Material Detail

Earthquake prediction has never been an exact science or an easy job. In 1923, the debate between two Japanese seismologists, Akitune Imamura, and his superior at the University of Tokyo, Professor Omori, over whether a great earthquake was imminent, ended in tragedy as Omori prevailed and no preparations were made for the disaster. In this video segment, a contemporary seismologist tells the story of these two pioneers and describes the events of the Kanto Earthquake, in which 140,000 people were killed. The segment is two minutes fifty-seven seconds in length. A background essay and discussion questions are included. Running time for the video is 2:57.

Disciplines:

• Humanities  / History