Japan is known for its numerous earthquakes and tsunami, most of the time nothing happens. However, there have been some earthquakes over the years that caused many casualties, and it is often difficult to know the exact number. So in this article we will see the 10 worst earthquakes in the history of Japan.
Table of Contents
The Great Kanto Earthquake
1923 ~142,800 deaths / magnitude 7.9
On September 1, 1923 at 11:58 a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck the island of Oshima in Sagami (near Yokohama and Tokyo). Incredibly, the earthquake lasted more than 4 minutes. The earthquake sparked massive fires as most were cooking.
In addition to the large number of dead, more than 2 million people were left homeless. The fire caused many more deaths than the earthquake itself. As a result, September 1 was designated as The Day of Disaster Prevention in Japan. (Bousai no Hi)
The Middle Nankaido Earthquake
1498 ~31,000 deaths / magnitude 8.6
An 8.6 magnitude earthquake struck the coast of southern Honshu (near Shikoku) on September 20, 1498. It triggered a massive tsunami that may have killed up to 31,000 people. In Japanese mythology, saying it is the fault of a giant catfish that causes earthquakes (Namazu).
The Kamakura Earthquake
1293 ~23,024 deaths / magnitude 7.1
At around 6:00 am on May 27, 1293 a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the city of Kamakura. A tsunami also hit the region killing more than 20,000 people.
The Tohoku Earthquake
2011 ~16,000 to 29,000 deaths / magnitude 9.0
The super serious earthquake that happened on March 11, 2011. It triggered a tsunami of up to 40 meters high and 10 km, causing the death of more than 16 thousand people. In addition to causing a level 7 alert at the fukushima plants, spreading radiation throughout the world. The ongoing health impact of the disaster is still not well understood.
The Meiji-Sanriku Earthquake
1896 ~ 22,066 deaths / magnitude 7.2
At 7:32 pm on June 15, 1896 a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck off the coast of Tohoku. Nearby residents barely felt the earthquake and were unconcerned. About 35 minutes later the coast of Iwate and Miyagi was hit by a massive tsunami measuring up to 38.2 meters in height. More than 9,000 homes were destroyed and 22,066 people lost their lives. The location and zone of the earthquake and tsunami had a similar impact to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake.
The Unzen Earthquake
1792 ~ 15,448 deaths / magnitude 6.4
In 1792, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake was triggered by the eruption of Mount Unzen in Nagasaki. The southern half of the mountain collapsed into the sea, generating a massive tsunami that claimed the lives of 13,486 people. The eruption path is still visible to this day.
The Yaeyama Earthquake
1771~ 13,486 deaths / magnitude 7.4
At around 08:00 on April 24, 1771 a magnitude 7.4 earthquake triggered a tsunami that engulfed the islands of Ishigaki and Miyakojima. The tsunami reached 80 meters high. They went out to sea rocks.
The Mino-Owari Earthquake
1891~ 7,273 deaths / magnitude 8.0
A massive 8.0 magnitude earthquake that destroyed over 140,000 homes.
The Ansei Edo Earthquake
1855~ 6,641 deaths / magnitude 7.0
Around 10:00 PM on November 11, 1855, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Edo (Tóquio). The resulting fires burned 2.3 km2. The fires destroyed approximately 50,000 houses and killed more than 6,641 people.
The Great Hanshin Earthquake
1995~ 6,434 deaths / magnitude 7.2
At 5:46 am on January 17, 1995 a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Kobe (Awaji Island). The earthquake lasted only 20 seconds. About 200,000 buildings and a 1 km of Hanshin Expressway collapsed. Fires raged throughout the city. The disaster led to new Japanese building standards. So from this year onwards the buildings were made to be earthquake resistant.
This photo was taken seconds before the building completely collapsed.
These were some of the worst earthquakes in the history of Japan, there are others not mentioned, but in this article we have selected only 10 and the ones that caused the most deaths.
Despite these deaths, we can see how Japan is a safe country, where fewer people died in these disasters in the last 20 years than died from murdered people or accidents due to imprudent traffic in Brazil.
So don't be afraid to be in Japan, because between you dying in an earthquake or getting shot in Brazil. getting shot is more likely. I'm just saying this not to generalize and be afraid, the unforeseen happens to everyone.
