Japan’s history is full of many earthquakes. In this post, we will look at the history and reason of earthquakes in Japan. Japan is a geographical catastrophe hotspot due to the country’s regular seismic activity. Around Japan, 10 percent of all earthquakes worldwide happen there. The nation is subject to one earthquake of a magnitude of 7.0 on average per year. Since Sugawara no Michizane, a government official, reported 23 devastating earthquakes out of 623 earthquakes felt in Japan between 416 AD and 887 AD, regular earthquakes have occurred in Japan since ancient times.
Today’s nation is equipped to handle natural calamities. Nevertheless, unanticipated earthquakes continue to cause enormous death tolls and property destruction in Japan. Just a few weeks before the March 11th earthquake and tsunami’s tenth anniversary, on February 13, this year, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3 struck off the coast of Tohoku; fortunately, no one was killed. Below is a summary of some of the most significant earthquakes to have hit Japan.
The 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake
Rumbling started on September 1 at about 11:58 am and intensified to a 7.9 magnitude. The urban regions of Tokyo and Yokohama experienced severe devastation, resulting in the deaths of almost 100,000 people.
The area was destroyed, with over half of the brickwork structures and one-tenth of the concrete-structured buildings collapsing. Uncontrollably, flames broke out in the businesses and dwellings made of wood. It took almost two whole days to put out the fires since so many of the water mains were damaged.
Soon after, the collision caused a 39.5-foot-tall tsunami off the shore of Atami, which claimed 60 lives and damaged over 150 dwellings. At the time, the Great Kanto Earthquake was thought to be the biggest natural catastrophe to ever hit Japan.
Date: 1 September 1923
Magnitude: 7.9
140,000 fatalities
1995’s Great Hanshin Earthquake
The date of the Great Hanshin earthquake is January 17. With a magnitude of 7.2, the calamity hit Kobe(「神戸) and the neighboring districts. The night before the 17th, a few villagers experienced faint rumblings, which were not unusual by Japanese standards. The tremors returned on Tuesday at 5:46 a.m. with a magnitude of 7.2. The earthquake’s epicenter was between Honshu and Awaji Island, forty miles from Kobe.
Train lines were wrecked, houses crumbled, and bridges crumpled, sending shockwaves across Kobe and the neighboring regions. Consequently, thirty thousand people were wounded, three hundred thousand were homeless, and over 6,000 people lost their lives. Even though there aren’t many signs of the disaster still visible in the city, Kobe residents will always remember the damage the Great Hanshin earthquake caused.
Date: January 17, 1995
Magnitude: 7.2; 6,000 fatalities
The Great Earthquake of 1995 in Hanshin
Japan’s Great East Earthquake
The day of Japan’s worst natural catastrophe occurred on March 11. A 9.0 magnitude earthquake—the biggest ever recorded—struck off the northeast coast of the Tohoku area. Waves up to 38 meters high caused a massive tsunami that swamped more than 200 square kilometers of coastal land. 20,000 individuals were reported killed or missing, while 500,000 more were compelled to flee the region.
A level-7 nuclear meltdown was triggered at a nuclear reactor located in Fukushima as a consequence of the massive tsunami. Because of the damage to the cooling system, there was a meltdown at the facility that spewed radioactive material.
Fortunately, there have been no reported cases of radioactive sickness or fatalities as a consequence of the incident, although over 100,000 people had to leave their houses to protect themselves. The 2011 disaster caused an estimated $360 billion worth of damage overall, and reconstruction work is still ongoing in the region.
Date: March 11, 2011
Intensity: 9.0 Death toll: 15,894
2011 Tsunami and Earthquake
Why Are There So Many Earthquakes in Japan?
What, Therefore, Makes Japan such a Breeding Ground for Natural Calamities?
Japan is situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire (環太平洋火山帯), which means that the nation is prone to natural catastrophes due to the meeting of four main tectonic plates: the Eurasian, Philippine, Pacific, and North American plates.
The extreme pressure causes a trigger of shockwaves to discharge when each plate moves and collides. Because there are so many earthquakes that happen offshore, coastal communities often suffer significant damage from tsunamis.
In Japan, there are over 5,000 little earthquakes each year, of which more than half have a magnitude of 3.0 to 3.9. An average scale of 5.0 for over 160 is enough to rattle the Japanese archipelago.
Japan Earthquakes: When & If They Occur?
Experts predict a 1923 centennial reunion as the years pass. Tokyo is the world’s most populous metropolis, with an infinite skyscraper jungle strewn over numerous parts of the city. Given the crowded location and anticipated severity of the effect, there is a chance that a comparable calamity may transpire and rank among the worst in human history. Experts estimate that before 2050, there is a 70% probability Tokyo may experience an earthquake of magnitude 7 or higher.
For such calamities, the Japanese government has made preparations. When a crisis appears, an emergency disaster team is ready to respond. The biggest urban fire service in the world, the Tokyo Fire Service, is also fully equipped to handle emergency evacuations. Because of their structural construction, skyscrapers may wobble and move in the case of shockwaves since they are designed to resist large hits.
Under Japanese legislation, homes are also constructed under earthquake-proof specifications. Currently, 87% of Tokyo’s structures are thought to be earthquake-resistant. The infamous bullet trains of Japan are furthermore outfitted with seismic sensors that can stop all trains in the case of an approaching earthquake. Every Japanese TV station instantly shifts to news linked to the earthquake in order to better educate the public and help them prepare for an evacuation.
