Great Kantō Earthquake

Historical eventSeptember 11923

Great Kantō Earthquake

The Great Kantō Earthquake devastates Tokyo and Yokohama, killing about 105,000 people.

Everything on September 1Original source

In context

When
Saturday, September 1 1923103 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1920s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1923.

What happened

The Great Kantō Earthquake was a megathrust earthquake that struck the Kantō Plain on the main Japanese island of Honshu at 11:58:32 JST on Saturday, 1 September 1923. It had an approximate magnitude of 8.0 on the moment magnitude scale (Mw), with its epicenter located some 100 km (62 mi) southwest of the capital Tokyo. The earthquake devastated Tokyo, the port city of Yokohama, and the surrounding prefectures of Kanagawa, Chiba, and Shizuoka, causing widespread damage throughout the Kantō region.

September 1 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1923Great Kantō Earthquake
  2. 1973Rescue of Roger Mallinson and Roger Chapman
  3. 1973Celtic Sea
  4. 1974Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
  5. 1981David Dacko
  6. 1982United States Space Force Combat Forces Command
  7. 1983Cold War
  8. 1985Titanic
  9. 2000Speakers' Corner, Singapore
  10. 2004Beslan school siege
  11. 2008Iraq War

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  • December 1Gleno DamThe Gleno Dam in the Italian province of Bergamo failed due to poor workmanship, flooding the downstream valley and killing at least 356…
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  • January 20Irish Civil WarDuring the Irish Civil War the Irish Free State Army executes 11 members of the anti-treaty Irish Republican Army

Everything we record for 1923 →

Sources

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“Great Kantō Earthquake”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/great-kant-earthquake-1923-september-1, accessed October 28, 2026.

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Questions about this entry

When did Great Kantō Earthquake happen?

September 1 1923 — 103 years ago, on a Saturday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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