Center for Japanese Studies Seminar Series

Dr. Gregory Smits (Associate Professor of Japanese History, Pennsylvania State University) will give a talk titled "The Ansei Edo Earthquake as a Political Event."

In 1855 a powerful earthquake shook Edo (known as Tokyo today), the first serious earthquake to occur in the bakufu's capital since 1703. The Ansei Edo Earthquake, as it came to be called, caused roughly 8,000 – 10,000 civilian casualties and destroyed or damaged approximately 14,000 structures. The earthquake also produced an unprecedented volume of popular commentary in the form of popular literature, press reports, and, especially, catfish picture prints (namazu-e).

Initially focused narrowly on the earthquake, this commentary quickly turned into a wider-ranging discourse on the state of society. The general consensus in the popular discourse was that the earthquake was an act of world-rectification (yo-naoshi), whereby the cosmic forces acted to correct a society that had become badly imbalanced (cosmic forces against the bakufu and, to a lesser extent, wealthy merchants). Edo's residents also linked their earthquake to the recent visits by US Navy Commodore Matthew Perry. Moreover, the emergence of popular discourse on society in the wake of the earthquake presaged the rise of public opinion as a force in Japanese politics. In short, the Ansei Edo Earthquake was an event of considerable political significance.

Ticket Information
Free and Open to the Public

Event Sponsor
Center for Japanese Studies

More Information
Center for Japanese Studies, 956-2665, cjs@hawaii.edu, http://www.hawaii.edu/cjs/

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