The earthquake that turned Tokyo to ash

The Nice Kanto Earthquake of 1923 was actually an image of hell. Fires killed lots of of 1000’s of individuals and sparked a witch hunt of Korean residents wrongfully blamed for the infernos. Alex Okay.T. Martin joins us to debate the quake and the way the scars left by the catastrophe formed the course of the nation.

Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez.

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Transcript observe: Deep Dive is made to be listened to, and we advocate this transcript be used as an accompaniment to the episode. This transcript has been generated utilizing a mix of speech recognition software program and human transcription, and will include errors. Please examine its accuracy in opposition to the episode.

Shaun McKenna 0:04

Welcome to deep dive from The Japan Instances. I am Sean McKenna and I am right here with Japan Instances options author Alex Okay.T. Martin.

Alex Martin 0:12

Hello there Shaun.

Shaun McKenna 0:14

So Alex, the place are we proper now?

Alex Martin 0:16

So we’re in Yokoamicho Park in Tokyo’s Sumida Ward. It is near Sumida River and Ryogoku Station, which is the place the massive sumo Corridor is.

Shaun McKenna 0:22

Yeah, that is the primary time I’ve ever been right here. In reality, we took a cab over right here and the cabbie did not even know the place this place was.

Alex Martin 0:30

Proper? Identical right here. I’ve by no means been right here till I began reporting from my story. However then once more, it isn’t precisely a vacationer vacation spot.

Shaun McKenna 0:38

Proper. Properly, it is 9:30 a.m. and it is already fairly scorching. Slight breeze coming by. However Alex, what precisely are we taking a look at right here?

Alex Martin 0:48

Proper. So if we’re coming in from the north entrance, you will see a walkway lined with bushes. After which proper in entrance of us throughout the park, we’ll see a giant bronze bell, which was given by Chinese language Buddhists again after the massive earthquake in 1923 to supply prayers to the souls of the deceased. Towards our proper we see a small pond with a backdrop of flowers. It is a monument for individuals who perished throughout the Tokyo air raids in direction of the tip of World Warfare II. After which, clearly, the largest construction within the park in direction of our proper is the massive memorial corridor.

Shaun McKenna 01:23

I feel you alluded to this earlier, however what precisely is that this memorial corridor memorializing?

Alex Martin 01:28

So it is memorializing the Nice Kanto Earthquake that occurred on Sept. 1, 1923, which is 100 years in the past this Friday. This park is definitely the place a extremely lethal episode from the catastrophe occurred. After the quake, which was an estimated 7.9 magnitude, struck off the southern coast of Kanagawa Prefecture, a variety of homes in Tokyo and elsewhere caught hearth and the fireplace unfold actually shortly and many individuals gathered right here, however they have been burned alive. About 38,000 individuals really.

Shaun McKenna 01:58

38,000 individuals? Yeah, on this spot?

Alex Martin 02:01

That is proper.

Shaun McKenna 02:03

I imply, this place is simply sort of the dimensions of a metropolis block. It is onerous to think about 38,000 individuals even becoming in right here.

Alex Martin 02:07

So individuals thought, , this place could be a pleasant place to evacuate from the fireplace. Turned out, it did not work out that approach. So the individuals who died right here accounted for over half of the loss of life toll Tokyo recorded and a 3rd of the whole 105,000 or so individuals who perished. And this was in Tokyo, Kanagawa and the encompassing areas mixed. In order that’s why the memorial for your entire catastrophe was erected right here.

Shaun McKenna 02:30

What’s that constructing over there?

Alex Martin 02:32

That is a museum.

Shaun McKenna 02:33

Oh, can we go inside and test it out?

Alex Martin 02:35

Positive. Let’s test it out.

Shaun McKenna 02:45

So we’re contained in the museum. And we have got a wall of black and white pictures which were taken after the earthquake occurred. Alex, what are we taking a look at on this huge image proper right here?

Alex Martin 02:57

So it is a panoramic {photograph}, which is taken, I imagine, close to Tokyo Station, it reveals tens of lots of and even 1000’s of individuals in all probability searching for refuge.

