.
THE IDEA IS TO MAKE YOUR WAY
ALONG FAST-FLOWING MOUNTAIN RIVERS.
AND HERE, THAT INCLUDES WATERFALLS.
THIS WILL GIVE ME A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY
TO EXPLORE THE WAY THE ROCKS AND WATER INTERACT
IN THIS VOLCANIC LANDSCAPE.
THE ROCKY PEAKS OF GUNMA
ATTRACT MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF SNOW AND RAIN,
WHICH RUN OUT IN GUSHING TORRENTS.
[ SCREAMING ]
BUT NOT ALL THE WATER
MAKES IT TO THE BOTTOM OF WATERFALLS LIKE THIS.
AND HERE'S WHY.
AND THIS VOLCANIC ROCK IS ABSOLUTELY FRACTURED.
WATER IS PERCOLATING THROUGH ALL THESE CRACKS.
I CAN BREAK LITTLE PIECES LIKE THIS OFF ALL DAY LONG.
AND SO IT'S NOT ONLY GONNA FLOW DOWN THIS RIVER,
IT'S GONNA WORK ITS WAY INTO ALL THESE CRACKS.
FOR THE WATER THAT DRIPS THROUGH,
IT'S THE BEGINNING OF A VERY LONG JOURNEY.
IT SINKS THOUSANDS OF FEET BELOW THE EARTH'S SURFACE,
BUT IT DOESN'T STAY THERE.
SOME OF IT RISES BACK UP.
AND IT BRINGS WITH IT A CLUE
OF WHAT FUELS JAPAN'S VOLCANOES RIGHT ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
UP THE WATERFALL, THE TEMPERATURES WERE MID-50s.
BUT AS I CAME DOWN LOWER, THE TEMPERATURES ROSE UP STRANGELY.
ABOUT 65 HERE.
THIS HEAT ORIGINATES MILES BELOW THE SURFACE
AS ONE CONTINENTAL PLATE IS PUSHED UNDER ANOTHER.
AS IT BURIES, IT LEAKS FLUIDS, INCLUDING WATER,
INTO THE MANTLE ABOVE.
THE FLUIDS TRIGGER MELTING,
FEEDING THE VOLCANOES AND FORMING A BLANKET OF HOT ROCK
BENEATH MUCH OF JAPAN.
WATER DRIPPING THROUGH DEEP CRACKS
IS HEATED BY THE HOT ROCKS,
AND THEN IT RISES BACK UP TO THE SURFACE,
WHERE THE JAPANESE USE IT
TO MELT AWAY THE STRESSES OF A BUSY DAY IN HOT SPRINGS,
OR AS THEY CALL THEM, "ONSEN."
WOW.
THIS IS CALLED THE SHIRIYAKI ONSEN,
WHICH MEANS "BURNING ONE'S BOTTOM."
AND IT MAKES SENSE 'CAUSE THIS IS ABOUT 100 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
AND THIS IS THE END OF THE CYCLE FOR OUR WATER.
THERE ARE A HUGE NUMBER OF THESE HOT SPRINGS
DOTTED ACROSS THE COUNTRYSIDE,
AND MANY HAVE HAD TOWNS BUILT AROUND THEM.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE
CAN BE HARMONIOUS.
BUT THE SAME HEAT THAT CREATES THESE RELAXING SPRINGS
SOMETIMES SHIFTS UP A GEAR, AND THEN IT'S ALL-OUT WAR.
MAGMA BREAKS THROUGH THE SURFACE,
FORMING ENORMOUS VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS...
ALMOST AS IF THE BEDROCK OF JAPAN
IS TRYING TO KILL THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE ON IT.
PEOPLE ALL AROUND THE WORLD LIVE IN THE SHADOW OF VOLCANOES.
SOME, LIKE THE TYPE IN HAWAII, ARE RELATIVELY SAFE,
SPEWING OUT SLOW-MOVING RIVERS OF LAVA.
OTHER VOLCANOES ERUPT WITH EXPLOSIVE FORCE,
DESTROYING THE LAND AROUND FOR TENS OF MILES,
LIKE MOUNT ST. HELENS WHEN IT ERUPTED IN 1980.
TO FIND OUT IF JAPAN'S VOLCANOES
WILL BLOW WITH A HUGE *** OR JUST A LITTLE POP,
I NEED TO GET DANGEROUSLY CLOSE.
THIS IS MOUNT ASAMA,
THE MOST ACTIVE VOLCANO IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY.
IT'S BEEN GOING OFF FOR ABOUT 1,000 YEARS,
WITH ONE OF THE WORST CATACLYSMS AROUND 1783.
THE WHOLE AREA IS BLANKETED IN A THICK LAYER OF VOLCANIC ROCK.
THIS DEBRIS FROM PREVIOUS ERUPTIONS
IS AN OMEN OF FUTURE VIOLENCE.
I NEED TO BREAK OFF A PIECE TO GET A BETTER IDEA.
WOW, LOOK AT THAT.
THERE'S ALL THESE AIR BUBBLES, CALLED VESICLES.
BUT ONE THING I DO NOTICE ARE ALL THESE LITTLE WHITE SPECKS.
AND THAT'S A PLAGIOCLASE.
AND THIS TELLS ME THAT THIS WHOLE PIECE HERE
IS WHAT'S KNOWN AS ANDESITE,
WHICH GETS ITS NAME FROM THE ANDES IN SOUTH AMERICA.
AND IT CAN'T FORM WITHOUT A LOT OF SILICA.
THE PRESENCE OF SO MUCH SILICA IS SIGNIFICANT.
IT TELLS ME THAT JAPAN'S MAGMA IS THICK AND STICKY,
THE KIND THAT GRADUALLY FEEDS INTO A VOLCANO FOR YEARS,
SLOWLY BUILDING PRESSURE UNTIL BOOM!
YOU GET A BIG EXPLOSIVE RELEASE.
THE BUBBLES ALSO TELL ME
THAT THE MAGMA WAS RICH IN DISSOLVED GASES.
