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Bundle 117: Taisho Era: An Earthquake Levels Tokyo

The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 defined the Taisho era (1912–1924). As this bundle shows, the quake destroyed Japan's earliest Western-style skyscraper, a 12-story structure housing the country's first electric elevator. A firestorm sparked by the quake burned the famous willows of the Ginza area in Tokyo. The devastation also produced some unexpected outcomes. A doctor discovered "crush syndrome," an affliction befalling victims trapped under masonry. And the earthquake disaster inspired a haircut that enabled men to comb their hair quickly. Efficiency with that task gave them extra time to assist in the Kanto recovery! That hairstyle still exists!
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震
tremble
JOK: 1444
To understand Japan is to grapple with its earthquakes. This essay examines them from all angles, including Haruki Murakami's surprising take on the Kobe quake; possible harbingers of a quake; surveys of the worst disasters and most quake-prone regions of Japan; the Japanese intensity scale, plus older ways of characterizing the levels; earthquake-resistant buildings; and more!
眺
watch
JOK: 1591
Japan has countless views to rave about, and this essay teaches many ways of doing so. You’ll learn to refer to a view “of” a tower versus a view “from” that tower. You’ll also understand the meaning of 眺 versus 見, plus 眺め (view) versus 眺望 (view) versus 眼差し (look). Bonus: finding out about Japan’s first Western-style skyscraper (with the nation’s first electric elevator)!
柳
willow
JOK: 1898
Willows play important roles in Japan, lining rivers in several cities (and the streets of Ginza in Tokyo) and frequently appearing in ink paintings. Using pliable willow wood, people make everything from chopsticks and wicker to medicine. Sayings about taking things in stride often include 柳. There's also a link between 柳 and geisha, as well as a connection between willows and ghosts!
頓
suddenly
JOK: 2081
Learn to say, "I didn't have the slightest idea what they were talking about." That might be your experience if you hear とみに, やがて, ひたと, and ひたすら without having read this essay. It investigates those adverbs, as well as sudden movements and motionlessness (what a huge range!), wit and idiocy (another big range!), Dotonbori in Osaka, setbacks, tidiness, indifference, and much more.
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