Shaun McKenna 03:07

After which on the correct aspect of the hallway right here, we now have a bunch of artifacts. I can see a clock really proper right here.

Alex Martin 03:13

Proper you’ll finally discover that a variety of the stuff that is collected listed here are burnt. I imagine 90% of the individuals who died from the quake really died from the fireplace. And the warmth was excessive. In order you possibly can see a variety of bronze metal all bent and corroded.

Shaun McKenna 03:30

Exterior of the particular museum, there was that huge, sort of like metal pole that had simply melted and dissolved. So this museum and the memorial corridor, are you aware what they’re planning on doing to commemorate the catastrophe on Friday?

Alex Martin 03:46

Properly yearly on Sept. 1, they’ve a memorial service held and from what I heard from the individuals working this place, is that it should be nothing particular in comparison with a daily 12 months. Nevertheless, I think about there’s going to be much more individuals coming to supply their prayers.

Shaun McKenna 04:02

Cool. Let’s head again to the studio and we will discuss extra about your article intimately.

OK, we’re again within the studio with Alex Okay.T. Martin. Alex, can you’re taking me again to Sept. 1 1923. What occurred that day?

Alex Martin 04:22

Positive. So information point out it was a scorching and windy and humid day as a hurricane was passing by Japan. Individuals have been making ready for lunch, or really consuming lunch maybe, when at 11:58 a.m. the earthquake struck. So the truth that individuals would have been making lunch is kind of necessary right here, they might have been utilizing hearth on the time for his or her stoves, and accounts describe the fires popping up among the many houses after which merging and spreading throughout town at over 130 places in all 15. Ward’s of Tokyo on the time. The flames have been additionally fueled by the robust winds from the hurricane, as I discussed earlier than, and shortly the capital was basically consumed by an inferno.

Shaun McKenna 04:59

And that is what occurred the place we have been at the moment. Was the park meant to be a protected zone?

Alex Martin 05:04

So individuals handled it as one. It was a former army clothes depot, and it was about to be remodeled right into a park. So it was a giant open area of round 80,000 sq. meters I feel on the time, and other people mainly introduced their belongings from their houses and tried to make a barricade with their furnishings. However the barricades quickly caught hearth and burned everybody contained in the protected zone.

Shaun McKenna 05:26

Was this just like scenes in the remainder of town?

Alex Martin 05:29

Sure, just about. Fires emerged all over throughout, as I discussed, all of the 15 wards of Tokyo. However when it comes to loss of life tolls, the park or the previous army clothes depot have been the individuals gathered noticed probably the most variety of deaths.

Shaun McKenna 05:42

Your piece quotes eyewitness accounts from that day. Are you able to learn a type of for us?

Alex Martin 05:47

Positive, I’ll learn an excerpt from “Tokyo Sainan Gashin,” the Illustrated Report of the Tokyo Catastrophe, by Yumeji Takehisa.

“The clothes manufacturing facility I noticed the day after the catastrophe was certainly a sea of corpses. Those that died on the battlefield in a warfare have been in all probability not as depressing as this … A person who gave the impression to be a sumo wrestler died as if he was preventing within the ring, exerting all his energy in opposition to an invisible enemy.”

“Black rain clouds grasp low within the sky on this tumultuous day, and grey smoke from burning corpses creeps throughout the vacant lot of the clothes manufacturing facility, licking its approach by the air.”

Shaun McKenna 06:25

I imply, that sounds horrific. Inform us somewhat bit extra about Yumeji Takehisa.

Alex Martin 06:30

He’s a really famous poet and painter. So he put out a sequence of accounts of the catastrophe and I discovered these actually fascinating. There are photos from the 1923 earthquake, however the authorities finally did not need footage of the lifeless being circulated round so a variety of the pictures exhibiting precise corpses have been banned on the time.

Shaun McKenna 06:48

Have you learnt why that’s?