DURING THE ERUPTION, THESE WOULD'VE FIZZED UP LIKE A SODA,
BOOSTING THE POWER OF THE EXPLOSION
AND SMASHING THE MAGMA INTO TINY PARTICLES OF ASH.
IT'S BASIC GEOLOGY,
BUT IT PAINTS A VIVID AND COMPLEX PICTURE
OF WHAT HAPPENED HERE DURING THE WORST ERUPTION IN 1783.
IT WAS IN THE SUMMER IN WHICH THIS THING ERUPTED,
GOING ON FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS.
IT WAS EJECTING PUMICE AND HUGE ASH CLOUDS.
AND THAT CHANGED TO PYROCLASTIC FLOWS KIND OF LIKE THIS ONE,
ENDING WITH A LAVA FLOW
AS THAT CHAMBER EMPTIED ALL THE DIFFERENT LAYERS WITHIN IT.
FINALLY, THIS ENTIRE MOUNTAINSIDE HERE SLID OFF
AND JUST SENT A STEAMROLLER TO THE NORTH.
THIS FLOOD OF HOT ASH AND LAVA
COVERED TWO COUNTIES, OR PREFECTURES,
MAKING THE FARMLAND USELESS
AND LEADING TO A FAMINE THAT LASTED FOR 4 YEARS.
JUST TERRIFYING.
MOUNT ASAMA HAS ERUPTED 5 TIMES IN THE LAST 20 YEARS.
THE LAST ERUPTION, IN 2009,
BLASTED ASH AS FAR AS TOKYO, 90 MILES AWAY.
Bonnin: BUT ASAMA ISN'T THE ONLY VOLCANIC ENEMY
FACING THE PEOPLE OF TOKYO.
THIS BUSTLING CITY LIVES IN THE SHADOW OF MOUNT FUJI.
AND IF SCIENTISTS ARE RIGHT,
FUJI MAY BE GEARING UP FOR BATTLE.
Bonnin: THE PEOPLE OF JAPAN
LIVE ON TOP OF A GEOLOGICAL DEMOLITION DERBY.
CONTINENTAL PLATES COLLIDE,
TRIGGERING VOLCANOES, EARTHQUAKES, AND TSUNAMIS
ON THE JAPANESE ISLANDS ABOVE.
Pepper: TOKYO AND THE TOWNS THAT SURROUND IT
MAKE UP THE WORLD'S LARGEST METROPOLITAN AREA
WITH OVER 37 MILLION PEOPLE.
BUT THIS CITY IS ALSO A MAJOR BATTLEGROUND
IN THE WAR BETWEEN THE JAPANESE AND THEIR HOMELAND.
SCIENTISTS NOW BELIEVE IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME
BEFORE A MAJOR NATURAL DISASTER STRIKES THE NATION'S CAPITAL.
Bonnin: I'M GOING TO INVESTIGATE THE THREAT POSED
BY TOKYO'S CLOSEST VOLCANO, MOUNT FUJI.
FUJI HAS BEEN QUIET FOR 300 YEARS,
AND MANY SCIENTISTS ASSUMED IT WAS DORMANT.
BUT RECENTLY, THERE HAVE BEEN SIGNS THAT SUGGEST OTHERWISE.
FROM A DISTANCE, FUJI LOOKS LIKE A SMOOTH-SIDED CONE.
BUT HERE, ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF THE WAY UP,
THE LAND IS POCKMARKED WITH CRATERS.
IS THIS THE EDGE OF THE CRATER?
Aramaki: YEP. SCORIA.
THIS PLACE ISN'T THE RESULT OF ONE ERUPTION.
IT'S FROM THOUSANDS.
MY GUIDE IS VOLCANOLOGIST SHIGEO ARAMAKI.
HE WANTS TO SHOW ME HOW THIS PART OF THE MOUNTAIN
WAS CREATED BY AN ERUPTION 3,000 YEARS AGO.
SO THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN THE CENTER OF THE CRATER?
RIGHT. THIS IS THE BOTTOM OF THE CRATER.
OH.
AND DURING THE ERUPTION, YOU CAN IMAGINE
THE HUGE COLUMN OF MOLTEN LAVA, VERY HOT, RED-HOT LAVA,
GOING UP, HIGH UP IN THE AIR, HUNDREDS OF METERS HIGH.
THAT'S THE FIRE FOUNTAIN, WE CALL IT.
SO THAT MOUND THERE IS ANOTHER CRATER?
YES, ANOTHER CRATER.
AND IT ERUPTED THE SAME TIME AS THIS CRATER ERUPTED, YES.
THERE IS A ROW OF CRATERS.
IT REALLY ADDS TO THE PICTURE OF HOW A VOLCANO MIGHT WORK.
I MEAN, YOU CAN IMAGINE A FISSURE OF MAGMA
JUST STREAMING OFF IN THIS DIRECTION,
AND THEN ALL THESE CONES ARE ERUPTING.
YES.
EACH VIOLENT, FIERY ERUPTION
HAS ADDED MORE MATERIAL TO THE FLANKS OF MOUNT FUJI.
AND THE CURRENT SUMMIT WAS CREATED
DURING THE LAST ERUPTION, ABOUT 300 YEARS AGO.
BUT A RECENT EVENT HAS SET VOLCANOLOGISTS ON RED ALERT
TO THIS MOST POTENT OF THREATS.
12 YEARS AGO, WE HAD A SEISMIC CRISIS.
HUNDREDS OF SMALL EARTHQUAKES OCCURRED.
IT WAS SO PARTICULAR.
WE REALIZED THERE MUST BE AN ACTIVE MAGMA CHAMBER BELOW.
SO THAT MEANS THE VOLCANO CAN ERUPT AT ANY TIME.
MOUNT FUJI'S LAST MAJOR ERUPTION ENDED IN JANUARY 1707,
AND IT COVERED THE CITY OF EDO, WHERE TOKYO NOW STANDS,
IN A THICK LAYER OF ASH.
NOW, NO ONE CAN CATEGORICALLY PREDICT
WHAT THE MOUNTAIN IS GOING TO DO NEXT.
