An interactive Web page mapping the precise municipal-level seismic intensities of the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake has drawn widespread attention on X, according to reports by ITmedia. Published on August 26 by the official account of the earthquake information site “Jishin Info,” the digital map lets users examine the localized strength of the 103-year-old disaster’s tremors across historical municipalities.
The detailed shaking data driving the digital map stems from a 2002 research study conducted by earthquake engineering specialists Moroi Takafumi and 武村雅之. According to the reports, the researchers organized wooden residential damage statistics and estimated regional seismic intensities based on full-collapse rates. The web platform overlays these granular intensity distributions directly onto modern maps.
Did You Know? The seismic intensity data utilized by the platform relies on wooden house destruction rates from a 2002 study by earthquake engineering specialists Moroi Takafumi and 武村雅之.
Regional Shaking Severity Across Kanagawa, Tokyo, and Beyond
Severe ground motion appeared extensively throughout the western sector of Kanagawa Prefecture near the epicenter. According to the data, areas lining Sagami Bay—including Odawara-machi, Yokosuka, Kamakura-machi, Hiratsuka-machi, and Fujisawa-machi—displayed widespread readings of intensity 7. Tokyo experienced heavy shaking as well, with regions corresponding to today’s Chiyoda Ward, such as Kōjimachi-ku and Kanda-ku, recording an intensity of lower 6.
https://x.com/jishinfo/status/2092433745613832263
Farther away from the epicenter, the destruction reached unexpected extremes. Distant areas like Nitta-mura and Mutsumi-mura in Saitama Prefecture, alongside Tateyama-machi in the southern Bōsō Peninsula of Chiba Prefecture, also registered intensity 7, illustrating the immense reach of the historic shockwaves.
Exploring Additional Historical Disasters on the Platform
Beyond the 1923 disaster, the mapping platform houses archives for other major Japanese earthquakes complete with regional breakdowns and tsunami records. For instance, the site features a dedicated page for the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, mapping out a nationwide distribution of tremors that stretched as far south as Kyūshū. Another documented event is the 1946 Shōwa Nankai earthquake, which provides visual markers of tsunami heights, including a 6.57-meter wave recorded in Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture.
Frequently Asked Questions
What data source does the 1923 earthquake map use? The seismic distribution relies on a 2002 study by earthquake engineering specialists Moroi Takafumi and 武村雅之, which analyzed wood-frame housing collapse rates.
Which regions registered intensity 7 during the 1923 Kantō earthquake? Widespread intensity 7 readings occurred across Sagami Bay municipalities in Kanagawa Prefecture, as well as parts of Saitama Prefecture and Chiba Prefecture’s southern Bōsō Peninsula.
What other historical events are featured on the site? The platform includes pages for subsequent disasters such as the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and the 1946 Shōwa Nankai earthquake, detailing nationwide seismic intensity and recorded tsunami heights.
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