Japan is known for its numerous earthquakes and tsunamis, most of the time nothing happens. However, there have been some earthquakes over the years that brought many victims, and it is often difficult to know the exact number. So in this article, we will see the 10 worst earthquakes in Japan’s history.
Table of Contents
The Great Kanto Earthquake
1923 ~142,800 deaths / magnitude 7.9
On September 1, 1923, at 11:58, an earthquake of magnitude 7.9 struck Oshima Island in Sagami (near Yokohama and Tokyo). Incredibly, the earthquake lasted more than 4 minutes. The earthquake caused massive fires, as most people were cooking.
In addition to the large number of deaths, 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 Disaster Prevention Day in Japan. (Bousai no Hi)
The Meio Nankai Earthquake
1498 ~31,000 deaths / magnitude 8.6
An earthquake of magnitude 8.6 struck the southern coast of Honshu (near Shikoku) on September 20, 1498. It triggered a large tsunami that may have killed up to 31,000 people. In Japanese mythology, it is said to be the fault of a giant catfish that causes earthquakes (Namazu).
The Kamakura Earthquake
1293 ~23,024 deaths / magnitude 7.1
At around 6:00 on May 27, 1293, an earthquake of magnitude 7.1 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 severe earthquake that occurred on March 11, 2011. It triggered a tsunami of up to 40 meters high and 10 km, causing the death of more than 16,000 people. In addition to causing a level 7 alert at the Fukushima plants, spreading radiation worldwide. The ongoing health impact of the disaster is still not well understood.
The Meiji-Sanriku Earthquake
1896 ~ 22,066 deaths / magnitude 7.2
At 07:32 PM on June 15, 1896, an earthquake of magnitude 7.2 struck the coast of Tohoku. Residents nearby barely felt the earthquake and were unconcerned. About 35 minutes later, the coasts of Iwate and Miyagi were hit by a massive tsunami measuring up to 38.2 meters high. More than 9,000 houses were destroyed, and 22,066 people lost their lives. The location and zone of the earthquake and tsunami had a similar impact to the Tohoku earthquake in 2011.
The Unzen Earthquake
1792 ~ 15,448 deaths / magnitude 6.4
In 1792, an earthquake of magnitude 6.4 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 caused the death of 13,486 people. The path of the eruption is still visible today.
The Yaeyama Earthquake
1771~ 13,486 deaths / magnitude 7.4
At around 08:00 on April 24, 1771, an earthquake of magnitude 7.4 triggered a tsunami that engulfed the islands of Ishigaki and Miyakojima. The tsunami reached 80 meters high. Even rocks came out of the sea.
The Mino-Owari Earthquake
1891~ 7,273 deaths / magnitude 8.0
A major earthquake of magnitude 8.0 that destroyed more than 140,000 houses.
The Ansei Edo Earthquake
1855~ 6,641 deaths / magnitude 7.0
At around 10:00 PM on November 11, 1855, an earthquake of magnitude 7.0 struck Edo (Tokyo). The resulting fires burned 2.3 km2. The fires destroyed about 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, an earthquake of magnitude 7.2 struck Kobe (Awaji Island). The earthquake lasted only 20 seconds. About 200,000 buildings and 1 km of the Hanshin expressway collapsed. Fires ravaged the entire city. The disaster led to new Japanese building standards. Thus, starting from that year, buildings were made to be earthquake-resistant.
This photo was taken seconds before the building completely fell.
These were some of the worst earthquakes in Japan’s history; there are others not mentioned, but in this article, we selected only 10 that caused the most deaths.
Despite these deaths, we can note how safe Japan is, where fewer people die in these disasters in the last 20 years than die from homicides or accidents due to recklessness in traffic in Brazil.
So do not be afraid to be in Japan, because between dying in an earthquake or getting shot in Brazil, getting shot is more likely. I say this just to avoid generalizing and being afraid; the unexpected happens to everyone.
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