BUT CONSIDERING ITS PAST AND ITS POSITION,
IT'S ONE OF THE MOST CLOSELY MONITORED VOLCANOES
ON THE PLANET.
Pepper: FUJI THREATENS THE LIVES OF PEOPLE LIVING IN ITS SHADOW.
LIKE THE ICELANDIC VOLCANO
WHICH GROUNDED FLIGHTS ACROSS EUROPE IN 2010,
FUJI'S TOWERING CLOUD OF VOLCANIC ASH
WILL HAVE FAR-REACHING EFFECTS,
BRINGING MODERN JAPANESE LIFE TO A STANDSTILL.
POWER SUPPLIES WILL SHORT-CIRCUIT.
ROADS, RAIL, AND AIR TRAVEL WILL GRIND TO A HALT
AND COST THE NATION TENS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
BUT FUJI ISN'T THE ONLY RISK FACING TOKYO.
THE SAME PLATES THAT CREATE MAGMA FOR JAPAN'S VOLCANOES
ALSO PRODUCE EARTHQUAKES.
EVERY HOUR, A MAGNITUDE-3 EARTHQUAKE
HITS SOMEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY.
AND ONCE A MONTH, A CATEGORY 6 SHAKES HARD ENOUGH
TO CAUSE SERIOUS DAMAGE.
Bonnin: THE MOST ACTIVE ZONE OF EARTHQUAKE-PRODUCING FAULTS
RUNS EAST TO WEST ACROSS JAPAN'S BIGGEST ISLAND, HONSHU.
I'M TRAVELING TO THE CITY OF KOBE,
WHICH SITS DEEP INSIDE THIS DANGER ZONE.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1995.
KOBE IS STRUCK BY A 7.3-MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE.
THE TREMOR LASTS JUST 20 SECONDS,
BUT IT'S LONG ENOUGH TO KILL NEARLY 6,500 PEOPLE.
A MEMORIAL HAS NOW BEEN BUILT AROUND A STRETCH OF THE FAULT
AS A PERMANENT REMINDER OF THAT TRAGIC DAY.
I'M MEETING SEISMOLOGIST JIM MORI TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK.
SO, THIS IS AN ACTUAL PIECE OF THE ROAD
THAT WAS AFFECTED BY THE QUAKE.
Mori: THAT'S RIGHT.
AND THIS IS A PRETTY UNUSUAL PLACE
BECAUSE THE WHOLE FAULT
AND THE DEFORMATIONS YOU SEE HAVE BEEN PRESERVED
BY PUTTING THIS BUILDING ON TOP OF THE FAULT.
SO IT'S REALLY A RARE OPPORTUNITY
FOR PEOPLE TO SEE THE SURFACE BREAKAGE,
TO SEE WHAT A BIG EARTHQUAKE REALLY LOOKS LIKE.
THE EARTHQUAKE THAT HIT THE CITY OF KOBE
WAS EXTREMELY CLOSE TO THE SURFACE
AND SHOOK WITH A VIOLENT SIDE-TO-SIDE MOTION.
THAT'S WHY THE DAMAGE WAS SO GREAT.
67,000 BUILDINGS WERE DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR.
FIRES BROKE OUT, OVERPASSES COLLAPSED,
SEWAGE, COMMUNICATIONS, AND POWER WAS LOST.
IN TOTAL, $100 BILLION WORTH OF DAMAGE.
THAT'S $5 BILLION FOR EVERY SECOND THE QUAKE LASTED.
FROM ABOVE, THE FAULT THAT CAUSED THE KOBE EARTHQUAKE
LOOKS LIKE A HUGE STEP.
BUT VIEWED IN CROSS-SECTION,
A VERY DIFFERENT PICTURE IS REVEALED.
OH, WOW. OKAY.
SO, THAT'S THE FAULT RIGHT THERE?
RIGHT. YOU CAN SEE VERY CLEARLY THIS LINE
BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES OF THE FAULT
THAT MOVED IN THE EARTHQUAKE.
HOW FAR DOWN DOES IT GO?
CLOSE TO ABOUT 10 KILOMETERS' DEPTH HERE.
THAT'S INCREDIBLE.
YOU CAN REALLY SEE THE FAULT
RUNNING THE WHOLE WAY DOWN.
THE TWO SIDES OF A FAULT LIKE THIS
ARE UNDER CONSTANT PRESSURE.
AND FROM TIME TO TIME, THEY SLIP.
WHEN THIS HAPPENS, WAVES OF VIBRATIONS
SHOOT OUT INTO THE SURROUNDING LAND.
THIS IS A STRIKE-SLIP EARTHQUAKE,
AND IT HAS THE POWER TO RAZE A TOWN TO THE GROUND.
THIS FAULT DIDN'T MOVE ONLY IN THIS EARTHQUAKE.
IT'S PROBABLY MOVED IN HUNDREDS
OR MAYBE THOUSANDS OF EARTHQUAKES,
AND EVERY TIME, IT MOVES A LITTLE BIT MORE.
AND SO, OVER THOUSANDS OR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF YEARS,
YOU ACTUALLY OFFSET DIFFERENT KINDS OF MATERIAL.
THIS MUSEUM EXHIBIT IS A REMINDER OF A LIVING THREAT.
AND NOBODY KNOWS WHEN IT MIGHT STRIKE AGAIN.
Pepper: KOBE HAS MORE OR LESS RECOVERED FROM THE LAST MAJOR EARTHQUAKE.
BUT MANY SAY DISASTER COULD STRIKE AGAIN AT ANY TIME.
NEXT TIME, IT MIGHT HIT TOKYO.
THE PEOPLE OF JAPAN ARE LOCKED IN AN AGE-OLD BATTLE
AGAINST THE GEOLOGY OF THEIR ISLAND NATION.
COULD THEY SURVIVE A DIRECT ASSAULT ON THEIR CAPITAL CITY?
Bonnin: SURPRISINGLY,
THE ANSWER MAY LIE BELOW THE WAVES
ON THE MOST REMOTE ISLAND IN THE JAPANESE ARCHIPELAGO.
