Then and Now, and In Between (Part 2)
Earthquake and Transformation On September 1, 1923, one of the largest earthquake in modern history of Japan hit the Kanto area. The death toll was more than 100,000, and the city was devastated by collapse, landslide and most of all, fire. The whole city was destroyed. Ozu has just started as a camera stuff in Shochiku, when the earthquake devastated the area. During the studio shutdown, he and his family had to rebuild their life again from scratch. This devastation initiated change in the city. Even before the earthquake, there were scholars and policy makers who insisted Tokyo need the …