The Kwanto Earthquake

On September 1, 1923, a catastrophic earthquake occured off the eastern coast of the Kwanto Province in Japan. The tremors shook the ground violently for several minutes, causing numerous buildings to collapse, intense liquefaction along the waterfronts, and massive landslides in the nearby mountains. One enormous submarine landslide caused extraordinary changes in water depth and contributed to the great damage and loss of life on shore. Firestorms that followed the earthquake were responsible for about half of the 142,000 deaths as they ravaged the cities of Tokyo and Yokohama.