Yokohama 1923 Earthquakes

Every newcomer to Yokohama will be told the tragic story of 1923. The old Yokohama was wiped clean off the map. At the first shock of the earthquakes most of the weaker houses crashed to the ground, and the rest of the stronger houses were destroyed by the fires which broke out everywhere and raged for three days on end. Altogether 21,384 persons were killed, 278,388 (or 64 per cent. of the whole population) lost their homes, and ¥904,000,000 worth of property went up in smoke.

Of all this tragedy, however, one scarcely sees any trace today. Unless you go out of your way to look for them, you will never notice the scars of 1923. No former resident of Yokohama, who left it in the pre-Earthquake days, if he returned today, could believe that anything like such an earthquake had ever happened, and he would be greatly surprised to find many an improvement upon the old city: roads cleaner and wider, parks smarter and prettier, houses newer, taller and more prosperouslooking, and business brisker and haunts of pleasure gayer, and the people everywhere working as diligently and smiling as happily as ever they did. It all testifies to the dour enterprise of Yokohama's brave children. And Yokohama's spirit is the spirit of Japan, worthy of a city forming the doorway to her Empire.





Yokohama, Japan Photo Print

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