Japan's History of Massive Earthquakes

The Great Hanshin Earthquake, 1995
The epicenter of this massive tremor was close to Kobe, the sixth largest city in Japan, seriously damaging the infrastructure of the city and other suburbs in Hyogo Prefecture. Over 200,000 buildings were destroyed in the disaster while just 30 out of 150 quays were left intact in its port. In total, 6,434 people lost their lives and 300,000 were left homeless. In 1997, the Earthquake Memorial Park was built in honor of the victims of this quake. This tragedy also led disaster prevention authorities to revise its policies, a move that was later credited for making the response to subsequent earthquakes more efficient and effective.

• The Calamity of Japan's 9.0-Magnitude Quake