Pepper: IN THE ONGOING BATTLE OF JAPAN AGAINST THE JAPANESE PEOPLE,
SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THAT TOKYO
AND THE COUNTRY'S MOST DENSELY POPULATED COASTLINE
WILL TAKE A DIRECT HIT IN THE NEXT 30 YEARS.
Bonnin: IN 1995, A STRIKE-SLIP EARTHQUAKE
CAUSED TERRIBLE DAMAGE TO THE CITY OF KOBE.
Pepper: IS IT POSSIBLE FOR THE SAME THING TO HAPPEN TO TOKYO?
THE HISTORY BOOKS SAY THE ANSWER IS YES.
SEPTEMBER 1923, AROUND MIDDAY,
THE GREAT KANTO EARTHQUAKE SHAKES TOKYO FOR 4 MINUTES.
MANY PEOPLE ARE AT HOME COOKING,
AND THE VIOLENCE OF THE TREMOR KNOCKS OVER POTS,
SPREADING FIRES THAT DESTROY ALMOST HALF THE CITY.
THE GREAT KANTO WAS THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE EARTHQUAKE
TO EVER HIT TOKYO, A CATEGORY 7.9.
THAT'S EIGHT TIMES THE STRENGTH OF THE ONE THAT DESTROYED KOBE.
Bonnin: FOR MANY YEARS, THE GREAT KANTO
HAS BEEN SEEN AS THE WORST EARTHQUAKE
THAT'S EVER BEEN INFLICTED ON THE JAPANESE PEOPLE.
BUT RECENTLY, THE FIRST THREADS OF EVIDENCE HAVE EMERGED
OF AN ANCIENT DISASTER WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN EVEN MORE TERRIFYING.
IT'S THOUGHT TO HAVE HAPPENED
ON THE MOST REMOTE OF THE 6,500 ISLANDS
THAT MAKE UP THE JAPANESE ARCHIPELAGO, YONAGUNI.
I'M HEADING THERE TO CHECK IT OUT,
BUT IT'S NO EASY FEAT -- 1,200 MILES AND THREE FLIGHTS.
BUT IT SHOULD BE WORTH IT,
BECAUSE HERE LIES A STONE FORMATION
THAT SPARKED FIERCE DEBATE
BETWEEN GEOLOGISTS AND HISTORIANS.
IT'S REALLY INTERESTING TO THINK THAT,
DESPITE THE INCREDIBLY DYNAMIC NATURE
OF JAPAN'S GEOLOGY
AND ALL OF THE NATURAL DISASTERS
THAT IT CONSTANTLY THROWS AT ITS PEOPLE,
SOME OF THE WORLD'S MOST DENSELY POPULATED CITIES
HAVE NEVERTHELESS MANAGED TO ESTABLISH THEMSELVES HERE.
YET JUST OFF THIS COASTLINE
MAY BE EVIDENCE OF AN ANCIENT PEOPLE
THAT TOOK ON THE FULL FORCE OF JAPAN'S GEOLOGY
AND LOST.
THIS AREA WAS FIRST EXPLORED
BY A DIVE INSTRUCTOR IN THE 1980s
SEARCHING FOR HAMMERHEAD SHARKS.
BUT WHAT HE FOUND WAS EVEN MORE EXCITING.
THIS REALLY LOOKS LIKE A STEPPED STRUCTURE
ON A MAN-MADE BUILDING.
IT'S STUNNING.
THIS IS INCREDIBLE.
CLEAR RIGHT ANGLES...
PERFECTLY PERPENDICULAR.
AND IT'S, LIKE, THIS PLATFORM WITH ALL THESE DIFFERENT STEPS.
THIS ENORMOUS, ANGULAR BLOCK OF ROCK
COVERS AN AREA THE SIZE OF TWO FOOTBALL FIELDS,
SHELTERED 30 FEET BELOW THE CRASHING COASTAL WAVES.
THE CURRENT HERE IS SO STRONG, IT'S VERY HARD TO STAY STATIC.
WHEN FIRST DISCOVERED, IT CAUSED A GREAT DEAL OF EXCITEMENT,
BUT GEOLOGISTS WERE QUICK TO DAMPEN THE FLAMES.
THEY CLAIMED THESE SHARP ANGLES
COULD HAVE BEEN FORMED ALONG NATURAL FAULTS
OPENED UP BY EARTHQUAKES AND SHAPED BY THE WEATHER.
BUT LOOK CLOSER, AND YOU CAN'T HELP BUT IMAGINE
THAT SOME OF THE FEATURES
REQUIRED A HUMAN HAND TO MAKE THEM.
THIS U-SHAPED CARVING POINTS DIRECTLY TO THE ENTRANCE.
UNDERWATER CAVES NEXT TO THE SITE
CONTAIN STALACTITES WHICH CAN ONLY FORM IN AIR.
SO THIS AREA MUST HAVE ONCE EXISTED ABOVE THE OCEAN.
THE STALACTITES ARE DATED TO AROUND 3,000 YEARS OLD.
THAT MAKES THEM ALMOST AS OLD AS THE EGYPTIAN PYRAMIDS.
UP ABOVE ARE THESE OBELISK-TYPE STONES,
REALLY ANGULAR IN SHAPE.
THEY LOOK LIKE THE ENTRANCE TO A MONUMENT.
THEY'RE SPECTACULAR.
THERE'S EVEN A STRUCTURE
THAT LOOKS A LITTLE LIKE A CARVED TURTLE.
I WAS DEFINITELY CYNICAL ABOUT THIS TURTLE CARVING,
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT HEAD-ON,
THIS IS DEFINITELY THE SHAPE OF A TURTLE HEAD.
IF THESE ARE THE REMAINS OF AN ANCIENT CITY,
CARVED BY HUMAN HANDS,
WHY DOES IT NOW LIE BENEATH THE OCEAN?
A NEW THEORY SUGGESTS JAPAN'S EARTHQUAKES ARE TO BLAME.
