Earthquakes are very common in Japan. On the local TV stations there are commercials appealing to ex-pats touting their “seismic ready” condos built with the latest technology to withstand massive quakes.

The night before I arrived, there was a small quake which caused my colleague to wake in the middle of the night. My Japanese coworkers were amused that such a small quake would cause a disruption of his sleep and I was relieved that a quake had come and gone, thinking I would be in the clear.

Last week after work we went to “Wall Street Bar” which supposedly serves ice cold beer. The Japanese love their beer and love to socialize after work…it’s all part of the community fostered by the employer, and the country, where the employees spend more time with coworkers than their families. As we were sitting in the booth, the nearby coat rack began to sway and mobile phones began to beep. People here have “earthquake apps” on their phones to alert them to an incoming quake providing a valuable extra second or two to reach safety. Everyone checked their phones, scoffed at the initial rating of a 5.5 quake, and went on with the night. Websites now have that quake listed as a 4.7.  That magnitude of a quake hits the West coast of the U.S. regularly as well, but for an east coaster it’s a bit unnerving.

On June 6, I awoke at 4:30 AM to a loud clanging. It sounded like metal on metal. I looked around the room and thought “window washers at 4 AM?” The noise was so loud I got out of bed and felt drunk walking over to the window. Pulling aside the blinds revealed a sunrise view out my 10th floor window, but no window washers. And then it hit me…a quake! The noise had stopped and immediately I hopped online to read early reports saying it was a 6.1 quake off the coast of Honshu island, about 158 kilometers (98 miles) from Tokyo. (The quake has since been reported as a 5.8.)

To put the quake in context, the two recent quakes causing mass destruction in Italy were both in the 6.0 range. In Tokyo, there’s no impact because of the sturdiness of the buildings and everything is so secured.

Arriving in the office this morning, none of the local team was phased. Most slept through it. Others were perplexed that their “earthquake apps” on their phones didn’t wake them up to alert them to the seismic activity.

Earthquakes are part of the way of life here. A friend from Belmont, whose parents live in Tokyo, once explained to me that after the big quake of 2011, her parents lived in fear and slept in their clothes. And they now keep a backpack of emergency supplies under their beds in case there’s a need to quickly evacuate.

I have grown to really love Tokyo, but don’t think I could ever live here knowing that such activity could literally erupt at any time. Will it prevent me from getting a good night sleep tonight? No. But I’m definitely going to check the evacuation plan in my hotel just to be safe.