1923 Great Kantō earthquake space in which an estimated 38,000 people were killed by a single fire tornado. The park houses a Buddhist-style memorial hall/museum, a memorial bell donated by Taiwanese Buddhists, a memorial to the victims of World War II Tokyo air raids, and a memorial to the Korean victims of the vigilante killings. In Yasunari Kawabata's 1930 novel "The Scarlet Gang of Asakusa" several chapters deal with the Great Kantō earthquake. In "Japan Sinks", in one scene in the book, due to the fast-moving subduction of the Pacific and Eurasian plates, the Sagami Trough ruptures in a magnitude-8.5 earthquake, killing several million
2011 Christchurch earthquake in Auckland on 22 March 2011. Local jazz flautist Miho Wada formed the ensemble Miho's Jazz Orchestra to raise money for recovery efforts. A national memorial service was held on 18 March at North Hagley Park, coinciding with a one-off provincial holiday for Canterbury, which required the passing of the Canterbury Earthquake Commemoration Day Act 2011 to legislate. Prince William, made a two-day trip to the country to tour the areas affected by the earthquake, attended on the Queen's behalf and made an address during the service. New Zealand's governor-general, Sir Anand Satyanand, attended, along with John Key, Bob Parker,