Great Kantō Earthquake and Tsunami
December 31, 1703
The Genroku earthquake, estimated at magnitude 8.2, devastated the Kantō plain. Tsunamis smashed the coastline of Sagami Bay, killing over five thousand. Edo shook so violently that the shogun's castle walls cracked. Japan, perched on the Pacific Ring of Fire, received another reminder that the earth beneath its cities was never truly still.
In context
Also in 1703 (5 other events on record)
- Peter the Great Founds St. Petersburg · Europe · Politics
- Chikamatsu Dramatizes the Ronin · East Asia · Culture
- The Great Storm of 1703 · Europe · Exploration
- Genroku Earthquake Levels Edo · East Asia · Exploration
- Camargo Scandalizes the Paris Opera · Europe · Culture
Before and after in East Asia
Before and after in Disaster
Era
Enlightenment (1651–1800), one of 696 events from that era on Saeculum.