The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 in Tokyo, Japan was a 7.9 magnitude quake that caused massive destruction: - It occurred on September 1, 1923 at 11:58 AM along the borders of the Philippine Sea and Okhotsk plates. - The earthquake and resulting fires destroyed Tokyo, killing over 105,000 people and leaving over 1.9 million homeless. - The fires were especially devastating, burning for two days and killing over 38,000 people taking shelter at an army depot.