地震史料集テキストデータベース

[未校訂]（１７０４．１．１５）
News has arrived from Edo about a very severe earthquake which caused an enormous fire. It is said to have been the most severe earthquake in one hun-dred years.
How many people have been killed because of it still remains unknown. The residences of several lords have collapsed, among them the beautiful residence of Kofu sama. The new governor of Nagasaki, Awa, who had left for Nagasaki for the second time, has returned to Edo because all his luggage had been lost due to the earthquake and the ensuing fire.
It seems that all inns between Edo and here have collapsed. The earthquake has also caused massive landslides in the Hakone Mountains. Besides a lot of discomfort, our impending court journey will also turn out to be more expensive than the previous ones.
However I hope I can prevent it from becoming more expensive. I thanked the interpreter for his message and asked him whether, if travel overland turned out to be impossible, he was willing to sail there. He repliedthat thatwas impossible. He promised me that the travel expenses would not be increased. He
told me that not one of the governors would dare to give me permission to sail there. He confirmed that the earthquake would cause a lot of discomfort during our court journey. He also told me that the travel expenses would slightly exceed those of other years. Time will tell whether an increase of the expenses will be necessary. 16 The disaster has been confirmed.
The road across the Hakone Mountains is blocked. Odawara has been completely destroyed. I fear the journey will cost us a lot of money. However I will try to avoid all extra costs. The latest report from Edo contained the news that the walls of the shogunal castle had cracked and that a lot of accidents had taken place within the perimeter of the shogunal castle, the extent of which is kept secret because it is forbidden to report on the mishaps of the Shogun. Common pagan feelings and superstitions. The Japanese consider it to be a heavenly punishment on the Shogun. We consider it to be a visitation. 17 My notes about the earthquake in and around Edo have been confirmed. Two-thirds of the city have been obliterated. Governor Sanuki has heard that his residence in Edo collapsed and several family mem-bers have perished. He does not yet know whether his wife has perished too. The rapporteur interpreter told me that the linen has to be cut today. The gift goods will also be packed. I ordered Boonen and some delegates to bring the linen to my office.（中略）
In Miyako trade has come to a standstill because the prices have fallen tremendously. Because of this, the merchants do not sell because they cannot reap any profit. I will find out more about this during our court journey. The rapporteur interpreters told me that the permission for our court journey has arrived from Edo. We will start out on the 19th of February. I thanked the governors for their communication.
I asked the interpreters about the earthquake in Edo. They told me that it was not over as yet and that fires kept on flaring up. Many people are perishing. 19 Due to bad weather the three Chinese junks, which have recently sailed, have returned to the bay. All streets have been closed in order to prevent smug-gling. The rapporteur interpreter has thanked the governors on my behalf for their communication of yesterday. They were pleased and inquired after my health. Tokubei told me that the streets had been closed, and that earthquakes continue in Edo and that it has been estimated that 380.000 people have peri-shed, among them many high officials.
The lord of Goto is missing. Edo seems to have been completely destroyed. Within the perimeter of the shogunal castle many people have perished too. Tokubei told me that I will have an uncomfortable court journey. He contends that we will not be able to stay at the inns we used to frequent. However he does not doubt the fact that the governors will take appro-priate measures. I fear that these messages are a prelude to an increase of our travel expenses. Such an increase concerns the interpreters. Tokubei told me that, when the gift goods are packed, which will happen tomorrow, he will start functioning as a rapuorteur.
He promised me to do his utmost to further the inter-ests of the Company. I thanked him for his promise. During the court journey I can see for myself whether the news about the earthquake was exaggerated or true. (1704.2.16)
16 The earthquakes seem to have died down in Edo. One ganting of rice costs one tael and one ganting of water eight mazen. It costs eight mazen because all the canals, through which Edo is supplied with water, have been blocked. However, now one picul of water was to be had for one ichibu. These kind of messages foreshadow an expensive court journey.
