1923 earthquake in Japan (WW2, war, bomb, 1920s)

[victimofGM]

Just watched a recent episode of a Japanese anime called Mars Red. While the story is fictional it does contain some things about Imperial Japan in the early 1920s. The last episode featured a particular date and the hour and minutes of the clock tower and ended with a major earthquake. Out of curiosity I looked it up and there was a major earthquake that occurred in the area of Tokyo in September 1923. The aftermath led to mobs of people committing mass slaughter of anyone they believed were Koreans based upon rumors Koreans were poisoning well waters and committing firebombings. Though ordered to protect those Koreans, there were reports of police and army officials partipating in the slaughter of Koreans. In some cases Koreans who sought protection from these officials were then handed over to the mobs by those same officials who were suppose to protect them.

Considering the date of the earthquake I wonder if the aftermath of the earthquake contributed in the rise of Japan’s military actions that led to WW2? I realize Imperial Japan was already on a conquest war footing before the earthquake. Such a disaster at the nation’s capital could have effected the nation as a whole. I read it did have a lasting effect with the day being a national holiday reminding the people towards disaster preparedness to prevent the mistakes made before and after that earthquake.

[euro123]

I doubt it because it all started with the Meiji transformation many decades before that...on another note a new great earthquake is "expected" to hit Tokyo soon since it's believed that such great Kanto quakes happen once every 100 years. A bit pseudo-scientific but imagine the next one if it doesn't happen within 30-40 years...seismic energy builds up.


If anything earthquake should slow down any military plans.

[victimofGM]

Originally Posted by euro123

I doubt it because it all started with the Meiji transformation many decades before that...on another note a new great earthquake is "expected" to hit Tokyo soon since it's believed that such great Kanto quakes happen once every 100 years. A bit pseudo-scientific but imagine the next one if it doesn't happen within 30-40 years...seismic energy builds up.


If anything earthquake should slow down any military plans.

According to some articles I’ve read on the Kanto quake it led to the more conservative people in the government to eliminate those who were more western than Japanese in their life and political beliefs. This and the rebuilding of Tokyo could have led to a different mindset of the Imperial Japanese government and military. Those articles also stated that prior to the earthquake Japan was more friendly to America but reacted with disdain or hostility towards those Americans helping to provide earthquake relief.

[bus man]

It's worth noting that Japan had already occupied Korea for over 10 years when the earthquake hit. So at least in terms of relations between the two countries, I doubt much changed. Except that the Koreans probably came to like the Japanese even less than they already did.