Alex Martin 06:50

It was too sensational. Um, nonetheless, the Yokoamicho Park museum, properly, the researcher I interviewed for the story, Mr. Morita, says that they nonetheless obtain pictures from the households of the deceased who really skilled the quake or who have been residing on the time of the quake. A lot of them are these pictures of lifeless our bodies and corpses and apparently these of us purchased these footage as mementos, I suppose, of this enormous catastrophe. So they might have somewhat observe on the background saying, , “Sept. 1, 1923, the Nice Kanto Earthquake.” After which after they died, their members of the family, their youngsters maybe or their grandchildren, they uncover these pictures, and they do not know what to do with them. So they might carry it to the museum and ask them to deal with it. So it is kind of an attention-grabbing string of occasions, I suppose.

Shaun McKenna 07:36

We additionally ran a narrative on a movie that got here out in the summertime, it was titled “Males with Cameras: Filming the Nice Kanto Earthquake.” Did you see that one?

Alex Martin 07:45

No, I have never. I might like to although. I hear it was produced by the Documentary Movie Preservation Middle in Tokyo and it is apparently, basically, Japan’s first catastrophe footage. I feel I learn someplace that the filmmakers,Shigeru Shirai, was criticized for filming, , such a devastating tragedy.

Shaun McKenna 08:03

So that might have been sort of just like the truth that individuals had these pictures, they usually simply did not need pictures of lifeless our bodies circulating. Proper?

Alex Martin 08:11

Proper. Nevertheless, he mentioned he did it as a result of he needed individuals in different elements of Japan to truly see the footage and assist with a donation effort, sending meals or cash.

Shaun McKenna 08:28

So in The Japan Instances, we run a function on the primary Saturday of every month referred to as Japan Instances Gone By. It appears on the entrance pages of the newspaper from 100 years in the past, 75 years in the past, and 50 and 25 years in the past. I used to be taking a look at outdated copies of the newspaper from the time of the earthquake for this month.

Alex Martin 08:47

What did you discover?

Shaun McKenna 08:49

Properly, it appears we did not publish something from the date of the quake, Sept. 1 till Sept. 4. Then on Sept. 4, we printed a typewritten bulletin that had the improper date, to begin with, however that is comprehensible as a result of they have been below stress. But it surely begins off with the phrases: “Hongo-ku,” which may very well be Honju-ku, “all burned.” “Hongo-ku, all burned.” Then it lists areas of Tokyo which can be simply burned, then which of them are protected and which of them are partially burned. From there it provides instruction on emergency legal guidelines which were handed and notable individuals who have been killed. And the story really ends by saying, “The American consul normal in Yokohama is lifeless.”

By Sept. 6, the bulletin begins to resemble a newspaper somewhat bit extra, and it has the masthead and the newspaper font. However within the Sept. 6 bulletin there was an attention-grabbing passage that reads, “Officers universally deplore the rumors of Korean outrages, that are declared ridiculous.”

Alex, are you able to inform us what this passage is probably in reference to?

Alex Martin 09:53

Proper so on high of this catastrophe was this extra tragedy of vigilante mobs looking Koreans and individuals who they thought have been Koreans. On the time, Japan had annexed the Korean peninsula and there have been some Korean staff in Japan, in Tokyo as properly, and rumors began to unfold that they have been those beginning fires throughout town or they have been staging an rebellion, and even poisoning wells. And in reality, one in every of Takehisa’s illustrations depicts a gaggle of kids bullying a boy for not trying Japanese.

Shaun McKenna 10:22

Huh, so it was simply residents going round looking their neighbors?

Alex Martin 10:25

Properly, not simply residents, information say the police have been concerned, the army have been concerned and different paramilitary forces have been additionally concerned in killing not simply Koreans but additionally Japanese communists and socialists and anarchists. And historical past remembers it is a bloodbath and at Yokoamicho Park, the park we visited earlier, there’s this black stone monument that was erected in 1973, devoted particularly to the Korean victims of the quake. And the inscriptions on the black stone slab talked about that barely greater than 6,000 Koreans have been murdered on the time. That quantity, the 6,000 quantity has come to be a supply of competition. In 2008, a authorities report got here to the conclusion that the loss of life toll from the bloodbath is estimated to account for one to a number of % of those that perished within the earthquake. In order that’s round , 1,000 to a number of thousand individuals. And there is a memorial held for these Korean victims at Yokoamicho Park yearly. And historically the governor of Tokyo would ship some sort of tribute, however the present governor, Yuriko Koike, she did this in her first 12 months in workplace however from 2017 onward she stopped doing this factor, she desires to precise condolences to all of the earthquake’s victims. And this has led to criticism from varied teams.

