The Japanese State and the Sanriku Tsunami (1896)

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The Japanese State and the Sanriku Tsunami (1896)

On the evening of June 15, 1896, shortly before 8 p.m., the coastal villages of Sanriku celebrated two events: the Shinto Boys' Festival and the return of soldiers sent to China during the First Sino-Japanese War. The atmosphere was festive and joyful, when a slight tremor was felt, which half an hour later turned out to be two consecutive walls of water reaching up to 38 meters high. The waves that crashed over more than 600 km of coastline wer…