About the Cover

Depicted in this woodblock print, the 1855 Ansei Edo earthquake caused widespread destruction in and around what is now Tokyo. Just how earthquakes damage buildings is the subject of the feature article by Koji Uenishi on page 34 . The curious appearance of catfish in the print and others like it sprang from the myth that earthquakes and tsunamis are caused by the thrashing of giant, subterranean catfish. (Image from CPA Media Pte Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo.)