1943 Tottori earthquake
Encyclopedia
The was an earthquake
which occurred in Tottori prefecture
, Japan
at 17:36 local time on September 10, 1943. Although the earthquake occurred during World War II
, information about the disaster was surprisingly uncensored, and relief volunteers and supplies came from many parts of the Japanese empire, including Manchukuo
.
The Tottori earthquake had its epicenter
offshore from Ketaka District
, now part of Tottori city
with a magnitude of 7.2 on the Richter Scale
. The seismic intensity
was recorded as 6 in Tottori city, and 5 as far away as Okayama
on the Inland Sea. The center of Tottori city, with many antiquated buildings was the hardest hit, with an estimated 80% of its structures damaged or destroyed. As the earthquake struck in the evening when most kitchens had fires lit in preparation for the evening meal, fires broke out in 16 locations around the city. With water mains damaged, citizens formed bucket brigades to prevent fires from spreading; however, the death toll was 1083 killed, including numerous Zainichi Korean
s working in the nearby Aragane Copper Mines. The earthquake is noteworthy for seismologists
due to reports of the appearance of earthquake lights immediately preceding the main shock.
Two magnitude 6.2 earthquakes had occurred in the same area on March 4 and 5, but did not do significant damage.
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
which occurred in Tottori prefecture
Tottori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region. The capital is the city of Tottori. It is the least populous prefecture in Japan.- History :Before the Meiji Restoration, Tottori encompassed the old provinces of Hōki and Inaba...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
at 17:36 local time on September 10, 1943. Although the earthquake occurred during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, information about the disaster was surprisingly uncensored, and relief volunteers and supplies came from many parts of the Japanese empire, including Manchukuo
Manchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
.
The Tottori earthquake had its epicenter
Epicenter
The epicenter or epicentre is the point on the Earth's surface that is directly above the hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or underground explosion originates...
offshore from Ketaka District
Ketaka District, Tottori
Ketaka was a district located in Tottori Prefecture, Japan.As of 2003, the district had an estimated population of 22,283 and a density of 143.75 persons per km². The total area was 155.01 km².-Former towns and villages:* Aoya* Ketaka...
, now part of Tottori city
Tottori, Tottori
is the capital city of Tottori Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan.As of 2006, the city has an estimated population of 200,974 and a density of 262.48 persons per km². The total area is 765.66 km²....
with a magnitude of 7.2 on the Richter Scale
Richter magnitude scale
The expression Richter magnitude scale refers to a number of ways to assign a single number to quantify the energy contained in an earthquake....
. The seismic intensity
Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity scale
The Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity scale is a seismic scale used in Japan and Taiwan to measure the intensity of earthquakes. It is measured in units of...
was recorded as 6 in Tottori city, and 5 as far away as Okayama
Okayama, Okayama
is the capital city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan.The city was founded on June 1, 1889. As of August 2010, the city has an estimated population of 705,224 and a population density of 893 persons per km². The total area is 789.88 km²....
on the Inland Sea. The center of Tottori city, with many antiquated buildings was the hardest hit, with an estimated 80% of its structures damaged or destroyed. As the earthquake struck in the evening when most kitchens had fires lit in preparation for the evening meal, fires broke out in 16 locations around the city. With water mains damaged, citizens formed bucket brigades to prevent fires from spreading; however, the death toll was 1083 killed, including numerous Zainichi Korean
Zainichi Korean
Koreans in Japan are the ethnic Korean residents of Japan. They currently constitute the second largest ethnic minority group in Japan. The majority of Koreans in Japan are Zainichi Koreans, also often known as Zainichi for short, who are the permanent ethnic Korean residents of Japan...
s working in the nearby Aragane Copper Mines. The earthquake is noteworthy for seismologists
Seismology
Seismology is the scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth or through other planet-like bodies. The field also includes studies of earthquake effects, such as tsunamis as well as diverse seismic sources such as volcanic, tectonic, oceanic,...
due to reports of the appearance of earthquake lights immediately preceding the main shock.
Two magnitude 6.2 earthquakes had occurred in the same area on March 4 and 5, but did not do significant damage.