These messages were further confirmed. I am told that the court journey will be uncomfortable. How-ever I hope to avoid extra costs. The papers of our factory have been packed and stored in the Lelie. (1704.2.18)
News has arrived from Edo that six to seven earth tremors are felt each day. Due to the tremors many people did not dare to sleep in their houses. Mata-jieimon told me that we had to take several goods from the governors with us to Edo, which will be presented to the councilors and other gentlemen. Therefore we will need more coolies and horses. I protested because I suspect that the interpreters want to transport their own goods on our account, using the governors as an excuse. The more so because the governors can send goods whenever they like without
burdening us with it. Thereupon he produced a Japanese statement which had been given to him this morning by the secretary of Governor Harima, in which the aforementioned was ordered.
After reading the statement the other interpreters confirmed Matajieimon's statement. I protested in a civil manner, saying that they were well aware of the fact that the other travel expenses were burdensome enough. They should rather think of a means to lighten our burden, because if the Company would collapse it would be too late to show remorse for not having served it properly. However what I said had no effect because they replied that the orders of the governors had to be obeyed. I am sure that the inter-preters and others profit from it too. (1704.2.23)
23 Severe earthquakes were reported in Edo.
24 More earthquakes have been reported from Edo. It was uncertain whether the Shogun had received peo-ple in audience on Japanese New Year's Day. (3.6)
They, and the other people in our retinue, could eat the remaining food. I gave permission to buy some food. Some clerks went ashore to do so. The clerks have returned with the food. It has been reported that the earthquake activity in Edo has not abated. The lords in Edo had tents of oiled paper erected in which they lodge their families, since they are of the opinion that it is no longer safe to sleep in their houses. The senior interpreter wished that we could have already completed the court journey because of the dangers attached to it.
I told him not to be so gloomy. Maybe the reports about the whole situation are exaggerated. 8 As a result of the contrary winds I fear we will not arrive in Edo in due time for the audience. This would imply that we will have to stay in Edo for either thirty-one or forty-four days. This in turn would increase our travel expenses.
If the wind does not abate I will suggest travelling overland to Edo. After the interpreter had returned on board the barge, he told me that a very severe earth-quake and an enormous fire had been reported in Hyogo. Many people and horses had perished because of it. Furthermore he told me that we would be unable to depart for Osaka if the wind did not abate. I proposed travelling overland. (3.11　在大阪)
Upon our return in the inn we were told that the earthquake activity in Edo had stopped. (3.28)
28 We have crossed the Hakone mountain range. In Hakone-toge we started noting the damage wrought by the earthquakes. Everything is turned upside down and most houses are burnt. We were told that in this small village, four hundred people: men, women and children had been killed. While continuing our jour-ney, we perceived bushes and big stones which had slid off the mountains, impassable roads and uprooted trees. Thus our journey was not devoid of danger. We passed roads which had been provisionally recon-structed. These were barely passable. Most of the villages have been destroyed and have been burnt. Lots of people are removing the stones which have slid down the mountains. One cannot watch these poor creatures without being moved. However, when the Japanese are talking about it, they point out things to each other and start laughing. Arrival in Odawara. All buildings collapsed and were burnt afterwards.
The people who are still alive are erecting tents and lightly constructed houses. The castle has collapsed and has burnt too. I was told that in this place,including the people who perished in the castle of whom one is not allowed to speak, 40,000 people, men,women and children hove perished. We continued our journey and everywhere we saw houses caved in,collapsed bridges, uprooted trees and massive land-slides.
