The 1923 Great Kanto earthquake (関東大震災, Kantō daishinsai^?) struck the Kanto plain on the Japanese main island of Honshu at 11:58 on the morning of September 1, 1923. The quake was later estimated to have had a magnitude between 7.9 and 8.4 on the Richter scale, with its epicentre under Sagami Bay. Varied accounts hold that the duration was between 4 and 10 minutes. It devastated Tokyo, the port city of Yokohama, surrounding prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa, and Shizuoka, and caused widespread damage throughout the Kanto region. Kanto can mean: The Kanto region of Japan. ... todo mal de [ [ Shikoku ] ] a través del [ [ mar interior ] ], y noreste de [ [ Kyushu ] ] a través del [ [ estrecho de Kanmon ] ]. Es la séptima isla más grande, y la segunda isla populosa en el mundo después de [ [ Java (isla)|Java ] ] (véase [ [ lista de las islas de la población ] ]). < style=float del div... The Richter magnitude test scale (or more correctly local magnitude ML scale) assigns a single number to quantify the size of an earthquake. ... Sagami Bay (相模湾, Sagami-wan), also known as the Sagami Gulf or Sagami Sea, lies south of Kanagawa Prefecture in Honshu, central Japan, with the Miura Peninsula to its east and the Izu Peninsula to its west. ... Tokyo , literally eastern capital) is the capital of Japan and one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. ... Yokohama City Hall Mayor Hiroshi Nakada Address 〒231-0017 Yokohama-shi, Naka-ku, Minato-cho 1-1 Phone number 045-671-2121 Official website: Yokohama City Yokohama (Japanese: 横浜市; -shi) is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan. ... Chiba can refer to: 1. ... Kanagawa Prefecture (神奈川県; Kanagawa-ken) is a geographic and political area located in the Kanto region on Honshu island, Japan. ... Shizuoka (静岡市; -shi) is the capital city of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. ...

According to most reliable sources, at least 105,385 lost their lives and over 37,000 went missing, presumed dead.

Damage

Because the earthquake struck at lunchtime when many people were using fire to cook food, the damage and the number of fatalities were amplified due to fires which broke out in numerous locations. The fires spread rapidly due to high winds from a nearby typhoon off the coast of Noto Peninsula in Northern Japan and some developed into firestorms which swept across cities. The single greatest loss of life occurred when at least 30,000 people packed into an open space at Rikugun Honjo Hifukusho in downtown Tokyo were incinerated by a firestorm. As the earthquake had caused water mains to break, putting out the fires took nearly two full days until late in the morning of September 3. The fires were the biggest cause of death. Cyclone Catarina, a rare South Atlantic tropical cyclone viewed from the International Space Station on March 26, 2004. ... The article incorporates text from OpenHistory. ... A firestorm in Hamburg (Germany) during WWII A firestorm is the mass movement of air resulting from fire, creating a fire of extreme intensity over a wide area. ... September 3 is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years). ...

Cases of homes being buried or swept away by landslides were particularly frequent in the mountainous areas and hilly coastal areas in western Kanagawa prefecture, killing about 800 people. At the railway station in the village of Nebukawa west of Odawara, a collapsing mountainside plunged a passing passenger train with over 100 passengers downhill into the sea along with the entire station structure and the village itself. Tsunamis reached the coast within minutes in some areas, hitting the coast of Sagami Bay, Boso Peninsula, Izu Islands and the east coast of Izu Peninsula. Tsunamis of up to 10 metres were recorded. Examples of tsunami damage include about 100 people killed along Yui-ga-hama beach in Kamakura and an estimated 50 people on the Enoshima causeway. Kanagawa Prefecture (神奈川県; Kanagawa-ken) is a geographic and political area located in the Kanto region on Honshu island, Japan. ... Categories: Cities in Kanagawa Prefecture | Japan geography stubs ... The tsunami that struck Malé in the Maldives on December 26, 2004. ... Sagami Bay (相模湾, Sagami-wan), also known as the Sagami Gulf or Sagami Sea, lies south of Kanagawa Prefecture in Honshu, central Japan, with the Miura Peninsula to its east and the Izu Peninsula to its west. ... Location Landsat image with high-resolution data from Space Shuttle. ... Location Map of Islands The Izu Islands (伊豆諸島) are a group of volcanic islands stretching south and east from the Izu Peninsula of Honshu, Japan. ... Location. ... Crowds of visitors in Kamakura (Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine) Big Buddha at Kotokuin Kamakura (Japanese: 鎌倉市; -shi) is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan, about 50 km south-south-west of Tokyo (to which it is linked by the railway line to Yokosuka). ... Enoshima (江の島) is a small island, about 4 km in circumference, at the mouth of the Katase River, which flows into Sagami Bay in Japan. ...