DURING AN EARTHQUAKE,
THE LAND ON ONE SIDE OF THE FAULT CAN SIMPLY FALL AWAY.
IT'S CALLED A FAULT SCARP,
PERHAPS IN THIS CASE LEAVING ONE SIDE ABOVE WATER
AND THE OTHER DEEP BELOW IT.
IS THIS WHAT HAPPENED HERE THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO?
PERHAPS HUMANS WERE DRAWN TO A SPECTACULAR NATURAL FEATURE
ON THE LAND CARVED BY EARTHQUAKES AND WEATHER.
MAYBE THEY SET UP HOME ON THESE STRANGE STONES
AND USED THEIR TOOLS TO FURTHER SHAPE THEM,
TURNING THE GEOLOGICAL STRUCTURES
INTO MAN-MADE MONUMENTS.
ONLY YEARS LATER WOULD A MASSIVE EARTHQUAKE
HAVE SUNK THEIR HOMES BELOW THE WAVES.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR DOWN THERE.
FROM THAT DIVE, I WOULD BELIEVE
IT WAS A MAN-MADE STRUCTURE THAT ENDED UP UNDER THE SEA.
Pepper: EXPERTS HAVEN'T AGREED
WHY THESE STRUCTURES LIE BELOW THE WAVES.
BUT THE ROCKS WERE CERTAINLY SHAPED ON LAND
AND THEN SUBMERGED IN SOME NATURAL CATACLYSM.
NOBODY IS SUGGESTING THAT TOKYO WILL DROP INTO THE SEA
IN THE NEAR FUTURE,
BUT THE LATEST RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT A WATERY ASSAULT
MAY BE LONG OVERDUE ON THE NATION'S CAPITAL --
A WALL OF DESTRUCTION
THAT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GUARD AGAINST.
Bonnin: SCIENTISTS PREDICT THAT IN THE NEXT 30 YEARS,
JAPAN WILL INFLICT ANOTHER DEADLY BLOW ON ITS PEOPLE.
AND THIS TIME, TOKYO IS IN THE FIRING LINE.
EARTHQUAKES SHAKE JAPAN DAILY.
MOUNT FUJI COULD ERUPT.
BUT JAPAN HAS A THIRD WEAPON IN ITS ARSENAL,
AND IT MAY BE THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE OF ALL.
Pepper: 11th OF MARCH, 2011.
A GIANT EARTHQUAKE STRIKES
80 MILES OFF THE SENDAI COAST OF NORTHERN JAPAN.
IT'S THE 5th MOST POWERFUL IN 100 YEARS,
AND IT KNOCKS THE EARTH 4 TO 10 INCHES OFF ITS AXIS.
[ RUMBLING ]
THE QUAKE CAUSES DAMAGE ON LAND,
BUT THE REAL DANGER IS STILL TO COME.
TSUNAMI WAVES ARE THROWN UP 133 FEET HIGH
AS THEY NEAR THE SHORE.
THEY HIT LAND AND KEEP GOING UP TO 6 MILES,
DESTROYING TRAINS, CARS, BRIDGES --
EVERYTHING IN THEIR PATH.
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF BUILDINGS
ARE SIMPLY RIPPED FROM THEIR FOUNDATIONS.
THE TOHOKU TSUNAMI BECOMES THE MOST EXPENSIVE NATURAL DISASTER
IN WORLD HISTORY.
IT TAKES THE LIVES OF 15,870 PEOPLE.
THE TSUNAMI WAS TRIGGERED BY A PROCESS
THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR MILLIONS OF YEARS --
THE PACIFIC PLATE SNAGGING ON THE NORTH AMERICAN PLATE
AS IT PASSES BELOW, BENDING IT UPWARD INTO A BOW.
THE PRESSURE BUILDS UNTIL THE NORTH AMERICAN PLATE SNAPS BACK.
THE EARTH'S CRUST RIPPLES IN ALL DIRECTIONS,
AND THE OCEAN RIPPLES WITH IT.
GEOLOGISTS CALL THIS TYPE OF EVENT A MEGATHRUST,
AND IN THE CASE OF SENDAI,
IT HAPPENS AROUND ONCE EVERY THOUSAND YEARS.
I'VE COME TO SEE THE COASTLINE THAT WAS MOST BADLY HIT,
STARTING WITH THE PORT TOWN OF MINAMISANRIKU.
SO, I HAVE A PICTURE HERE
OF WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE BEFORE THE TSUNAMI.
THAT IS JUST UNFATHOMABLE.
THIS IS THE BEFORE IMAGE,
SHOWING A HOSPITAL SURROUNDED BY HOUSES.
BUT NOW IT'S A SHELL SURROUNDED BY BARE LAND.
WHAT'S WEIRD IS THAT FROM HERE
YOU CAN SEE A FISHING BOAT ON THE SECOND STORY.
THAT IS UNREAL.
AND SO, ALL THE SMALLER HOUSES AND OTHER BUSINESSES
ARE COMPLETELY GONE.
AND SINCE THE ACTUAL TSUNAMI,
THEY'VE CLEARED THE RUBBLE SO YOU CAN SEE THE FOUNDATIONS.
YOU SEE SOME RUBBLE PILES,
SOME CARS THAT THEY'VE DRAGGED OUT OF THE OCEAN.
THAT'S ABOUT IT.
BUT, IF YOU LOOK OVER IN THE OUTSKIRTS,
YOU CAN SEE THAT ABOUT 50 FEET UP,
SOME OF THOSE HOUSES EXIST
BECAUSE THAT WAS THE HEIGHT OF THE TSUNAMI WAVE.
THERE WAS AN ESTIMATED 3,000 BUILDINGS
JUST SWIPED OFF OF THIS LOWER SHELF.
AND 1,200 LIVES LOST.
AND WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING OUT AT THE BAY,
YOU CAN SEE IT'S A FUNNEL SHAPE THAT FOCUSED THAT ENERGY.
SO THAT WAVE JUST WENT RIPPING UP THIS VALLEY.
