Great Hanshin earthquake of northeastern Japan. The Great Hanshin earthquake belonged to a third type, called an "inland shallow earthquake". Earthquakes of this type occur along active faults. Even at lower magnitudes, they can be very destructive because they often occur near populated areas and because their hypocenters are located less than 20 km below the surface. The Great Hanshin earthquake began north of the island of Awaji, which lies just south of Kobe. It spread toward the southwest along the Nojima Fault on Awaji and toward the northeast along the Suma and Suwayama faults, which run through the center of Kobe. Observations
1923 Great Kantō earthquake committed In the wake of the earthquake against thousands of ethnic Korean civilians (Zainichi) and Japanese socialists. The murders were carried out by right-wing groups such as elements of the Imperial Japanese Army, police and vigilantes in Tokyo and Yokohama. This earthquake devastated Tokyo, the port city of Yokohama, and the surrounding prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa, and Shizuoka, and caused widespread damage throughout the Kantō region. The earthquake's force was so great that in Kamakura, over from the epicenter, it moved the Great Buddha statue, which weighs about , almost two feet. Estimated casualties totaled about 142,800 deaths, including about