The era of great disasters: Japan and its three major earthquakes / Iokibe Makoto;translated by Tony Gonzale.

'Originally published in Japan by Mainichi Shimbun Publishing Inc., in 2016.'

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. Three Great Earthquakes -- 2. The Japanese Perspective on Natural Disasters -- 3. Periods of Earthquake Activity in the Japanese Islands -- One: The Great Kanto Ēarthquake -- 1. The Chain of Oceanic Plate and Inland Earthquakes -- 2. Horrific Disaster Sites -- 3. The Great Meireki Fire of the Edo Period -- 4. Government Response to the Great Kanto Ēarthquake -- 5. Vigilante Massacres -- 6. Constructive Recovery Amid Political Strife -- Two: The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake -- 1. An Earthquake Shatters Postwar Peace -- 2. Front-Line Responders -- 3. The Role of the Self-Defense Forces -- 4. Successful Rescues in the'Belt of Destruction' -- 5. Initial Response by Leaders -- 6. Initial Response by the Prime Minister -- 7. Aspects of Recovery and Restoration -- 8. The Future of Creative Reconstruction -- Three: The Great East Japan Earthquake (1): Ground Zero -- 1. An Offshore Earthquake and an Enormous Tsunami -- 2. Tsunamis along the Sanriku Coast -- 3. Fire Brigades Battle to Survive -- 4. Police Response Capabilities -- 5. The Mission of the SDF -- 6. Hands-on Response -- 7. Wide-Area Support between Local Governments -- Four: The Great East Japan Earthquake (2): Response by Japanese Society and the Government -- 1. Initial Response by the Japanese Government -- 2. On the Ground at Fukushima -- 3. Operation Tomodachi -- 4. The Reconstruction Design Council in Response to the Great East Japan Earthquake -- 5. Toward Building Safer Towns -- Five: Living in an Age of Seismic Activity -- 1. The Lisbon Earthquake -- 2. The Current State of Disaster Response