THIS COASTLINE WAS THE MOST HEAVILY PROTECTED IN THE WORLD
AGAINST TSUNAMIS.
BUT EARTH AND WATER TEAMED UP
TO OVERWHELM THAT DEFENSIVE LINE.
UNDER THE STRESS AT THE SUBDUCTION ZONE,
THE BOWING EURASIAN PLATE
HAD ALSO PUSHED THE SENDAI COASTLINE UP OUT OF THE WATER.
SO WHEN IT FINALLY SNAPPED BACK...
TOWNS LIKE MINAMISANRIKU DROPPED SEVERAL FEET.
AND YOU CAN SEE HERE, AS WE'RE APPROACHING HIGH TIDE,
THIS WHOLE FRONT COAST HERE IS UNDER THE WATER.
AND WHEN YOU TAKE INTO THE ACCOUNT
THAT THIS WHOLE AREA DROPPED 3 FEET,
THEIR PROTECTIVE SEAWALL HERE THAT'S ABOUT 9 FEET
ALL OF A SUDDEN BECOMES ONLY 6 FEET OF PROTECTION.
YOU CAN TELL WHY THE TOWNSPEOPLE
THOUGHT THEY'D BUILT A POWERFUL-ENOUGH DEFENSE
AGAINST THE OCEAN.
JUST LOOKING AT THE GIRTH, AND THE HEIGHT, AT 9 FEET,
SHOULD HAVE STOPPED ANY OF THE TSUNAMIS IN HISTORY.
BUT IT WASN'T ENOUGH.
SEA DEFENSES LIKE THIS ALONG THE WHOLE OF THIS COASTLINE
WERE OVERCOME BY THE LETHAL COMBINATION
OF THE LAND DROPPING AND THE SIZE OF THE WAVE.
[ PEOPLE SCREAMING, CRYING ]
BOATS, CARS, AND EVEN BUILDINGS WERE SWEPT UP
AND ACTED LIKE BATTERING RAMS,
DESTROYING EVERYTHING IN THEIR PATH.
AH, HERE'S THE SHIP.
THAT THING IS MASSIVE.
IT LOOKS LIKE IT DIDN'T ROLL OR ANYTHING.
IT JUST FLOATED IN WITH ALL THE DEBRIS AT THE TOP OF THE WAVE.
THIS 200-FOOT-LONG FISHING BOAT
WAS DROPPED HALF A MILE FROM THE HARBOR BY THE RETREATING WATER.
IT WEIGHS AN AMAZING 330 TONS.
IT'S SCARY TO THINK OF THE FORCE
AS THIS THING CAME PLOWING THROUGH HERE,
MOST LIKELY PLOWED THROUGH ALL OF THESE BUILDINGS BEHIND US,
RIPPING ITS WAY THROUGH STEEL AND CONCRETE BUILDINGS.
MOST LIKELY, PEOPLE AROUND RUNNING AND SCREAMING,
TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF THIS MONSTER.
LOOK AT WHAT'S LEFT OF THIS CAR HERE.
GOSH.
AS THIS BOAT SETTLED DOWN, THIS GAS TANK RUPTURED.
THE ELECTRICITY FROM THE CAR SHORTING OUT
ON THE HULL OF THE BOAT CAUSED THIS FIRE.
AND THIS IS A RELATIVELY SMALL FIRE
COMPARED TO THE REST OF THESE BUILDINGS.
SAME PROBLEM -- ELECTRICITY, GAS, AND OTHER COMBUSTIBLES
JUST SETTING THIS PLACE INTO A FLOATING INFERNO.
IN TOTAL, THE 2011 TSUNAMI
KICKED UP SOMETHING LIKE 25 MILLION TONS OF DEBRIS.
SOME OF IT GOT SUCKED OUT INTO THE PACIFIC,
WHERE IT STILL DRIFTS TODAY,
CREATING A HAZARD IN SHIPPING LANES.
AMAZINGLY, SOME PIECES HAVE EVEN BEEN FOUND
WASHED UP OVER 4,000 MILES AWAY
ON THE WEST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA.
Bonnin: IF SCIENTISTS ARE RIGHT,
ANOTHER TSUNAMI THE SIZE OF TOHOKU IS ON THE CARDS.
AND THIS TIME, TOKYO, ON THE SOUTHERN COAST OF JAPAN,
IS IN THE FIRING LINE.
A QUARTER OF JAPAN'S POPULATION LIVE AROUND THIS BUSTLING CITY.
A TSUNAMI ANYWHERE IS A TRAGEDY,
BUT ONE HERE COULD CRIPPLE THE ENTIRE NATION.
Bonnin: THE ISLANDS OF JAPAN HAVE BEEN LOCKED IN A DEADLY BATTLE
WITH THEIR INHABITANTS FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.
YOU'VE GOT VOLCANOES AND THEIR DEADLY PYROCLASTIC FLOWS,
EARTHQUAKES WITH THE POWER TO LEVEL ENTIRE CITIES.
AND THEN THERE'S MOST DESTRUCTIVE WEAPON OF ALL --
TSUNAMIS.
BUT WHAT IS IT ABOUT A SIMPLE SURGE OF WATER
THAT CAUSES SO MANY PROBLEMS?
I'M ABOUT TO FIND OUT.
I'VE COME TO A WHITEWATER CENTER,
WHERE RESCUE TEAMS PRACTICE OPERATING IN RAGING TORRENTS.
RIGHT THEN, I'M ALL KITTED OUT.
AND THE FIRST THING I'M GONNA EXPERIENCE
IS JUST A FLOW OF WATER COMING AT ME.
AND ALL I'VE GOT TO DO IS HANG ON TO THIS POST.
SO, HERE GOES. OKAY, GUYS.
READY.
TWO GIANT SCREWS CARRY WATER INTO THE COURSE
AT A RATE OF 14 TONS PER SECOND.
OKAY, HERE WE GO. HERE IT COMES.
IT'S UNBELIEVABLE HOW STRONG IT IS ALREADY.
I'M NOW BEING HIT BY 25,000 GALLONS OF WATER PER SECOND.