After we had arrived in Oiso I found that the inn had been severely damaged too. The landlord told us that the last earthquake had occurred eight days ago. We could not find out how many people had died here. We have passed the governor of Osaka, Yamma Tota Totonomono. He was travelling to Osaka relieving the other governor of Osaka Ota Sindayu. 29 Departure from Oiso. After we had crossed the Bairi River we were warned by an earth tremor but, because of the movement of the palanquin, I did not notice it. Hiratsuka and Fujisawa have been des-troyed too. Upon our arrival in Totsuka we saw half of the houses collapsed and the others being shored up. Hodogaya has been destroyed too. Arrival in Kana-
gawa where we spent the night. An express letter was sent to Edo to announce our arrival. In comparison with the other places we have passed through there is not much damage here. 30 During the night we felt earth tremors. We enter Edo. The city is a sorry sight. Its condition. We arrived in our inn, which was damaged too, around noon. (3.30)
He asked me to consent should he ask a higher price. I flatly rejected his proposal. I told him that the landlord should take care of it. It is being said that the number of people who have perished because of the earthquakes and fires here and in the surrounding areas amounts to 270.000, not counting those who had died within the perimeters of the castle here and in Odawara. The wife of our landlord, who was preg-nant, had suddenly, during the first earthquake, given birth to a child. Both have died. (4.1)
1 We have experienced a very severe earthquake. It was as if everything seemed to collapse. However it did not last long. Since we are virtually locked up on the first floors of the inns it would be very difficult to escape in case of the collapse of the building. Visiting me Matajieimon asked whether I thought the earth-quake to be a severe one. My reply. Furthermore he told me he had complimented the gentlemen on my behalf, for which these gentlemen thanked me.
He also told me that the Shogun had been unwilling to receive people in audience because he thought it would be embarrassing should foreigners see the devastation in the castle. Therefore he wanted the Kyoto deputy in Miyako to receive all the presents. However the commissioners of foreigners and the governors of Nagasaki did not share his opinion. They had expres-sed their point of view to the first minion and the privy council. The first minion and the privy council had agreed with their point of view as well. Thereupon the Shogun had changed his mind on this subject.
I felt an earth tremor which was not as marked as the one we felt this morning. I did not feel like eating nor did I particularly like the idea of sleeping. 2 The presents were sent to the castle and we made preparations to set out. An opperbongiois of Sanuki conducted us. We did not cross the bridges of the castle because these had collapsed. The walls of the castle, although very thick and sturdy, have all collap-sed. In short the castle is a ruin. We entered the castle over a temporary bridge through a gate which had partly collapsed. On the inside of the first wall and first moat all the houses and the walls of the castle had collapsed. Thousands of people were working to repair these. The earthquakes must have been very severe because, otherwise, this structure would not have collapsed. We were very politely welcomed in the guardhouse of the lord of Shimabara.
Upon entering we were welcomed by the lord of Shimabara who congratulated us upon the impending audience. We thanked him for this. Commissioners Obata Kazusa and Matsumae Izu and governors Sanu-ki and Aki likewise welcomed and congratulated us. We thanked them for this. Sanuki told us that we would only be received around noon and that he would warn us when we were expected. Several curious gentlemen took a look at us. At noon we were told to come. We passed over the second moat by a tempo-rary bridge, which rested on pillars. Here the walls had collapsed too.
Instead of passing through the big gate, we now enter-ed through a little fence which acted as a provisional enclosure. I saw the place where formerly the main guard house had been. Many laborers were busy piling up the stones of the former main guard house. Structures which had not collapsed had big cracks in their walls. They were all shored up. We entered through another gate where, formerly, there had been a big gate too. Then we found ourselves in front of the shogunal residence. Upon entering we were welcomed by Sanuki who ushered us into the reception room. (4.3　在江戸)
3 I felt earth tremors. 4 Minor earth tremors. 8 We felt minor earth tremors. The wind grew stronger and around midnight there was a series of severe earthquakes. As a consequence many fires broke out. We hardly slept. 9 At dawn the Intensity of the earthquakes grew stronger.
We received some gowns as a present. I thanked them for the presents. At noon severe earthquakes. In the afternoon earth tremors. （4.11）
11 Severe earthquakes and resultant fires. I felt another earthquake. （6.19　在出島）
19 It is rumored in the city that an earthquake which was more severe than all the preceding earthquakes has hit Edo. （6.24）
24 The lord of Goto has sailed. The warehouses are being thoroughly repaired. Edo has been hit by another severe earthquake. All the walls of the castle have collapsed. The news has been confirmed. Many people and horses have perished. I fear Edo will not survive these blows.
This would be disadvantageous for our trade. （7.20）
20 According to the report the earth is still trembling in Edo.