If the experts are correct, locals and government representatives will need complete resources for the next few years. The children’s song Yuyake Koyake, which plays at five o’clock in the evening, reverberates across the Minato district, alerting residents to the possibility of impending tragedy and better preparing Tokyoites for what lies ahead.
Earthquake as Cultural Heritage: Japan’s Examples
Earthquakes are unsettling occurrences that far too often have terrible outcomes. They leave their imprints on buildings and landscapes, have an impact on the lives of those who see them, and sometimes cause anguish to the same individuals. Beyond these negative implications, however, what do earthquakes signify in Japan’s history and society? What evidence of earthquakes remains in Japan’s cultural heritage?
The second anniversary of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake is on April 14, while the seventh anniversary of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami is on March 11. The built heritage in the areas affected by these earthquake occurrences was severely damaged. Their recuperation has received a lot of attention and is still receiving it.
Castles
The Kumamoto earthquake caused some of the heaviest damage to Kumamoto Castle, a significant icon for the neighborhood. The structures that were placed on the stone foundation crumpled and fell.
Japan has experienced several earthquakes, many of which caused damage to historic castles. For instance, the 1948 Fukui earthquake caused the fall of Maruoka Castle. The castle was rebuilt using as many of the same components as possible after it collapsed, and as a result, it remains a cultural landmark.
Many seismic countermeasure initiatives are being created for castles in Japan due to the high danger of earthquakes harming historic sites. To identify the castle’s structurally weak areas, these initiatives include structural testing and numerical calculations. The findings allow for the least amount of seismic reinforcement to be added while maintaining the integrity of the existing building. This is the situation with the World Heritage Site, Himeji Castle.
The majority of Japanese castles were constructed during what is often referred to as the Japanese Age of Warring States, which spanned the second half of the 16th and the first part of the 17th centuries. There were a lot of battles and earthquakes throughout this time. Samurai generals who gave the order to build a castle were concerned with the structure’s defenses, aesthetics, and seismic performance since the castle was to be a symbol of authority and a battle fortification during a time of frequent earthquakes.
Catfishing
During that era, there was a widespread notion in Japan that massive catfish that lived under the surface of the earth were the source of earthquakes. In a letter, renowned samurai commander Hideyoshi Toyotomi of the Warring States Period gave his servants instructions to build his fortress while taking the “catfish” into consideration. The first proof that Japanese people thought catfish caused earthquakes is found in this text. Despite the general’s letter, his castle was destroyed in 1596, the year it was built, by an earthquake.
The Japanese woodcut images also show the connection between earthquakes and catfish. One lithograph after the Edo earthquake in 1855 showed people in Tokyo getting upset with the catfish. In a different print, the god of earthquake prevention kills the catfish, and the other catfish makes peace with him. Another humorous poster shows carpenters giving thanks to the catfish and serving him a beautiful lunch. After an earthquake, carpenters usually get a lot of labor.
Old Structures
Not only can paintings convey the memories of previous earthquakes, but so can historical records, damage remnants, and even the architecture of buildings. The three-story pagoda of Yakushi-ji Buddhist temple in Nara was damaged in the 1854 earthquake, causing the highest half of the structure to tilt, as documented in a monastic record. Two years after the earthquake, the paper states, the tilting pagoda was brought upright and damaged pieces were restored.
The 1923 earthquake badly destroyed Nikorai-do, an Orthodox church in Tokyo that was first planned and constructed in 1891 by a well-known English architect. A Japanese architect revised the design and built it with seismic protection in mind after the disaster. The church’s present look may be attributed to the earthquake since the Japanese architect decreased the tower’s height.
Errors
In addition to causing damage, earthquakes can also create geological faults. The 2016 earthquake in Kumamoto caused numerous faults. These faults received the designation of natural monument in November 2017. Following extensive review and deliberation including specialists, the local community, and the government, three locations were chosen.
Even though a comprehensive strategy for the protection and management of the sites is being prepared, both concrete and intangible elements—like seismic legends—will be conserved to ensure that the memory of the earthquake is not lost.
Japan has several earthquake locations that are recognized as natural monuments. For instance, a shelter has helped to preserve a fault that the Nobi earthquake of 1891 caused. There are still marks on the surface of a torpedo from the 1930 Kitaizu earthquake that was on display in a museum. The earthquake’s motion and physical force are what generated these marks.
Recall
In Japan, a wide range of cultural attributes are used to transmit seismic memory. Famous Japanese scientist and author Torahiko Terada once said, “Disaster strikes when you least expect it.” It is a saying that all Japanese children know. Terada has also remarked, “Night would be a disaster if it came once in a century.” However, even a tsunami wouldn’t be a catastrophe if it happened very rarely.
In terms of catastrophe risk reduction, this message is very important. Terada claims that the correlation between earthquake frequency and human memory determines whether or not an earthquake is seen as a tragedy. While it is difficult to reduce the frequency of earthquakes, cultural and natural heritage may help humans remember things for longer.
Recall is the key to being prepared for disasters. A potent extra tactic for catastrophe mitigation is to preserve these memories via cultural and natural heritage and pass them on from one generation to the next.
