What Is Concrete from Historical Materials in Europe on 1586 Tensho Earthquake

Abstract

There are several European historical materials on Tensho Earthquake, which occurred on Jan. 18, 1586 in the south-western part of Chubu district. The through research of those materials revealed that all the information of Tensho earthquake was originated from letters written by L. Frois in October 1586 at Shimonoseki Port, Yamaguchi Prefecture as the annual report of missionary in Japan. Since a letter was hand-copied, edited, and translated to Italian or Latin from Portuguese in the late 16^th century, there derived some versions of descriptions on damage of the earthquake. The letter in the Portuguese version published in Evora, Portugal in 1589, and the remained copies of the manuscript of "Japanese History" by Frois are only two reliable sources. From those credible European materials, it is apparent that there was the common talk in Kyoto after Tensho earthquake of Tsunami damage along the northwestern coast of Japan. However, it is no more than a rumor.