The Heisei era was struck by major disasters such as the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and the Great East Japan Earthquake. It was a series of trials that forced Japanese society to reconsider its way of life.
Basic Knowledge
At 5:46 a.m. on January 17, 1995, a magnitude 7.3 inland earthquake occurred with its epicenter in northern Awaji Island. This was the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. 6,434 people died, including related deaths. Expressways and railways collapsed mainly in Kobe, and large fires broke out in areas such as Nagata Ward. A total of about 1.4 million volunteers took part in relief activities, so 1995 was called the “first year of volunteerism.” On March 20 of the same year, the Tokyo subway sarin attack (Aum Shinrikyo, Shoko Asahara) occurred, killing 13 people and injuring more than 6,000. It became the “year of the greatest crisis since the war.” In 1998, the Act to Promote Specified Nonprofit Activities (NPO Act) was enacted, giving civic activities a legal position.
January 17, 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake (M7.3, 6,434 deaths)
March 20, 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack
October 23, 2004 Niigata Prefecture Chuetsu Earthquake (M6.8)
March 11, 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake (M9.0, about 22,000 dead or missing)
2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident (Level 7)
April 14-16, 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes (M7.3)
July 2018 Heavy rains in western Japan
Further Study (Background and Effects)
At 2:46 p.m. on March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake occurred off the Sanriku coast. It was the largest earthquake observed in Japan and the fourth largest in the world. A huge tsunami, over 40 m high in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, struck the coasts of Tohoku and Kanto, leaving about 22,000 people dead or missing. At the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, loss of power caused core meltdowns in Units 1-3, and hydrogen explosions released large amounts of radioactive material (Level 7 on the international scale, equal to Chernobyl). About 160,000 people were forced to evacuate, and debate over restarting nuclear power plants has continued. “Connection” was chosen as Japan's kanji character of the year for 2011.
- Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake = January 17, 1995, M7.3, 6,434 deaths
- “First year of volunteerism” (1995) → NPO Act (1998)
- Tokyo subway sarin attack = March 20, 1995, Aum Shinrikyo
- Great East Japan Earthquake = March 11, 2011, M9.0
- Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident = Level 7, core meltdown
- A complex disaster involving mainly tsunami damage, along with the earthquake and nuclear accident
Points to Note (Easily Confused)
① Distinguish the Great Kanto Earthquake (1923, M7.9, fires), the Great Hanshin Earthquake (1995, M7.3, inland earthquake), and the Great East Japan Earthquake (2011, M9.0, tsunami) by year and characteristics. ② Fukushima's Level 7 nuclear accident was the worst level, equal to Chernobyl (1986). ③ The Tokyo subway sarin attack occurred in the same year as the Great Hanshin Earthquake, 1995 (Heisei 7). ④ The Niigata Prefecture Chuetsu Earthquake (2004) and the Niigata Prefecture Chuetsu Offshore Earthquake (2007) were different earthquakes.
Practice
- State the date and time when the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake occurred.
- Why was 1995 called the “first year of volunteerism”?
- What was the magnitude of the earthquake that caused the Great East Japan Earthquake?