1923 Osaka Mainichi Shimbun Map of Tokyo after Kanto Earthquake

This is an extraordinary 1923 (Taisho 12) Japanese of Tokyo illustrating the staggering damage caused by the Great Kanto Earthquake. The map was published by the daily Osaka Mainichi Shimbun on September 13, just 12 days after the devastating event, making it one of the earliest, if not the earliest published map to illustrate the wreckage. Like most 19th and early 20th century maps of Tokyo, this map is oriented to the East with north on the right. The focus area roughly corresponds with central Tokyo and is centered on the Imperial Palace. Coverage includes Chiyoda, Shinjuku, Toshima, Bunkyo, Arakawa, Taito, Minato, Chuo, and more. An inset in the lower left, oriented to the northwest, illustrates Yokohama. Red zones indicating those areas devastated by the earthquake and subsequent fires. Verso printed in cyan offers images and text describing the disaster.

The Great Kanto Earthquake

The Great Kanto Earthquake struck the Kanto Plain on September 1, 1923, and lasted between four and ten minutes. At 7.9 magnitude, the enormous earthquake caused severe destruction in Tokyo, Yokohama, and the surrounding prefectures. It also led to massive firestorms driven by strong winds from a typhoon of the Japanese coast. Over 142,000 people lost their lives, thousands of whom died in the fires. Following the earthquake, a false rumor targeting ethnic Koreans spread throughout Japan. This rumor, which stated that Koreans were taking advantage of the disaster by committing arson and possessing bombs, led to a massacre, today known as the Kanto Massacre. Between 6,000 and 10,000 ethnic Koreans died, and the Japanese government ordered the Japanese army and civilian police to protect Koreans. In consideration of the damage caused by earthquake, the Japanese government considered moving the capital away from Tokyo and studied several possible sites. Ultimately they chose to reconstruct Tokyo, which took years. In 1960, the Japanese government designated September 1 as Disaster Prevention Day in commemoration of the earthquake and to remind people of the importance of preparedness.

Publication History and Census

This map was issued on September 13th, 1923, or Taisho 12, as a supplement to the Osaka Mainichi Shimbun. We have not been able to locate another example in any collection, public or private.