Kawakami, Capt T.:
Earthquake Pictorial of Japan, 1st September 1923, Yokohama, Y.M.C.A. Seaman's Club, ca 1924, stiff wrap covers with front illustrated in color, horizontal 8vo (10 1/2 x 7 1/2 in - 26.7 x 19.3 cm), stab ties, spine covered, introduction with text illustration map, 20 collotype plates (one folds out) with descriptive captions in English and Japanese, no colophon and undated. Collotype plates printed on one side only. Most plates reproduce two or more photographs. The images are reproduced by high quality collotype printing and show the almost total destruction caused in the Kanto area by the earthquake of September 1, 1923. Of special interest are the images of the deaths at the Military Clothing Bureau, Honjo Ward, Tokyo where over 40,000 people sought refuge and perished as a result of the fire storms caused by the earthquake. The book contains a seldom seen image of the Ryounkaku in Asakusa ("Asakusa Twelve Stories") before and after the earthquake.

The book reports that 109,000 people were killed or missing in Tokyo and Yokohama. Current estimates place the death toll, caused by the earthquake and resulting fires that followed, at nearly 130,000 people.

The photographs in this book have reproduced by the higher quality collotype printing process. They are far superior in detail and clarity to the halftone images normally found in books of this nature.

 
The introduction states:

THE EARTHQUAKE AND FIRES IN JAPAN
1st September 1923.

The morning of the 1st September 1923 was rather cloudy and people were all saying somewhat an uncomfortable morning, no one expecting such an un-precedented disaster falling on his fate.

It was 2 minutes to noon, officials, business men and bankers were busy in closing their days work, for being Saturday, hand and laborers were waiting for the noon gun; boys and girls were hurrying up their mothers and maids to get their noon meals ready. Then out came the first quake, shaking 171 times by 6:00 P.M., with such mightiness as to make losses overa a half million houses (including houses burned) and 150,000 souls.

The particulars recorded by 25th October are supposed to be as follows:

Before the Quake                                    After the Quake
                           --- Tokyo ----
Houses;        700,000                         Houses destroyed;      411,000
Population   2,500,000                         Refugees;            1,600,000  
                                               Dead & Mising           83,000

                          --- Yokohama ---
Houses;         90,000                         Houses destroyed;       79,300 
Population     450,000                         Refugees;              400,000  
                                               Dead & Missing           26,000

 
Introduction.

Plates. (The captions below are exactly as presented in the book with several mispellings etc. For example, putting up tents is "pussing" up tents.)

Whole View of Yokohama. (1 fold out)

Image measures 17 3/4 x 3 in - 45 x 7.8 cm

The Tokyo Police-Head Quarters on fire 2 hours after the first Quake.



Cracks of the tram-way .... Yokohama.



'Daibutsu' Buddha Image. Proved unharmed except its ornament.



Prince Regent hearing the story of the disaster told by 
an officer. / A part of the braod-way  of Tokyo.



The whole view of down town from an Aeroplane, houses standing below are the Asakusa
temple in Asakusa Park, Tokyo. /Asakusa temple, Tokyo, left unharmed from the disaster.



Above; Amusement quarters and sight-seeing tower in Tokyo before the quake./
Left; The tower broken in half "Junikai", Asakusa Park. 



'Ginza-Dori,' the Broad-way of Tokyo after the quake, the business centre of the City.



Presentation of the Red Cross Hospital to Japan at Tokyo. / Pussing 
up the tents of the Red Cross Hospital by American soldiers in Tokyo.



The first day when the tram-cars began to run in Tokyo since the quake. /
Heavy rain made the down town of Tokyo into a pont afte the equake. 



Funerel servica for the memory of those killed in the Military Clothing Bureau, Tokyo. /
A hi l of remains of 40,000 souls killed in the ground of the Military Clothing Bureau, Tokyo.



Cracks of a road in Yokohama. /
A part of the settlement, Yokohama where Foreign business Firms had their offices. 



Yokohama Custom Pier where American and Europe an Liners used to dock. /
Grand Hotel in Yocohama changed into ashes. X Where the Hotel stood.



Yokohama Docks and the sea-side streets. X where th British and American 
Consulate-Generals stood. / The Bluff, Yokohama where were the residences of Foreigners.



This is where the Temple Court 'Nikko Yashiki' stood on the bluff Yokohama. /
Awful damages done at China town in the settlement, Yokohama



Yokohama Station, Everything Burned except the frame. /
Refugees leaving Yokohama for Countries by freight-cars.



A part of main streets, Yokohama. /
Sea-sides of Kamakura visited by TIDAL WAVES right after the quake.



'Hachiman' Temple, Kamakura. /
Kamakura Station and its vicinity.



Rail way bridge broken into two near "Hakone" a noted summer resort. /
Railway bridge dropped into this 'Baniu' river (50 miles away from Tkyo.)



Trains toppled over while runing 40 miles away from Tokyo. /
See how mighty the Quake was in 'Hacone'

Close-up of Collotype Image