Quake fear A century on, Tokyo braces for the next Great Kantō

The earthquake that struck the Tokyo region two minutes before noon on 1 September 1923 was so powerful that it destroyed the Central Weather Bureau's seismometers

- Justin McCurry TOKYO

Over almost two days, fires triggered by household gas burners, chemicals and overhead wires raged through the wooden buildings of eastern Tokyo's low-lying neighbourhoods.

By the time the blazes had been extinguished or burned themselves out, an estimated 105,000 people were dead or missing and most of the city's buildings had been destroyed, including 290,000 homes. The damage was estimated at ¥5.5bn, equivalent to 37% of Japan's gross domestic product at the time.

As the Japanese capital marked the 100th anniversary of what became known as the Great Kanto earthquake, it is bracing for another "big one".

Seismologists believe there is a 70% chance of a massive earthquake hitting the Tokyo metropolitan area within 30 years, killing up to 23,000 people and causing direct damage reaching ¥47tn ($320bn).

Widespread disruption to manufacturing and services caused by damage to transport networks and power cuts could reach an additional ¥48tn, along with price rises and a plummeting yen, according to Japan's Cabinet Office.