The Era of Great Disasters: Japan and Its Three Major Earthquakes

Iokibe, Makoto

doi:doi:10.3998/mpub.11422327

The Era of Great Disasters: Japan and Its Three Major Earthquakes

Makoto Iokibe; Translated by Tony Gonzalez 2020

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The Era of Great Disasters examines modern disaster response in Japan, from the changing earthquake preparations and regulations, to immediate emergency procedures from the national, prefectural, and city levels, and finally the evolving efforts of rebuilding and preparing for the next great disaster in the hopes of minimizing their tragic effects. This book focuses on three major earthquakes from Japan's modern history. The first is the 1923 Great Kantō Earthquake, which struck the capital region. The second is the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, affecting the area between Kobe and Osaka. The third is the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, the magnitude 9.0 quake that struck off the Pacific coast of the Tōhoku region, causing a devastating tsunami and nuclear accident. While the events of (and around) each of these earthquakes are unique, Professor Iokibe brings his deep expertise and personal experience to each disaster, unveiling not only the disasters themselves but the humanity underneath. In each case, he gives attention and gratitude to those who labored to save lives and restore the communities affected, from the individuals on the scene to government officials and military personnel and emergency responders, in the hope that we might learn from the past and move forward with greater wisdom, knowledge, and common purpose.

Series

Michigan Monograph Series in Japanese Studies

ISBN(s)

978-0-472-05467-1 (paper)
978-0-472-12725-2 (ebook)
978-0-472-07467-9 (hardcover)

Subject

Citable Link

A black and white photo of a ruined building. Furniture and other debris can be seen throughout the foundations and rubble. A few trees stand nearby and further away. In the distance, several people can be seen walking along a road.

Odawara after the Great Kantō Earthquake

From Chapter 1

Figure 1.1. Ninety percent of Odawara was destroyed in the Great Kantō Earthquake (1923)

A black and white oil painting. Dark humanoid figures look to be thrown by swirling grey brushstrokes, with more hands and legs stretching from the rubble at the bottom.

Whirlwind

From Chapter 1

Figure 1.2. Whirlwind, an oil painting by Tokunaga Ryūshū following the Great Kantō Earthquake. Figures are portrayed as if they’ve been thrown. More hands and legs stretch from the rubble at the bottom (From the collection of the Tokyo Memorial Hall).

A black and white photo of six men in suits sitting around a clothed table outdoors.

Yamamoto Gonnohyōe Opening a Cabinet Meeting

From Chapter 1

Figure 1.3. Yamamoto Gonnohyōe (far left) opening a Cabinet meeting on the grounds of the prime minister’s office, following the Great Kantō Earthquake.

An black and white photo of a crowd gathered in a plaza. The photo is taken over the hat-covered heads of the people, showing the crowd stretching into the distance and towards the city further away.

Crowds in front of the Imperial Palace

From Chapter 1

Figure 1.4. Crowds filling the plaza in front of the Imperial Palace during “Imperial Capital Reconstruction Festival” (March 1930)

Four firefighters stand in the street, a short distance away from a fire in a small lot, two watching the fire and two looking at each other. Three houses flank the fire.

Correlation between disaster strength and frequency (countermeasures)

From Chapter 2

Figure 2.1. Correlation between disaster strength and frequency (countermeasures)

An overhead view of an athletics stadium, with bleacher seating on the far side and track surrounding the field. A double-propeller helicopter is near the middle of the field and a smaller helicopter is located towards one end. Trucks and cars are parked on the track, from the far side spreading clockwise almost halfway.

Firefighters await in vain for water

From Chapter 2

Figure 2.2. Firefighters unable to conduct firefighting activities as they wait in vain for water to arrive (January 17, 1995)

A scan of a Japanese newspaper page. A photograph of a cityscape is located in the top left of the page and a geometric map of is below it.

SDF vehicles and helicopters gathering at Ōji stadium

From Chapter 2

Figure 2.3. SDF vehicles and helicopters gathering at Ōji Stadium (January 18, 1995)

A black and white photo of a conference gathering, with five men seated at a long table with paperwork, nameplates, and drinking glasses in front of them. Several men sit behind them, along the wall with windows and long curtains.

Reporting the possibility of a major earthquake

From Chapter 2

Figure 2.4. The front-page story of a local newspaper reporting the possibility of a major earthquake (© June 26, 1974, evening edition of the Kobe Shimbun)

A high overhead photo of seven columns of houses under construction, set between two four-lane streets. There are twelve rows of houses, with a small road dividing the sites in half. There is a bridge in the distance, leading towards a city.

The Emergency Response Headquarters

From Chapter 2

Figure 2.5. (From left) Cabinet Minister Ozato Sadatoshi (special minister in charge of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake), Prime Minister Murayama Tomiichi, Chief Cabinet Secretary Igarashi Kōzō, and Construction Minister Nosaka Kōken at work. The Emergency Response Headquarters in the prime minister’s office (January 21, 1995)

A black and white photo of similar rectangular housing units, laid out between two paved roads in two seven-by-six groups. In the distance, more of the city is visible as well as water and a bridge.

