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Creative Destruction of Industries: Yokohama City in the Great Kanto Earthquake, 1923

Author

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  • Okazaki, Tetsuji
  • Okubo, Toshihiro
  • Strobl, Eric

Abstract

The Great Kanto Earthquake occurred on 1 September 1923 and inflicted serious damage on Yokohama City. About 90 percent of the factories in Yokohama City were burnt down or completely destroyed. However, these manufacturing industries appear to have swiftly recovered in the aftermath of the damage. This article investigates the role of creative destruction due to the Great Kanto Earthquake. Using firm-level data on capital (horsepower of motors) before and after the earthquake, we find substantial creative destruction, that is, upgrade of machine technology and/or survival of efficient firms. We find further collaborating evidence of this at the prefecture level.

Suggested Citation

  • Okazaki, Tetsuji & Okubo, Toshihiro & Strobl, Eric, 2019. "Creative Destruction of Industries: Yokohama City in the Great Kanto Earthquake, 1923," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 79(1), pages 1-31, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jechis:v:79:y:2019:i:01:p:1-31_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Siodla, James, 2021. "Firms, fires, and firebreaks: The impact of the 1906 San Francisco disaster on business agglomeration," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    2. Mathias Hoffmann & Tetsuji Okazaki & Toshihiro Okubo, 2019. "Branch Banking and Regional Financial Markets: Evidence from Prewar Japan," CIGS Working Paper Series 19-001E, The Canon Institute for Global Studies.
    3. Tatsuki Inoue, 2023. "Health Impacts of Public Pawnshops in Industrializing Tokyo," Papers 2305.09352, arXiv.org, revised Sep 2025.
    4. Bertinelli, Luisito & Mahé, Clotilde & Strobl, Eric, 2023. "Earthquakes and mental health," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    5. Tetsuji Okazaki & Toshihiro Okubo & Eric Strobl, 2025. "Life Insurance, Natural Disasters, and Human Capital Investment: A Case of Early 20 th Century Japan," CIRJE F-Series CIRJE-F-1246, CIRJE, Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo.
    6. Alves, Pedro Jorge & Lima, Ricardo Carvalho de Andrade & Emanuel, Lucas, 2022. "Natural disasters and establishment performance: Evidence from the 2011 Rio de Janeiro Landslides," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    7. Jorge Campos-González, 2025. "Disasters and technological upgrading measured by changes in demand for ICT labour: estimating the impacts with text," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 121(1), pages 911-957, January.
    8. Preeya Mohan & Toshihiro Okubo & Eric Strobl, 2020. "Natural Disasters and Industrial Production Efficiency: Evidence from Prewar Japan," Keio-IES Discussion Paper Series 2020-006, Institute for Economics Studies, Keio University.
    9. Hayato Kato & Toshihiro Okubo, 2022. "The Resilience of FDI to Natural Disasters Through Industrial Linkages," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 82(1), pages 177-225, May.
    10. Avril, Pauline & Levieuge, Grégory & Turcu, Camelia, 2025. "Natural disasters and financial stress: can macroprudential regulation tame green swans?," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    11. Yamasaki, Junichi, 2025. "Railroads and technology adoption in Meiji Japan," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    12. Stefania Servalli & Massimo Sargiacomo, 2021. "Natural disasters and accounting: Which contributions form the past?," CONTABILIT? E CULTURA AZIENDALE, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 0(1), pages 5-9.
    13. Zhou, Ziqiao & Zhang, Lin, 2021. "Destructive destruction or creative destruction? Unraveling the effects of tropical cyclones on economic growth," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 380-393.
    14. Mikawa, Naoto, 2025. "Impact of the 2011 earthquake on the real estate market in Tokyo," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    15. Kota Ogasawara, 2022. "Persistence of natural disasters on children's health: Evidence from the Great Kantō Earthquake of 1923," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 75(4), pages 1054-1082, November.
    16. Joel Huesler & Eric Strobl, 2025. "The creative–destructive force of hurricanes: evidence from technological adoption in colonial Jamaican sugar estates," Cliometrica, Journal of Historical Economics and Econometric History, Association Française de Cliométrie (AFC), vol. 19(1), pages 123-161, January.
    17. Tetsuji Okazaki & Toshihiro Okubo & Eric Strobl, 2020. "The Bright and Dark Side of Financial Support from Local and Central Banks after a Natural Disaster: Evidence from the Great Kanto Earthquake, 1923 Japan," Keio-IES Discussion Paper Series 2020-001, Institute for Economics Studies, Keio University.
    18. Bas, Maria & Paunov, Caroline, 2025. "Riders on the storm: How do firms navigate production and market conditions amid El Niño?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    19. Yutaro Izumi & Hiroyuki Nakata & Yasuyuki Sawada & Kunio Sekiguchi, 2024. "Building Business Resilience to Disasters," CIRJE F-Series CIRJE-F-1223, CIRJE, Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • N95 - Economic History - - Regional and Urban History - - - Asia including Middle East
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes

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