Shaun McKenna 11:37

Appears like an “all lives matter” scenario. Is that this as a result of she’d heard about this contentious quantity?

Alex Martin 11:43

Probably, sure.

Shaun McKenna 11:44

Why have been the Koreans focused? I feel you talked about in your piece that even Japanese and Chinese language individuals who have been mistaken for being Korean have been being attacked?

Alex Martin 11:53

I imagine there was a sure degree of xenophobia current on the time again in 1923, and plenty of Koreans have been often targets of discrimination typically, I feel. As I discussed earlier, Korea had been annexed 13 years earlier, in order that kind of added to that kind of local weather, I imagine. And concurrently, Japan was popping out of this period of liberalism referred to as the Taisho Democracy interval, and it was heading towards a interval of extra turbulence, which might finally result in extra militaristic nationalism. I spoke to Akira Ide for the piece, he’s a professor at Kanazawa College in Ishikawa Prefecture and he is in all probability Japan’s foremost skilled on darkish tourism. You may need heard this time period earlier than, it is tourism involving going to places that is traditionally related to loss of life and tragedy, OK, issues like that. He argues that this quake may have facilitated an acceleration of this development in direction of militarization and nationalism, I feel that Japan misplaced a few third of its nominal GDP due to the injury from the quake and the fires. So maybe abroad growth was partially to make up for this huge financial loss.

Shaun McKenna 12:58

So do you assume this bloodbath of Koreans was kind of a predictor of the place Japan would go subsequent?

Alex Martin 13:04

That is a troublesome one for me to kind of reply. Nevertheless, Ide does say that there is a noticeable lack of essential analysis on the extra questionable elements of the reconstruction course of following the 1923 earthquake. And maybe one motive is due to Japan’s fast march in direction of militarism and finally warfare. And different specialists have posited that paperwork tends to be centralized in periods of reconstruction, and that provides probably rise to nationalism. However I feel most of those beliefs are nonetheless theories, and Ide thinks they simply deserve extra analysis.

Shaun McKenna 13:33

That sounds sort of severe, although. There have been different earthquakes in Japan’s more moderen historical past, they usually have not essentially led to nationalism?

Alex Martin 13:42

Proper, however we have to stress that he simply desires to look into it. I do not assume it is a mainstream thought.

Shaun McKenna 13:46

OK, although, I suppose writers abroad have explored related ideas like Naomi Klein’s “The Shock Doctrine” involves thoughts, that is in regards to the sort of aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana.

Alex Martin 13:58

Properly, Shinpei Goto was the mayor of Tokyo on the time, he had actually grand concepts when it got here to reconstructing Tokyo, however he did face vital budgetary constraints. Um, nonetheless, town bounced again pretty shortly. Information indicated that 1929, which is six years after the quake, there was an expo held in Hibiya Park celebrating Tokyo’s comeback. And through that interval, a variety of the roads that we nonetheless see have been constructed. Nevertheless by that point, Japan was getting into one other turbulent interval in its historical past. And sadly, in one other 20 years, Tokyo would discover itself again to ashes due to the massive warfare. And this time it wasn’t simply Tokyo, Japan, the entire nation would wish to rebuild once more.

Shaun McKenna 14:44

Earlier than the break, you talked about this concept that Tokyo needed to rebuild itself twice in a span of some many years. So as soon as from the earthquake and as soon as from the warfare. And luckily, I feel Tokyo goes on to take pleasure in a reasonably good stretch of progress and success. After these two occasions, we very visibly keep in mind the warfare yearly. What in regards to the Nice Kanto Earthquake?

