338 



B. KOTO : CAUSE OP THE GREAT 



The villages of Öinori, Ogura, Fujikura, Horada, and Matsuo are 

 all clustered in a basin-.shaped widening of the Ijira valley, which in 

 conformation with the general system of valleys in the north of Mino, 

 runs in a south-easterly direction across the strike of the Pahvozoic foi-- 

 inations. As it is situated in an old river l)ed, Omori suffered the 

 most by the earthquake, many portions of the soil being niised or sunk, 

 and innumerable fissures traversing the village in all directions : 

 so that it is somewhat difficult to follow the main fault in such a chaos. 

 The wliole system of drainage was deranged. The line of dis])lacement 

 next crosses the bad of the Ijira-gawa, cuts obli(iuely through the 

 boundary of Horada and Matsuo, passes over the top of a hill, called 

 the Nishiuuuié pass, at the border of the three districts of Yamagata, 

 Katagata and Motosu, and then descends to Kawa-uchi (Toyama), 

 with always its north side depressed, and as observed by me driven 

 northwards for alwut 2 metres. T'he rent then points north-north- 

 west, runs along the eastern slope of the hill in Toyama, appears on 

 the steep descent of Kane-zaka on the way t(3 Kiml^ara, proceeds 

 thence directly northwards along the western declivity of the hill, and 

 enters the Xeo vtdley for the first time at Kimbara from the Ijira 

 valley lying east of it. 



When it had become current that the source of the earthquake 

 had been in the iN'eo-dani, many people ascended that valley in order 

 to satisfy their curiosity to see the site from which reputedly the 

 severe shocks had originated. They usually took the road from Gifu 

 through Yamaguchi at the entrance of the valley, along the Xeo 

 river to its source, and in so doing, were somewhat disappointed while 

 ascendins: its lower course. Less destruction was visible than was 

 anticipated, an impression produced by seeing some houses still 

 standing, after having passed along the road in the Mino-Owari plain 

 lined with ruined houses on both sides, and many visitors ])Ositively 



