After the quake

Around lunchtime on September 1, 1923, a huge earthquake struck Tokyo. It devastated the city: about 100,000 people dies and 40,000 went missing. The destuction was followed by a frantic rebuilding of the metropolis, which rapidly took on teh contours of present-day Tokyo. New, modern buildings were erected, steel bridges replaced the old wooden structures, parks were created throughout the city, and, particularly in these intial stages, the city vibrated with a sense of urban modernity. Print artists, especially those from the Sosaku hanga tradition, created numerous works at this time, documentating this architectural and social renewal.