Alex Martin 15:06

Yeah, one of many huge reminders of the warfare. Particularly, the atomic bombing of Hiroshima is the memorial dome that is still outdoors of the Peace Museum, as . There aren’t the identical forms of bodily reminders of the earthquake left in Tokyo or elsewhere. For instance, one place that I write about within the piece is about 2 kilometers west of the park we visited. It is an outdated pump station close to Akihabara Station.

Shaun McKenna 15:30

So that is for part of your piece wherein you outlined the “miracle” of the Nice Kanto Earthquake. Inform us what occurred there.

Alex Martin 15:37

Proper so the pump station is positioned in a district referred to as the Kanda Izumicho neighborhood, which is correct subsequent to the Kanda Samuracho neighborhood. So when the earthquake struck, and the fires began breaking out, residents fashioned these, what do you name, bucket brigades proper to attempt to get the fireplace out. They usually despatched the aged youngsters and the lady as much as Ueno Park to evacuate, which is about 1.5 kilometers north of this neighborhood. Fortunately, this sure district was sandwiched by a river, Kanda River, working down south, there have been some noncombustible buildings up north, and there was the Kanda freight station close by as properly. So it was kind of sandwiched by these blockades. However nonetheless, the fireplace was coming actually strongly, the blazes have been, , surrounding the entire neighborhood. And what they did then was that there occurred to be two gasoline pumps within the neighborhood, one was operated by a hospital, one other one was a pre-delivery product. So it was about to be delivered to the shopper, but it surely was nonetheless sitting in a manufacturing facility of the Teito Pump-sha what’s the Imperial Pump Firm. So residents collect gasoline from wherever they might discover them, caught it in these pump machines, after which hooked that as much as the pump station. And that supplied the water. And these actually kind of helped put the fireplace out within the neighborhood. So curiously, for those who take a look at an outdated map from I feel it was like 1924 or so, it is a map of the fireplace of Tokyo, and it is nearly completely purple. However you discover this little sq. spot in the course of the map, which is white indicating that this space was saved from the blazes.

Shaun McKenna 17:13

After which so this pump station is slated for demolition.

Alex Martin 17:17

That is appropriate. So it is only one extra bodily reminder of the earthquake that’s disappearing. We additionally do not have a variety of first-hand witnesses residing with us. It is , it is 100 years in the past, it would not occur. So that may be a concern that , a few of the recollections of what occurred will sort of go away our collective consciousness.

Shaun McKenna 17:31

I suppose that is why we might have museums and memorials like those at Yokoamicho Park. However yeah, it isn’t fairly the identical, is it? Is there something being completed at a grassroots degree about this?

Alex Martin 17:44

Sure. So I spoke to a person named Tatsuo Yoshiwara, he’s 80 years outdated and he is had quite a lot of jobs all through his life, however he is all the time lived on this space of Tokyo. It has been historically often known as Yoshiwara.

Shaun McKenna 17:57

What is critical about Yoshiwara?

Alex Martin 18:00

So within the 1600s, Yoshiwara was designated as a red-light district, or I suppose they name it “pleasure quarters.” First, it was positioned in Nihonbashi, then it was moved to Asakusa after a giant hearth. And this was a interval when Tokyo was referred to as Edo. The shogun established it to attempt to isolate intercourse work in a single space of town, and Yoshiwara turned one thing of a cultural heart as properly. And individuals who went there as a rule, have been individuals who had cash and affect.

Shaun McKenna 18:26

What sorts of individuals have been these? Properly, at first,

Alex Martin 18:28

Properly, at first, it might have been the higher elite samurai class, however later, it expanded to retailers, craftsmen and finally anybody who had some additional money. You will see what I sort of had this mystique hooked up to it. And that is why we see a lot of it novels and poems and historical past books. However we now have to do not forget that on the coronary heart of it have been many ladies who have been being purchased and bought there. And typically handlers would go to the poorer elements of Japan and purchase daughters to carry to the realm.

Shaun McKenna 18:54

Proper, and also you write in regards to the unlucky finish a few of the intercourse staff meet within the earthquake of 1923.

