Measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale, the Kobe earthquake of 1995 killed nearly 6500 people. Tall buildings crumpled, a large section of motorway flyover collapsed, and land reclaimed from the sea liquefied. The response of the Japanese authorities was chaotic. The regional governor was extremely reluctant to call for military help. A socialist, he opposed the existence of the Self-Defence Forces as being illegal under the constitution the American occupiers had drafted in 1947. Rescue offers from abroad became similarly ensnared in red tape. The UK was told that its sniffer dogs, trained to find people trapped under rubble, would require quarantine before being allowed entry to Japan. By the time troops and rescue teams arrived in Kobe, it was too late. Yakuza were quick to fill the void and burnish their image. The Yamaguchi-gumi, one of the biggest crime syndicates in the world, originated on the Kobe docks and still has its headquarters in the city. In the days that followed the earthquake, its foot soldiers handed out food, water and nappies every morning and evening.

LRB 31 March 2011 | PDF Download