Earthquake Devastation in Tokyo, 1923 (b/w photo)

Earthquake Devastation in Tokyo, 1923. The great earthquake of 1 September 1923, was the most terrible in the history of Japan. Followed as it was by fires and tidal waves, the loss of life was appalling, and the material damage immense. Tokyo, the capital, was the worst sufferer. As this photograph, taken from the Oyeno Station and looking towards the centre of the city, shows, large areas were completely blotted out. Casualties from earthquake and fire were estimated at 72,600, while about 300,000 houses were destroyed. Illustration for Hutchinson's History of the Nations (Hutchinson, c.1920).