Japanese Rare and Unique Collections at KU: Kate Hansen Collections: 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and 1919 Sendai Fire

This photo, which KU holds three copies of, is the image of bones from people who had died in the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923. The backside of the photo on the right has the description "Bones of 32,000 persons killed in one place in Tokyo earthquake." Click the images to enlarge.

This image is from the ruins of Yokohama after the earthquake. In the photo you can see downed power and train lines, as well as rubble from buildings falling in the background.

The collages are photos of multiple different post cards that were produced after the earthquake, images from the destruction in Yokohama. In the images you can see the ruins of buildings, train tracks falling into a body of water, buildings on fire, and a derailed train. These post cards were not used by Hansen to send to someone, however they were typically used to update loved ones overseas that you were alright after the earthquake.

This image is of people attempting to flee Tokyo en masse train after the earthquake from Nippori Station, just north of central Tokyo.

These postcards are from the outcome of a large fire that had broke out in Minamimachi in Sendai in March of 1919. There is not much known about the fire, however it is reported that it originally broke out in "denwa yokocho 「電話横丁」," an alley near what used to be the telephone central office. A small description of the fire in Japanese can be found here. A translation in English is also added below.

In Minamimachi, Sendai on March 2nd, 1919 a large fire broke out at the north corner of "denwa yokucho." Strong winds carried the fire from Minamimachi to Higashi Nibancho. This was the largest fire recorded in Japan since the Meiji era, which burned down 12 cities. The fire was later extinguished at 7:30 am, but only after burning down the Sendai post office, telephone central office, Tohoku Junior High School, and approximately 700 other buildings and structures. 

This book is complied of news articles, photos, and information on people living in Tokyo and Yokohama from the Japan Chronicles on the "destruction of Yokohama and Tokyo and the other ravages wrought."

This page features information on the homeless, reported false rumors, Sumitomo Bank, Losses in Imperial Family, Death of Dr. Kuriyagawa, and the navy department.

This photo shows the burning of the police headquarters, most likely in Tokyo. 

This box lists online exhibits, databases, etc. on the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923.

These news clippings come from a collection which Hansen put together herself, cut and pasted onto notebook paper and bounded. The newspaper that these clippings are from is currently unknown, but it is possible they are from the Japan Chronicles or Japan Times as they both had English publications. These clippings are particularly interesting because they mention the protections of Koreans in Tokyo after the earthquake, who were often blamed for causing post earthquake fires and poising nearby water sources.