Over 570,000 homes were destroyed, leaving an estimated 1.9 million homeless. The damage is estimated to have exceeded one billion U.S. dollars at contemporary values.

Post-quake violence

The panic and confusion created by the earthquake led to numerous false rumours spreading both inside and outside of the affected regions. Various Japanese newspaper articles carried confused stories such as the total annihilation of Tokyo, the entire Kanto region sinking into the sea, destruction of Izu islands due to volcanic eruptions, the Japanese cabinet getting wiped out, or monster tsunamis reaching as far inland as mount Akagi (at the northernmost corner of the Kanto plain, almost halfway across the width of the country.) The tsunami that struck Malé in the Maldives on December 26, 2004. ... Akagi means (赤城) red castle, (赤木) red tree, or (赤来) red future in the Japanese language, and may refer to: A volcano in the Kanto region of Japan Akagi, Gunma, a village in Gunma Prefecture Akagi, Shimane (赤来町), a former town in Shimane Prefecture Kei Akagi, a jazz pianist AKAGI, an anime series by...

The Interior Ministry declared martial law, and ordered each section police chief to put the maintenance of order and security as a priority. One of the messages was that "There are some Koreans who are taking advantage of this disaster, committing arson as part of robberies within Tokyo. Some of them possess bombs. Tokyo is under martial law and each area (of police force) should be extremely vigilant about Korean activities." Some newspapers reported this message. This started the deadliest rumour of all, that Koreans are rioting, committing looting and arson, and most importantly, poisoning wells. The numerous fires and cloudy well water (a little-known effect of a big quake) all seemed to confirm the rumours in the eyes of the fear-stricken survivors living in the rubble. Vigilante groups set up roadblocks in cities, towns and villages across the region. Because people with Korean accents pronounced "G" or "J" in the beginning of words differently, 15円 50銭 (jū-go-en, go-jū-sen) and がぎぐげご (gagigugego) were used as shibboleths. Anyone who failed to pronounce them properly was deemed Korean. Some were told to leave, but many were beaten or killed. Moreover, anyone mistakenly identified as Korean, such as Chinese, Okinawans, and Japanese speakers of some regional dialects, suffered the same fate. Look up Shibboleth in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

In response to this, the Japanese Army and the police conducted operations to protect Koreans. More than 2,000 Koreans were taken in for protection from the mobs across the region, although recent studies have shown that there have been incidences where army and police personnel are known to have condoned or even colluded in the vigilante killings in some areas. The chief of police of Tsurumi (or Kawasaki by some accounts) is reported to have publicly drunk the well water to disprove the rumour that Koreans have been poisoning wells. In some towns, even police stations into which Koreans had escaped were attacked by mobs, whereas in other neighbourhoods residents took steps to protect them. The Army distributed flyers denying the rumour and warning civilians against attacking Koreans, but in many cases vigilante activity only ceased as a result of Army operations against it. Japans honor guard often marches to greet the arrival of foreign dignitaries. ...

The total death toll from these disturbances is uncertain; according to the investigation by the interior ministry, confirmed victims of vigilante justice were 231 Koreans killed and 43 injured, 3 Chinese killed, 59 Japanese (including Okinawans) killed and 43 injured. Actual estimates range as much as 6,600, although politically independent studies put the figure to just over 2,500. Three hundred sixty-two Japanese civilians were eventually charged (for murder, attempted murder, manslaughter and assault), though most got off with nominal sentences, and even those who were sent to jail were later released with a general pardon commemorating the marriage of Prince Akihito. In contrast, the actual number of Koreans who were charged for crimes during this period were 2 for murder, 3 for arson, 6 for robbery and 3 for rape. Emperor Akihito reads the Speech from the Throne to the Japanese Diet His Imperial Majesty Akihito (明仁) (born December 23, 1933) is the current and 125th Emperor of Japan. ...

