208 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 19 45 



of the sea preceded the arrival. It appears that usually there was 

 only one great wave; but not always, and the later wave might be 

 greater than the first. The Japanese have classified their exposed 

 harbors on the basis of the type of tsunami to be expected. (PI. 1, 

 fig. 1.) 



Region II. Submarine, offshore, Idu to beyond Kyushu. — Of the 

 earthquakes of table 1, eight were in this region, but the remarks in- 

 troducing region I should be noted. The earthquake of 1703 possibly 

 belongs to region II, but it is properly assigned to region III because 

 of its relation to the Kwanto earthquake of 1923. Prior to 1596 there 

 were great submarine earthquakes in region II; one in 684 which 

 caused notable damage in the vicinity of Koti on southern Shikoku, 

 where low ground containing two villages sank beneath the sea, and 

 one in 1361, accompanied by a tsunami which caused damage at Osaka. 

 Of the earlier shocks of table 1, that of 1605 caused heavy loss of life. 

 Special attention is given to three earthquakes, one in 1707 and two 

 in 1854. The latter were only a day apart but in very different loca- 

 tions. However, in some places the effects were separated with diffi- 

 culty. There were strong shocks in 1936 and 1944. 



The 1707 earthquake was among the greatest known in Japan. 

 Houses were damaged or destroyed in 26 provinces and the tsunami 

 swept the coast from Kwanto to Kyushu Island. Near Koti in south- 

 ern Shikoku the wave was 91 feet high. The waves not only swept 

 the outer coast, but entered the Inland Sea (between Shikoku and 

 Honshu), leaving wreckage. A great wave rushed into Osaka Bay, 

 causing great havoc. Two rivers enter the bay at Osaka after travers- 

 ing the central part of the city, and there are therefore many bridges. 

 More than 1,000 craft of various sizes were swamped and sunk, but 

 many were carried by the wave, damaging bridges as they swept along. 



Of the two earthquakes of 1854, the first was off Totomi Sea and the 

 second off Shikoku. The tsunami from the first shock consisted of 

 three waves in the harbor of Shimoda on the southern end of Idu 

 Peninsula, causing the foundering of the Russian frigate Diana and 

 of many Japanese vessels, which gave the harbor a bad repute. 



The situation at Osaka was of special interest. The first shock, 

 about 8 a. m. December 23, was felt strongly, but the tsunami was 

 only moderate. Many persons decided to spend the night outside 

 their houses, and some took refuge on boats and vessels. Two hours 

 after the second shock, which occurred about 5 p. m. on the 24th, a 

 tsunami arrived which was 10 feet high in the outer harbor and 20 

 feet in the port. More than 1,500 vessels were damaged or completely 

 wrecked and, as in 1707, some were swept along by the wave, damag- 

 ing 25 bridges. As there is no high land to which one may flee in 

 Osaka, and as similar waves sometimes accompany typhoons, the 