Temporary housing under construction at Kobe Port Island

From Chapter 2

Figure 2.6. Temporary housing under construction at Kobe Port Island (March 1995)

An incoming tsunami washes over a stretch of houses and buildings. The sea is visible in the top left, with the waves sweeping towards the bottom right. A thin line of trees is visible, as the waves sweep past into the neighborhood. Ruins of houses can be seen, as well as a few remaining houses and buildings.

The incoming tsunami swallowing houses in Miyagi

From Chapter 3

Figures 3.1. The incoming tsunami, swallowing houses in Miyagi prefecture (March 11, 2011)

A neighborhood is visible along the top of the photograph, with a few damaged buildings and houses. Below is a partially destroyed dock and several capsized and grounded ships. To the bottom right are many more, smaller ships moored to the undamaged part of the dock.

Fishing boats affected in the tsunami

From Chapter 3

Figure 3.2. Fishing boats affected in the tsunami, now grounded onshore (left), along with those that returned safely and moored together (March 13, 2011)

A black and white photograph of a person standing amidst the ruins of a building. Behind them, to their left, the remains of an upper floor of the building remains somewhat intact, atop the rubble.

Meiji Sanriku Tsunami (1896)

From Chapter 3

Figure 3.3. Kamaishi (Iwate prefecture) saw the worst of the destruction in the Meiji Sanriku Tsunami (1896)

A small crowd of people stand on top of a sloping seawall and the large, square concrete arch that passes through it. A van and a building can be seen through the arch.

Tarō seawall

From Chapter 3

Figure 3.4. A massive seawall was built at Tarō following the 1933 Shōwa Sanriku Tsunami, but it was insufficient to stop the tsunami caused by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

An overturned train car has knocked aside a telephone pole, amidst debris and rubble. A second train car is overturned to the left of it. Further back, a covered elevated walkway and stairs can be seen, partially collapsed.

Shinchi station destroyed

From Chapter 3

Figure 3.5. Shinchi station on the Japan Railways Jōban line, destroyed by the tsunami (March 17, 2011)

A large table with formally dressed people on the right and left sides. There are a few papers and notebooks in front of them. Photographers and onlookers line the far side of the table.

Prime Minister Kan Naoto asking for cooperation

From Chapter 4

Figure 4.1. Prime Minister Kan Naoto at a combined meeting of the ruling and opposition parties, asking for cooperation in the Great East Japan Earthquake (March 11, 2011)

A color video still, showing a cloud of grey smoke rising against a grey-blue sky from a series of white buildings and towers in the far distance. A few smaller buildings and many trees can be seen throughout the hills in the foreground.

An explosion at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Point

From Chapter 4

Figure 4.2. A hydrogen explosion occurred in the Unit 1 reactor building of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (March 12, 2011. Broadcasted by Fukushima Central Television)

Two rows of a nearly a dozen men in camouflage fatigues, with the front row kneeling and the back row standing, bow their heads and cross their hands. Behind them is a colorful ferryboat.

A moment of silence before beginning clean-up operations

From Chapter 4

Figure 4.3. U.S. Marines conducting a moment of silence before beginning cleanup operations at Ōshima’s Uranohama port (April 1, 2011. Photo courtesy of U.S. Marines)

A long table with identical sets of microphones, drink bottles, and paperwork. Formally dressed people sit on both sides, with one man on the right side standing and talking. Photographers and onlookers line the far side of the table.

The first meeting of the Reconstruction Design Council

From Chapter 4

Figure 4.4. The first meeting of the Reconstruction Design Council in Response to the Great East Japan Earthquake. (From right) Prime Minister Kan Naoto and the author with other committee members (April 14, 2011)

A woman hangs a vertical wood sign on the wall of an office hallway, while nine people in suits watch.

The newly established Miyagi Recovery Bureau

From Chapter 4

Figure 4.5. Placing a sign at the entrance to the newly established Miyagi Recovery Bureau (February 10, 2012)

The Era of Great Disasters: Japan and Its Three Major Earthquakes

Table of Contents

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Section

Keyword

Creator

Format

Odawara after the Great Kantō Earthquake

Whirlwind

Yamamoto Gonnohyōe Opening a Cabinet Meeting

Crowds in front of the Imperial Palace

Correlation between disaster strength and frequency (countermeasures)

Firefighters await in vain for water

SDF vehicles and helicopters gathering at Ōji stadium

Reporting the possibility of a major earthquake

The Emergency Response Headquarters

Temporary housing under construction at Kobe Port Island

The incoming tsunami swallowing houses in Miyagi

Fishing boats affected in the tsunami

Meiji Sanriku Tsunami (1896)

Tarō seawall

Shinchi station destroyed

Prime Minister Kan Naoto asking for cooperation

An explosion at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Point

A moment of silence before beginning clean-up operations

The first meeting of the Reconstruction Design Council

The newly established Miyagi Recovery Bureau