BUT EVEN THIS IS A FRACTION
OF THE VOLUME AND SPEED OF THE TOHOKU SURGE.
OH, NO.
MY OTHER LEG'S GOING FROM UNDER ME NOW.
I CAN'T HANG ON.
OH!
WHOA!
I'M NOW AT THE MERCY OF THE WATER.
IT COULD WASH ME PRETTY MUCH ANYWHERE.
CONTACT!
REALLY DOES GIVE YOU AN INSIGHT INTO WHAT A TSUNAMI COULD DO.
THAT WAS, WHAT, 3, 4 MILES AN HOUR?
DIDN'T EVEN REACH A METER, AND IT WAS ENOUGH PRESSURE
JUST TO COMPLETELY WIPE ME OFF MY FEET.
ONE OF THE MOST REMARKABLE PIECES OF FOOTAGE
FROM THE 2011 TSUNAMI
CAME FROM A CAMERA MOUNTED ON THE FRONT OF A CAR.
WITHIN SECONDS OF THE TSUNAMI ARRIVING, CARS ARE FLOATING.
WITHIN MINUTES,
THE STREETS HAD TURNED TO RAGING WHITEWATER RIVERS,
WITH TRUCKS AND CARS BEING TOSSED AROUND LIKE DRIFTWOOD.
THE DRIVER OF THIS CAR SURVIVED TO TELL THE TALE,
BUT MANY OTHERS WERE NOT SO LUCKY.
[ CRASHING ]
I'M GOING TO GET A SMALL IDEA
OF WHAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE IN THIS CAR,
WHICH WEIGHS AROUND A TON.
OKAY.
IT'S TETHERED TO THE GROUND
TO STOP IT TURNING INTO A FLOATING BATTERING RAM.
HERE IT COMES.
THE SCREWS ARE CRANKED UP,
AND OVER A FOOT OF WATER RACES TOWARDS ME.
OH.
SOMETHING'S DEFINITELY HAPPENING.
IT'S NOT EVEN THAT HIGH, BUT YOU CAN CERTAINLY FEEL IT NOW.
WHOA, WHOA, WHOA. OH.
THAT'S THE FORCE OF THE WATER JUST SHOVING THE CAR BACK.
THAT'S INCREDIBLE. THIS CAR WEIGHS AROUND A TON.
WHOA!
THAT IS NOT A GOOD FEELING.
UNBELIEVABLE.
AND THE CAR IS TETHERED,
SO I DON'T DRIFT COMPLETELY AWAY.
BUT CLEARLY NOW IT'S FLOATING.
AS THE CAR FILLS UP WITH WATER,
THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO GET OUT.
I'M GONNA TRY AND GIVE IT A GO. OH, MY GOSH.
I'M WEARING FULL SAFETY EQUIPMENT,
AND A RESCUE TEAM ARE STANDING BY.
BUT IT'S STILL ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING EXPERIENCES
I'VE EVER HAD.
HANG ON. I'M COMING TO GET YOU.
OKAY.
I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE
FOR THE PEOPLE WHO FACED THE FULL FORCE OF THE 2011 TSUNAMI.
THIS IS SMALL-FRY COMPARED TO A REAL TSUNAMI SITUATION.
BUT IT WAS A REALLY DISCONCERTING THING
TO BE TRAPPED INSIDE THE CAR.
SO, ACTUALLY BEING INSIDE A SOLID OBJECT
IS NO USE TO YOU WHATSOEVER
AGAINST THE FORCES OF THAT WATER.
Pepper: THIS ACTIVE ZONE OFF THE COAST OF JAPAN
CREATED THE 2011 TSUNAMI.
HUGE WAVES SMASHED INTO NORTHERN JAPAN,
AND THE CONSEQUENCES WERE HORRIFIC.
SHOULD A SIMILAR WAVE STRIKE
THE MUCH MORE HEAVILY POPULATED SOUTH AND TOKYO,
THE DAMAGE TO LIFE AND INFRASTRUCTURE WOULD BE FAR WORSE,
PERHAPS ENOUGH TO BRING THE WHOLE COUNTRY TO A STANDSTILL.
WOW, YOU CAN SEE THE MEGATHRUST.
SATOKO OKI FROM THE EARTHQUAKE RESEARCH INSTITUTE
BELIEVES A MASSIVE OFFSHORE TREMOR CLOSE TO TOKYO
WILL TRIGGER A KILLER WAVE IN THE NEXT 30 YEARS.
THIS IS WHAT WORRIES HER --
A HUGE SUBDUCTING PLATE BOUNDARY
JUST OFF THE SOUTH COAST OF JAPAN
WITH THREE HIGHLY ACTIVE TSUNAMI-PRODUCING ZONES.
EVERY 100 TO 150 YEARS, WE HAVE ABOUT MAGNITUDE-8 --
THREE OF MAGNITUDE-8 EARTHQUAKES.
AND SOMETIMES IT OCCURS ALL TOGETHER.
AND THAT HAPPENED IN 1707.
Pepper: THE TOKAI ZONE, WHICH SITS CLOSEST TO TOKYO,
IS THE BIGGEST WORRY.
ITS LAST TSUNAMI WAS OVER 150 YEARS AGO,
SO THE NEXT ONE IS OVERDUE.
AND SHOULD IT TRIGGER ITS NEIGHBORS,
THE TONANKAI AND NANKAI,
IT COULD RIP A MASSIVE CATEGORY-9 EARTHQUAKE
THROUGH THE WHOLE OF THE SOUTH COAST.
HAVE YOU ANY IDEA OF THE SIZE
THAT THE RESULTING TSUNAMI WOULD BE?
THIS YEAR, THE GOVERNMENT RELEASED THE NEW CALCULATION
THAT THE TSUNAMI IS ALMOST 30 METERS.
YOU KNOW, 20, 30 METERS.
SO THIS IS A BIG RISK IN JAPAN.
30 METERS IS THE SAME SCALE OF WAVE
THAT DESTROYED THE SENDAI COAST IN 2011.
