The catastrophic Kanto earthquake of 1923 destroyed most of Tokyo, and earthquake alarms in the following years terrified city residents, fearful of another disaster.
日本關東大地震後，政府曾試辦地震預測，結果並不十分準確，災民卻有如驚弓之鳥，一聽到預測消息，立刻人心惶惶、物價飛騰，社會秩序大亂。一七○五年，英國求生會的米徹爾預言，當年四月四日將發生大地震。