“There was an earthquake in Kumamoto in 744, according to ‘Shoku Nihongi’ [an official chronicle mainly of the Nara period (710-784)]. The chronicle says, ‘In Yatsushiro and Amakusa, more than 470 houses and more than 1,520 people were swept into the water and sank. Landslides could be seen at over 280 locations, which crushed to death more than 40 people.’ It seems the Yatsushiro coastal area was damaged by tsunami and cracks in the ground.”
This lengthy article includes extended comments by Earthquake archaeologist Akira Sangawa, haiku poet Yuko Masaki, and Kazufumi Onishi, Kumamoto City Mayor. – Kirk
