Photograph Albums of the Great Mino-Owari (1891) and Great Kanto (1923) Earthquakes

The 1891 Mino-Owari earthquake struck the former Japanese provinces of Mino and Owari in the Nobi Plain in the early morning of October 28. The event, also known as the Great Nobi Earthquake, is the largest known inland earthquake to have occurred in the Japanese archipelago. The shock occurred near Nagoya, and was felt throughout the country, but was the strongest in central Japan. The cities of Gifu and Ogaki experienced heavy damage, due largely to fire, but Osaka and Nagoya were also significantly affected. Estimated casualties: 7,273 dead and 17,175 injured.

The Great Kanto earthquake struck the Kanto Plain on the Japanese main island of Honshu on Saturday, September 1, 1923. This was the deadliest earthquake in Japanese history, and at the time was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in the region. A strong typhoon struck Tokyo Bay at about the same time as the earthquake. Altogether, the earthquake and typhoon killed an estimated 99,300 people, and another 43,500 were missing.