THAT SURGE OF WATER TOOK AROUND 20 MINUTES
TO FULLY IMPACT THE COAST.
BUT DR. OKI FEARS THE WARNINGS FOR THE SOUTH
COULD BE FAR SHORTER.
SINCE THE SOURCE IS MUCH CLOSER TO JAPAN,
SOME POINT GET TSUNAMI IN MAYBE 5 MINUTES.
Bonnin: THE HUGE SEAWALLS THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT SENDAI
WEREN'T ENOUGH.
SHOULD THE SOUTH DEFENSES BE BREACHED,
TENS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WILL FACE A RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK
TO FIND SAFETY.
NOW A NEW GENERATION OF HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS
COULD PROVIDE SOME WITH THE SAFE HAVEN THEY NEED.
Bonnin: THE EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI
THAT SO TRAGICALLY STRUCK NORTHERN JAPAN IN 2011
WAS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT.
SCIENTISTS BELIEVE IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN,
AND THIS TIME,
THE METROPOLITAN SOUTH OF JAPAN IS IN THE FIRING LINE.
Pepper: IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME
BEFORE THERE'S A MASSIVE CATEGORY-9 EARTHQUAKE
FOLLOWED BY A WALL OF WATER THE HEIGHT OF A 10-STORY BUILDING.
THE ONLY WAY FOR THE JAPANESE TO ESCAPE SUCH A WAVE
MAY BE TO GO UP.
Bonnin: BUT HOW DO YOU BUILD A TOWER STRONG ENOUGH
TO SURVIVE THE TREMORS THAT PRECEDE THE TSUNAMI?
SURPRISINGLY, THE ANSWER MAY LIE IN THE PAST.
WORSHIPERS HAVE BEEN COMING TO THIS SHINTO TEMPLE
SINCE THE 7th CENTURY.
THIS PARTICULAR SHINTO SHRINE SITS AT THE FOOT OF MOUNT FUJI
AND IS DEDICATED TO THE WORSHIP OF THE "KAMIS,"
OR SPIRITS, OF VOLCANOES.
FOR OVER 1,000 YEARS,
SHINTOISM HAS OFFERED SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE.
REMARKABLY, THERE'S ALSO TECHNOLOGY HERE
THAT COULD SAVE LIVES
SHOULD TOKYO BE HIT BY A MASSIVE EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI.
DESPITE ALL THAT THE GEOLOGY OF JAPAN
HAS THROWN AT THEM OVER THE CENTURIES,
THESE ANCIENT BUILDINGS RARELY FALL DOWN.
Pepper: NOW JAPANESE ARCHITECTS
ARE USING THE SECRETS OF SHINTO TEMPLE CONSTRUCTION
TO PRODUCE DISASTER-PROOF SKYSCRAPERS LIKE THIS ONE,
THE WORLD'S BIGGEST SELF-SUPPORTING TOWER.
IT'S BEAUTIFUL, ISN'T IT?
OH.
THIS CONSTRUCTION IS MODELED ON THOUSAND-YEAR-OLD ARCHITECTURE
FROM THIS VERY COUNTRY.
YOU KNOW THE 5-STORY PAGODA TEMPLES.
THEY'RE BUILT USING THE SAME PRINCIPLE.
THEY USE A CENTRAL COLUMN THAT COULD WITHSTAND EARTHQUAKES.
THIS IS NOW THE MOST HIGH-TECH, MODERN VERSION
OF THAT VERY SAME PRINCIPLE.
THESE OUTRIGGERS HERE
GO OVER 100 FEET INTO THE GROUND.
SO IT'S JUST LIKE ROOTS HOLDING THIS WHOLE SYSTEM STABLE,
ALLOWING IT TO SWING LIKE A BIG TRUNK
IN THE WINDS AND THE EARTHQUAKES.
Bonnin: IT'S A BROADCAST TOWER CALLED THE SKYTREE,
AND IT STANDS AT OVER 2,000 FEET TALL.
THAT'S TWICE THE HEIGHT OF THE CHRYSLER BUILDING IN NEW YORK.
Pepper: THE VIEW FROM THE GROUND IS SPECTACULAR,
BUT, JUST WAIT TILL YOU SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FROM THE TOP.
WHOA. LOOK AT THE VIEW!
Pepper: GEE. THAT IS UNREAL.
OH, GOSH.
WOW!
THAT IS AWESOME.
OH, MY GOD.
WHOA, WHOA, WHOA.
THAT'S JELLY LEGS.
YOU SEE HOW IT STARTS ROUND
AND THEN IT FLARES OUT INTO A TRIPOD.
OH, MY STOMACH.
THE BIG QUESTION IS, WHAT HAPPENS IF,
GOD FORBID, YOU GET HIT BY AN EARTHQUAKE,
AND YOU HAPPEN TO BE UP IN THIS TOWER?
YOU KNOW, ALL THE TECHNOLOGY SAYS IT CAN WITHSTAND IT,
BUT THE PROOF'S IN THE PUDDING, ISN'T IT?
AND THIS IS BRAND-SPANKING-NEW,
SO IT'S REALLY A CASE OF JUST ALMOST WAITING
FOR THE FIRST EARTHQUAKE TO SEE HOW THIS TOWER FARES.
Bonnin: THE JAPANESE PEOPLE LIVE BOTH IN HARMONY AND CONFLICT
WITH THE LAND THEY LIVE ON.
THEIR SOCIETY PROSPERS, BUT IT DOES SO IN THE KNOWLEDGE
THAT ANY DAY, DISASTER MAY STRIKE.
SOMETIMES THE FORCES OF THE LAND THAT BOIL BENEATH THEM
PROVE TOO GREAT TO WITHSTAND.
Pepper: BUT ON THE RUINS OF THE OLD,
BIGGER, STRONGER TOWNS AND CITIES ARE BUILT,
BETTER EQUIPPED FOR THE NEXT GEOLOGICAL ASSAULT.
THE JAPANESE PEOPLE KNOW THEY CAN'T BEAT NATURE,
BUT THAT WON'T STOP THEM TRYING.