英語訳
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*(Continued from the Nagashima Waju disaster)*
As there was no place that escaped the calamity—roofs stripped, pillars broken—the island residents directed all their attention to guarding against the storm and were not negligent in their defenses. However, unexpectedly, mountainous ocean tides, pushed by the violent storm, overtopped the new Otosei embankment at a place called Maeyama, and in an instant, seawater surged with fierce force throughout the entire island. The time happened to be deep in the night, and in the pitch darkness one could not distinguish what was directly in front of them. Moreover, the violent storm was raging with tremendous force, so the island residents, caught completely off guard, fell into a state of panic and confusion, not knowing what to do. We are told that many were swept away by the violent waves. Even among those who survived, they had barely escaped with their lives alone, leaving them with no food to eat and no clothing to wear.
**Report from the Governor of Mie Prefecture**
The conditions of flooding in Kuwana District of this prefecture, as reported in telegrams and official communications, are as follows:
Due to continuous days of rainfall, by July 21st the rivers throughout the area surged dramatically, causing various degrees of damage across all districts. Most severely affected was Kuwana District, where the Kiso River reached a level of one *jō* four *shaku* five *sun* (approximately 4.4 meters), and the Ibi River reached one *jō* one *shaku* (approximately 3.3 meters). By the evening of the same day, more than 200 *ken* (approximately 364 meters) of embankment at Oshima, a sub-district of Nagashima Village along the Kiso River, collapsed, and the resulting floodwaters inundated that village as well as Kusunoki Village (these two villages together are called the Nagashima Waju). Along the Ibi River, more than 60 *ken* (approximately 109 meters) of embankment at Nishihiraga, a sub-district of Nanatori Village, collapsed and inundated that village, and the waters further overflowed to inundate the paddies of five villages—Noshiro, Fukaya, Oyamada, Bonshō, and Jōnan—as well as more than 400 households in Kuwana Town. The estimated damage to the three villages of Nanatori, Nagashima, and Kusunoki is as stated in the previous telegram. The water has not yet receded and is almost like a lake—at its shallowest, seven to eight *shaku* (approximately 2.1–2.4 meters), and at its deepest, one *jō* two or three *shaku* (approximately 3.6–3.7 meters)—making a thorough investigation extremely difficult. Under these circumstances, a section of the Kansai Railway line crossing through the Nagashima Waju has also collapsed, and trains are not running between Kuwana and Yatomi. When the reports of flooding arrived, police inspectors and secretaries were dispatched for emergency monitoring, and fortunately there were no casualties; the people were successfully evacuated to the tops of the embankments and other locations. Nevertheless, the tragic conditions are beyond description. On the following day, the 22nd, seven relief cooking stations were established to provide aid. The number of people receiving aid was over 1,600. The area within this district with no prospect of harvest due to flooding is estimated at no fewer than 1,700 *chō* (approximately 1,689 hectares).
At 8:55 p.m. on September 2nd, the governor of said prefecture submitted the following report to the relevant authorities:
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Regarding the current disaster in the prefecture, further investigation has revealed that the damage is truly severe and the conditions truly catastrophic in every location. In particular, in the coastal areas, the storm caused a tsunami-like phenomenon (海嘯, *kaisho*), with the most powerful waves reaching two *jō* (approximately 6 meters) in height. Along the entire coastal belt of one city and nine districts stretching from North Kuwana to South Island, violent waves broke through the shoreline, overtopped embankments, toppled homes, and inundated farmland. The most severely affected areas appear to be the six districts of Kuwana, Mie, Kawage, Isshi, Inan, and Watarai. As of today, the known figures are: 30 deaths, 35 injuries, 172 houses washed away, 2,096 houses completely destroyed, 1,364 half-destroyed. Additionally, roads and embankments damaged or destroyed number in the thousands of locations, extending over tens of thousands of *ken* in total length. Farmland inundated by saltwater runs into thousands of *chō* (thousands of hectares), and 168 vessels were wrecked or damaged. The embankment at Nagashima in Kuwana District, which had two breach points from the floods of last July, broke again. In the neighboring Kisomisaki and Isojima Waju, there were eight major breaches totaling over 600 *ken* (approximately 1,090 meters). In four locations—Nagashima, Kusunoki, Isojima, and Kisojima—all homes and farmland were inundated with saltwater, and food, clothing, household goods, and the like were largely washed away. Currently, cooking relief stations have been established in four locations across the four villages, providing aid to approximately 8,000 people.
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**● Flood Damage in Yamanashi Prefecture**
**Floods in Yamanashi Prefecture (Report from the Yamanashi Prefecture Governor)**
Around the afternoon of July 19th, the sky presented an unsettled appearance, alternating between clear and cloudy with occasional light rain. Then, around 4 a.m. on the following day, the 20th, a heavy shower began and continued intermittently without pause until it completely stopped at 6 a.m. on the 22nd. As a result, all rivers swelled greatly, causing bridges to be washed away, embankments to break, and homes and farmland to be inundated. Upon receiving reports of flooding from various locations, we dispatched subordinate officials to engage in flood defense, and we were thus able to avoid major damage. A brief account of conditions on the main rivers follows:
**Kamanashi River**
From around 8 a.m. on the 20th, the water gradually rose, and by the 21st the water level had increased by over six *shaku* (approximately 1.8 meters) above normal, causing no small amount of damage to embankments and water deflection facilities through destruction and washout. Among the most significant incidents: two sections of the improved embankment in front of Tanooka Village, Naka-Koma District, with a total length of over 100 *ken* (approximately 182 meters), and at the front of Kagamichūjō Village in the same district,
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embankment over 710 *ken* (approximately 1,290 meters) in length was breached, with farmland showing signs of flooding; however, through dedicated defensive efforts, flooding was kept to a minimum. Also, the Kamanashi River Bridge on the Sunshū Highway (*Sunshū Ōkan*)—the road connecting to the Tōkaidō—spanning from Hanawa Village to Asakura Village in the same district, as well as the two bridges at Anayama and Funayama on the same highway, were all washed away, temporarily severing all traffic. The Sunshū Highway has been reopened via ferryboat, but all other routes remain impassable.
