Japan has had a very lucky escape after the year's strongest earthquake, hitting eight on the Richter scale, smashed into the mainland of the northern island of Hokkaido after coming in from below the pacific. A feared giant Tsunami tidal wave never materialised, or the casualty figures of one dead and nearly 400 injured would surely have been much worse. Two small waves did hit Hokkaido's eastern seaboard, sweeping away parked cars and damaging docks and jetties. There was extensive damage however. A train was derailed, power lines were cut, the roof of a local airport caved in, a fire was started in a refinery, and many home and office windows were shattered and debris fell into the streets below. The quake hit in the early morning when most people were asleep in bed, so few saw its spectacular effects, although the tremors were felt nearly 1000 kilometres further south in Tokyo, which had its own smaller earthquake last weekend. Two smaller quakes were also recorded as some 40 000 people were being evacuated, and the population has been warned to expect aftershocks. **PHOTO CAPTION*** Workers check damage on a main road in Chokubetsu, northern Japan, September 26, 2003 after a strong earthquake. (REUTERS/Kimimasa Mayama)