Rei Saeki
On September 1st, 2023 Saint Maur commemorated the 100th Anniversary of the Great Kantō Earthquake, which struck Japan on September 1st, 1923 at 11:58 with a 7.9 magnitude on the Richter scale and which claimed more than 140,000 people’s lives. Due to fast-moving fires triggered by strong winds, two-thirds of houses in Yokohama and Tokyo were destroyed by fires, including the former Saint Maur Campus.
Thanks to the dedication of the Sisters and their continued faith in their mission, and with the support and efforts of the school and local community, both Saint Maur and Futaba Gakuen, were rebuilt. Although this crisis disrupted millions of lives and took away many more, it should be commemorated for not only altering the trajectory of Japanese history, but also of Saint Maur’s.
To acknowledge this historical event, Ms. Mansson made a slideshow that was read during each homeroom’s morning prayer. The final slide read: “May we pray that we are more prepared to dampen the flames of flames of natural disasters, as well as those of prejudice and bigotry.”
This significant natural disaster in both Japanese and Saint Maur history should be one that is forever respected and never forgotten, hence in remembrance this September issue of The Maurdian is dedicated to remembering those who perished in the Great Kantō Earthquake of 1923 and also to giving gratitude those who contributed to making Japan the safest earthquake-prone country in the world.
Rei Saeki