Question 1

True or false: The earthquake occurred on September 1, 1923, which is now designated as Disaster Prevention Day in Japan.

Accepted Answer

True. Japan commemorates the anniversary annually with drills and awareness campaigns to promote disaster preparedness.

Question 2

True or false: Tokyo’s Imperial Palace was completely destroyed and never rebuilt after the earthquake.

Accepted Answer

False. The palace suffered damage but was rebuilt; it still stands today as the Emperor’s residence, though parts were modernized.

Question 3

True or false: Most deaths in the 1923 Great Kanto earthquake resulted from collapsing buildings, not fires.

Accepted Answer

False. The vast majority of the 105,000–142,000 deaths were caused by fires from overturned charcoal stoves and gas leaks, not building collapses.

Question 4

True or false: The 1923 Great Kanto earthquake destroyed over 300,000 homes in Tokyo and Yokohama.

Accepted Answer

True. The earthquake and subsequent fires destroyed about 344,000 homes in Tokyo and Yokohama combined, exceeding 300,000.

Question 5

True or false: The 1923 Great Kanto earthquake’s magnitude was measured as 9.0 on the Richter scale, similar to the 2011 Tohoku quake.

Accepted Answer

False. Its magnitude was estimated at 7.9 to 8.2, far less than the 9.0 Tohoku quake, though it caused more urban devastation.

Question 6

True or false: The earthquake triggered a tsunami that reached heights of over 30 meters in Sagami Bay.

Accepted Answer

False. The tsunami reached heights of up to about 12 meters (40 ft) in Sagami Bay; claims of over 30 meters are not supported by historical records.

Question 7

True or false: The Great Kanto earthquake was caused by a rupture along the Japan Trench, far offshore.

Accepted Answer

False. The 1923 Great Kanto earthquake was caused by a rupture on the Sagami Trough, a subduction zone south of Tokyo, not the Japan Trench, which is farther north.

Question 8

True or false: After the 1923 Great Kanto earthquake, rumors led to the massacre of thousands of Korean residents by vigilante mobs.

Accepted Answer

True. False rumors that Koreans were poisoning wells sparked brutal attacks, resulting in an estimated 6,000 Korean deaths.

1923 Great Kanto earthquake Trivia Questions