All of those charged with the killings were civilians, despite the fact that some military and police units are now known to have taken part in the crimes, prompting accusations of a cover-up.

On top of this violence, Socialists like Hirasawa Keishichi, anarchists like Osugi Sakae and Ito Noe, and Chinese communal leader, Ou Kiten, were abducted and killed by members of the police who claimed the victims had intended to use the crisis as an opportunity to overthrow the Japanese government. Socialism refers to a broad array of doctrines or political movements that envisage a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to social control. ... This article or section may contain inappropriate or misinterpreted citations. ... Osugi Sakae (大杉 栄 Ōsugi Sakae, January 17, 1885 - September 16, 1923) was a radical individualist, socialist and anarchist. ... Ito Noe (伊藤 野枝 Itō Noe, 21 January 1895 - 16 September 1923 in Imajuku, Fukuoka, Japan) was a Japanese anarchist and a social critic, author and feminist. ...

The importance of obtaining and providing accurate information following natural disasters has been emphasised in Japan ever since. Earthquake preparation literature in modern Japan almost always directs citizens to "carry a portable radio and use it to listen to reliable information, and [not to] be misled by rumours" in the event of a big quake.

Aftermath

Following the devastation of the earthquake, some in government considered the possibility of moving the capital elsewhere. Possible candidates suggested for the new capital included Himeji and Gyeongseong (Keijo in Japanese; present-day Seoul). Himeji city information Categories: Cities in Hyogo Prefecture | Japan geography stubs ... Gyeongseong is the Korean form of Keijō (京城), the former Japanese name of Seoul used during the Japanese Colonial Period (1910-1945). ... Seoul (Sŏul|서울) ) is the capital and largest city of South Korea (Republic of Korea). ...

After the earthquake, Goto Shinpei organized a reconstruction plan of Tokyo with modern networks of roads, trains, and public services. Parks were placed all over Tokyo to work as refuge spots and public buildings were constructed with stricter standards than private buildings to accommodate refugees. However, the outbreak of World War II and the subsequent destruction severely limited resources. A road ascends a mountainside using hairpin bends in the French Alps. ... For other uses, see Train (disambiguation). ... An Australian park A park is any of a number of geographic features. ... Combatants Allies: Soviet Union United States United Kingdom and others Axis Powers: Germany Japan Italy and others Commanders Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry S. Truman Winston Churchill Adolf Hitler Hideki Tojo Benito Mussolini Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000,000 Total dead: 50,000,000 Military...

In 1960 September 1 was designated as Disaster Prevention Day to commemorate the earthquake and remind people of the importance of preparation, as September and October are the middle of the typhoon season. Schools, public and private organizations host disaster drills. Tokyo is located near a fault line beneath the Izu peninsula which, on average, causes a major earthquake about once every 70 years. 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years). ... Old fault exposed by roadcut near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. ... Location. ...

There are low-key memorial facilities in a small park in Sumida ward, Tokyo, at the site of the open space in which 30,000 people were killed by a single firestorm. The park houses a buddhist-style memorial hall/museum, a memorial bell donated by Taiwanese buddhists, a memorial to the victims of World War II Tokyo air raids and a memorial to the Korean victims of the vigilante killings . Sumida (Japanese: 墨田区; -ku) is a special ward located in Tokyo, Japan. ... Tokyo , literally eastern capital) is the capital of Japan and one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. ... The U.S. bombing of Tokyo during World War II took place between 1942 and 1945. ...

External links

• Great Kanto Earthquake 1923 Online photo gallery by A. Kengelbacher
• The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923: Materials from the Dana and Vera Reynolds Collection A Brown University Library Digital Collection
• USGS Earthquake Lists
• A Study by Kajima Construction Company
• The 1923 Kanto Massacre of Koreans in Japan: A Japanese Professor Reveals the Truth Article from Korean newspaper
• Additional information about the Great Kanto Earthquake
• UC Berkeley Earthquake Engineering Online Archive