**Shio River (Shiogawa)**
The water level rose by over six *shaku* (approximately 1.8 meters), causing embankment breaches in the towns and villages of Nirasaki, Sarashina, and others. In particular, Nirasaki Town faced the threat of flooding, but civil engineering supervisors and police officials directed and encouraged laborers, and also summoned firefighters to dedicate themselves to flood defense, so that the town suffered no damage. However, in Nakata Village, several sections of embankment were breached and fields were flooded. A bridge on the Saku Highway was also washed away, severing traffic, and one water mill was lost in the flood.
**Fuefuki River**
The water level rose by over one *jō* (approximately 3 meters) above normal, causing various degrees of embankment destruction and washout. Most notably, in Ishiwa Village, Higashi-Yashiro District, two sections of embankment were on the verge of collapse. However, civil engineering supervisors, police officials, and district officials dedicated themselves to directing village residents in flood defense, preventing complete collapse and avoiding damage. Elsewhere, bridges that were at risk of being swept away were preemptively removed, severing traffic, but as the rain stopped and water receded, ferry service was commenced.
**Fuji River**
Flood levels rose by over one *jō* two *shaku* (approximately 3.6 meters), and the conditions of embankments and water deflection facilities could not be ascertained; investigation is currently ongoing. All bridges were washed away, severing all traffic, and homes and farmland suffered damage from flooding and washout.
For rivers other than those listed above, there was some degree of damage to embankments, roads, and bridges through destruction and washout due to flooding, but as investigations are ongoing, no further details are recorded here.
Detailed information on damage to homes and farmland from flooding and washout caused by the floods of the rivers listed above is still under investigation and cannot be reported in full at this time. The following is a summary of what has been determined so far:
- Naka-Koma District: 62 flooded houses; 369+ *chō* (approximately 369 hectares) of flooded farmland; 300+ *ken* (approximately 545 meters) of road damage
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- Nishi-Yashiro District: 161+ *chō* (approximately 161 hectares) of flooded farmland; 10 flooded houses
- Minami-Koma District: 4 flooded houses; 1 washed-away house; 1 drowning death; other details unknown
- Higashi-Yashiro District: 103 flooded houses; 385+ *chō* (approximately 385 hectares) of flooded farmland
- Kita-Koma District: 20+ *chō* (approximately 20 hectares) of flooded farmland; 1 drowning death
According to subsequent investigations: Nishi-Yamanashi District—161 *chō* of flooded farmland, 10 flooded houses, 1 bridge washed away. Naka-Koma District—869 *chō* and 8 *tan* (approximately 870 hectares) of flooded farmland, 1 bridge washed away.
In the flood-affected areas of Nishi-Yamanashi District, the flooding continued for as long as one week, causing all the rice to rot. Farmers are therefore planning to plant upland rice (*okabo*) in hopes of securing some harvest.
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**● Flood Damage in Kanagawa Prefecture**
In Kanagawa Prefecture, heavy rain on July 18th caused all rivers to flood, and the prefectural office dispatched inspectors. According to their reports: along the Sakawa River, embankments were destroyed at the following locations—Kawamura Mukaihara in Ashigara-Kami District (4 *ken*, approximately 7.3 meters), Matsuda in Matsuda Village (5 *ken*, approximately 9.1 meters), and Kaneko Shinden in Nakamura, Ashigara-Shimo District (4 *ken*, approximately 7.3 meters). Along the Kawane River, a tributary of the Sakawa, embankments were destroyed at Kamiyama in Matsuda Village (6 *ken*, approximately 10.9 meters), and at Kaneko in Kaneda Village, at one location 27 *ken* (approximately 49 meters) and at another 8 *ken* (approximately 14.5 meters) were destroyed. Along the Sagami River, the Kadosawa Bridge and water level gauge in Aritaka Village, Kōza District, were both washed away; embankment collapses measured 80 *ken* (approximately 145 meters); five water deflection works were washed away; and 60 *ken* (approximately 109 meters) of revetment was destroyed. The Shinomiya embankment in Ōno Village also collapsed by 50 *ken* (approximately 90.9 meters). In Atsugi Town, Aiko District, the temporary bridge over the Sagami River was washed away, and 30 *ken* (approximately 54.5 meters) of embankment at Nakazawa Village along the Nakatsu River, a tributary of the Sagami, collapsed; 20 *ken* (approximately 36.4 meters) of revetment at Kaneda in Chichi Village was destroyed. Other details remain unclear, but the Tama River was fortunately unaffected, with only the water deflection work at Nakanoshima in Inada Village, Tsuzuki District, sustaining damage.
**Second Flood**
Regarding the second flood disaster in Kanagawa Prefecture, according to reports received by the prefectural office, both the Sakawa River in Ashigara-Kami District, Sagami Province, and its tributary the Kawane River experienced extraordinary flooding from around noon on August 18th. The embankment at Kaneda Village presented a highly dangerous condition, and every effort was made to defend against it…