MATSUSHIRO TOWN, WITH A POPULATION OF 24,000, ABOUT 300 KILOMETERS (ABOUT 187 MILES) WEST OF TOKYO, IS PREPARING FOR A MAJOR EARTHQUAKE. THE TOWN HAS ALREADY HAD A RECORDED 50,000 EARTHQUAKE SHOCKS AND THERE ARE INDICATIONS THAT UNDERGROUND RUMBLINGS ARE BUILDING UP TO A CLIMAX AND THAT A MAJOR EARTHQUAKE MAY BE IMMINENT.

MATSUSHIRO HOUSES A SEISMOLOGICAL STATION, INSTALLED IN AN EMERGENCY PALACE BUILT FOR THE JAPANESE ROYAL FAMILY IN MATSUSHIRO TOWARDS THE END OF THE LAST WAR. THE PALACE WAS BUILT ON THE SITE BECAUSE, IT WAS FELT AT THE TIME, THAT THE TOWN WAS SITUATED ON SOME OF JAPAN'S MOST SOLID EARTH CRUST AND WOULD BE SAFER FROM THE HEAVY AMERICAN BOMBS.

THE SEISMOLOGICAL STATION IS CONSTANTLY RECORDING TREMORS, MOST OF WHICH DO NOT DO ANY DAMAGE, BUT THE TOWN AUTHORITIES ARE PREPARING FOR AN INTENSIFICATION AND POSSIBLE SERIOUS QUAKES IN THE FUTURE.

THE EPICENTRE IS BELIEVED TO BE BENEATH MOUNT MINAKAMI, NEAR THE TOWN. TOWNSPEOPLE HAVE BEEN TOLD TO PREPARE TO EVACUATE THEIR HOMES QUICKLY. FOR THIS, THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED TO HAVE READY-PACKED THEIR ESSENTIAL PERSONAL BELONGINGS AND FOOD.

PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS ARE BEING DISTRIBUTED TO ALL HOUSEHOLDS AS THE MOST DAMAGING ASPECT OF AN EARTHQUAKE, FOLLOWING THE ACTUAL EARTHSHAKING AND CRACKING, IS FROM FIRE - PARTICULARLY AS SO MANY JAPANESE HOUSES ARE BUILT FROM WOOD AND PAPER.

SPECIAL LOUDSPEAKERS HAVE BEEN SET UP AT STREET CORNERS - WORKED BY BATTERIES IN CASE ELECTRICITY SUPPLIES FAIL - SO THAT THE AUTHORITIES CAN KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE PEOPLE SHOULD THE DISASTER OCCUR.

AT SCHOOLS, BUILDINGS ARE BEING STRENGTHENED TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM FALLING WALLS AND MASONRY.

MEANWHILE, THE PEOPLE OF MATSUSHIRO WAIT, TAKING HEED OF THE WARNINGS THAT THE INSTRUMENTS AT THE SEISMOLOGICAL STATION ARE GIVING THEM.