What Was The Magnitude Of The 1923 Tokyo Earthquake?

Hello,

I know this is a travel site but I am working on a school project and need to find out how big the 1923 Tokyo Earthquake was. Can you help?

Hello there,

Actually many people who visit Tokyo are interested in this information as well. Hopefully I can help : )

The original source for the picture above is the Osaka Mainichi newspaper. This is one of the central districts of Tokyo, Nihonbashi and Kanda after the earthquake. That gives you some idea of just how big it was!

The generally agreed magnitude is 7.9 although some reports stated it could have been as much as 8.3. Still, the agree size is 7.9.

You can read more about what happened on my 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake page.

There's also a great link on this page to a diary that someone wrote on the day itself but I'm going to add it here so it's easy for you to find. Here's the earthquake diary post for you.

I think it's a fascinating read and gives you some idea of what it must have been like to experience such a horrible situation.

Best of luck with your assignment!