Alex Martin 19:01

Sure, so for the piece I additionally visited Yoshiwara Benzaiten Shrine and there is a pond there. It is a small pond now, but it surely was once a lot greater. And after the massive quake, lots of the intercourse staff tried to take refuge on this pond, however about 500 individuals died there and plenty of of them have been the intercourse staff.

Shaun McKenna 19:18

That is actually unlucky. What does Tazza Yahshua should do with this? And I observed his title is identical as the situation’s title?

Alex Martin 19:25

That is only a coincidence. Yeah, that is the best way she was one in every of these involved locals who desires individuals to recollect the tales of Tokyo and so he is taken it upon himself to attempt to spruce up the shrine. There is a huge statue of the goddess Kannon there. And he mentioned it was once nonetheless fairly a depressing place. So he minimize the shrubs and bushes, gave the premises a paint job and added some lanterns, and it’s extremely colourful, properly, and lots of people go there. He now collects cash for the refurbishment of the shrine as a result of he says he desires so as to add a waterfall to the pond.

Shaun McKenna 19:55

A waterfall, wow.

Alex Martin 19:56

Yeah, I imply, for those who go there now, they’re really doing development work in the mean time, however the pond itself had a leak and that is why it must be repaired. However Yoshiwara is attempting to repair it and the place really appears fairly good. And it was the shrine that initially acquired me all for writing the story and listening to Yoshiwara-san’s efforts to protect the reminiscence of those intercourse staff who perished within the earthquake 100 years in the past. And I feel really, it is individuals like him who make me completely happy to be residing in Tokyo, , they take these little corners of town and it may very well be a nook stuffed with some superb tales of town’s historical past they usually cherish it, they usually need different individuals to proceed cherishing it after they’re gone. And the final time I used to be on the podcast, I used to be speaking in regards to the people who find themselves attempting to maintain the assorted matsuri festivals alive in Japan. And that is sort of the identical factor. I feel, a variety of the cultural gatekeepers of Tokyo and Japan general, they’re getting older they usually’re leaving us. So it is necessary that we proceed telling the tales they spent their lives preserving.

Shaun McKenna 20:51

Properly, I feel that is a pleasant observe to finish on. Alex, thanks for coming again on Deep Dive.

Alex Martin 20:56

My pleasure. Thanks, Shaun.

Shaun McKenna 21:03

If you happen to’re in Tokyo and also you need to take a look at Yokoamicho Park, there’s positive to be some memorial occasions going down on the one centesimal anniversary of the Nice Kanto Earthquake. You possibly can stroll there fairly simply from Ryogoku Station. And if you wish to take a look at Yoshiwara Benzaiten Shrine, which is also referred to as Yoshiwara Benzen, you possibly can stroll there from Asakusa Station. Alex’s piece on the Nice Kanto Earthquake will probably be out on-line on the anniversary, tomorrow, and within the Saturday version of the newspaper. In the meantime, it was a busy week in information. The discharge of handled wastewater from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, which was coated on this podcast a number of weeks in the past, didn’t go over properly with sure events — specifically Beijing, who instantly enforced a retaliatory ban on all Japanese fish imports. And a staff of specialists investigating alleged sexual abuse by late music mogul Johnny Kitagawa delivered a scathing report on Tuesday, urging Johnny’s and Associates President Julie Keiko Fujishima to step down after the family-run enterprise left the problem unaddressed for many years. The third get together staff of specialists appointed by the expertise company in late Might interviewed 41 Individuals for the report and concluded that Johnny Kitagawa started sexually abusing boys within the Nineteen Fifties after which at his company from the Nineteen Seventies to the 2010s, Johnny’s and Associates didn’t take applicable actions resembling investigating whether or not the sexual abuse allegations in opposition to Johnny Kitagawa have been true or not, regardless of varied information stories and court docket circumstances the report mentioned. Johnny Kitagawa died in 2019. Deep Dive from The Japan Instances is produced by Dave Cortez. The outgoing observe is by Oscar Boyd and our theme music is by the Japanese artist LLLL. I am Shaun McKenna, podtsukaresama.