Notes on the Earthquake Investigation 



Committee Catalogue of Japanese 



Earthquakes. 



By 

 F. Omori, D.Sc 



I. INTRODUCTION. 



1. The Earthquake Investigation Committee Catalogue of 

 Japanese Earthquakes^ includes the records of 1898 earthquakes, 

 which took place in Japaii^ during the 14ol years between the 

 5th year of Inkio Tenno (416 A.D.) and tlie ord year of Kei-o 

 (1867 A. D.), each great earthquake and its after-shocks being 

 counted in it as one. As the development of seismic literature 

 depends much on the state of civilization of the times, the 

 majority of old earthquake records relate naturally to Kyoto, 

 which was the capital between 707 and 1867, A.D. Many earth- 

 quakes were also recorded in Kamakura and then in Yedo 

 (Tokyo), when these places were the seat of the Shogunate, or 

 military regency. 



2. The number of earthquakes described in original histories 

 and manuscripts as great earthquakes or great shakings of the 

 ground amounts to 449. All of these earthquakes, however, were 

 not destructive, some being nothing more than shocks, in which 



1) Qjmplied under the superintendence of the late Prof. Sekiya. This vohirae, ^jp. 315-388. 



2) Liu-kiu Islands and Formosa excluded. 



