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Tokyo’s devastating 1923 earthquake

Christopher Harding revisits the catastrophic earthquake that levelled much of Tokyo 100 years ago

Published: September 1, 2023 at 7:05 AM

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Exactly 100 years ago today, on 1 September 1923, the streets of Tokyo began to shudder. It was the first warning sign that something terrible was coming – a devastating earthquake that would level much of the city. But, as historian Dr Christopher Harding tells Ellie Cawthorne, the Great Kantō earthquake wasn’t just a natural disaster – it also exposed deep lying social and political divides.

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Christopher Harding is the author of The Japanese: A History in Twenty Lives (Allen Lane, 2020)

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Authors

Ellie CawthorneHead of content (audio)

Ellie Cawthorne is head of content (audio) at HistoryExtra

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