September 1, 1923
"What… what's happening?"
People sitting on the ground began to panic. It was the P-wave, the initial tremor of an earthquake. Since this was an almost direct-hit earthquake, the P-wave lasted only about a second before the main shock arrived.
Booooooooom!!
The impact felt more like a massive explosion than an earthquake. The shaking exceeded 600 Gal, and buildings around them began collapsing with thunderous roars. Those standing were thrown to the ground, and the Imperial Guard's horses, terrified, tried to flee but were knocked over by the violent tremors. Water from park ponds sloshed over, and fish flopped on the ground.
The people who had evacuated to the parks were terrified by the unprecedented shaking. Even sitting on the ground, they were thrown off balance. Crawling on all fours, they slid across the ground as it shook. It felt like the end of the world.
The violent shaking lasted for about a minute.
When the tremors finally stopped, people slowly lifted their heads. The sky was hazy with dust from collapsed buildings. Apart from the cries of children, there was an eerie silence.
"Do not return to your homes! Earthquakes don't end with one tremor. Aftershocks will come. I know you're worried about your homes, but do not leave this evacuation area!"
Soldiers from the Imperial Guard Division, following the pre-prepared manual, shouted instructions to the evacuees.
Then, at 12:01 p.m., the first aftershock hit.
"Aaaaah! Stop it!"
"Ohhhh nooo!"
Even those who had survived the initial quake were mentally shaken by the aftershocks. People screamed and prayed to the gods, fearing the tremors might never end.
Around the same time, a tsunami with waves up to 12 meters high struck the Pacific coast from Kamakura to the Boso Peninsula. Most ships had moved at least 5 km offshore, minimizing damage, but coastal buildings suffered significant destruction. In Kamakura, historical structures were swept away by the waves.
As the aftershocks subsided, people began to calm down.
"Is… is this still part of the drill? If it's a drill, then our homes are safe, right?"
"Idiot! There's no way a drill could cause an earthquake like this!"
"What about the children? Are the schools okay?"
"Calm down! Don't move until you're told! At 3:00 p.m., parents with children at school can go pick them up! The army will deliver food today. Do not return to your homes!"
Thanks to prior preparations, few fires broke out, but several small blazes erupted, particularly in the downtown areas. However, the Type 1 Ushi Fire Pumps and fire reservoirs, strategically placed in advance, quickly extinguished the flames. The pumps, especially concentrated in Sumida Ward, which had suffered heavily in the original timeline, proved highly effective.
By evening, army units began delivering food, water, and blankets to the evacuation sites.
"Form orderly lines! There's enough food for everyone!"
Soldiers guided the evacuees into lines, reassuring them that supplies were sufficient.
Though anxious, the people managed to make it through the night.
In the original timeline, looting had occurred due to shortages. However, with ample supplies of food, blankets, and tents prepared in advance, looting was almost entirely prevented. When people know they'll have enough to eat, they act rationally.
The next day, search and rescue operations began in earnest. Teams checked collapsed buildings for survivors.
In the original timeline, unverified rumors spread by newspapers—such as "Koreans are poisoning wells" and "rioters are looting and killing"—led to the massacre of Koreans and other minorities. This time, the government ensured that only accurate information was disseminated, holding press briefings three times a day to update the public on the situation and confirm that no looting or riots had occurred. This proactive approach successfully suppressed rumors.
Additionally, in the original timeline, socialists and anarchists had been killed by the army during the chaos. This was also prevented through careful coordination.
The industrial areas around Tokyo Bay suffered heavy damage. In Yokosuka, the aircraft carrier Amagi slipped from its drydock, just as in the original timeline, sustaining irreparable damage.
Aftermath
"We managed to minimize the damage, didn't we? The death toll is around 2,500 so far, though the final count isn't in yet."
"You did great! I'll give you a pat on the head!"
Liriel happily patted Soryu's head (in his mind, of course).
"Even so, 2,500 lives were lost. We can't celebrate too much."
The Crown Prince's Praise
"Takashiro, the earthquake still happened, but you managed to minimize the damage. I hear there was almost no looting or rioting. Well done."
"Thank you, Your Highness. But it wasn't my doing. Your leadership in organizing the large-scale evacuation drill was the key. The timely dissemination of accurate information also helped. If we had done this every year, people might have grown complacent and ignored the evacuation orders. And the budget for such a large-scale drill every year would have been difficult. The fact that we could carry it out so thoroughly this first time is entirely due to Your Highness's efforts."
"By the way, I hear we received a generous donation from Aisin Gioro Puyi of Qing China. I'm deeply grateful. I'd like to send him a personal letter of thanks. What do you think?"
"Yes, Your Highness. That would be appropriate. Please also add that if he ever needs assistance, he should not hesitate to ask. That letter may one day be his salvation."
(Aisin Gioro Puyi: The last emperor of Qing China. Although he had abdicated due to the revolution, he was still living as an emperor. Qing China was a state where the Manchu ruled over the Han Chinese.)
Minimizing the Damage
The key to minimizing damage was preventing large-scale fires. However, some deaths occurred when people returned home to retrieve valuables and were caught in aftershocks or tsunamis. In mountainous areas, landslides and rockfalls also claimed lives.
"You'd think people would know whether their valuables or their lives are more important…"
While human casualties were minimized, infrastructure damage was still severe. In the original timeline, Japan had issued bonds for reconstruction at an interest rate of over 6%, a harsh condition due to the country's financial strain from the Russo-Japanese War. These bonds were criticized as "national humiliation bonds" by the opposition and media.
This time, however, the Richard Investment Group in the U.S. actively purchased the bonds, allowing Japan to issue them at a lower interest rate of 3%. Funds from Russian banks also helped avoid the humiliatingly high interest rates of the original timeline.
Despite the massive earthquake, the minimal loss of life led to Dr. Imamura being hailed as the "God of Earthquake Prediction." Shrines named "Imamura Shrines" were built across the Kanto region, much to his bewilderment.
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A/N: Thank you for reading Chapter 43!
They managed to pull through!
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