The 1891 Mino–Owari earthquake (Mino-Owari Jishin) strikes the former Japanese provinces of Mino and Owari (present-day Aichi Prefecture) in the Nōbi Plain in the early morning of October 28 with a surface wave magnitude of 8.0.
The event, also referred to as the Nōbi earthquake (Nōbi Jishin), the Great Gifu earthquake (Gifu Daijishin), or the Great Nōbi earthquake (Nōbi Daijishin), is the strongest known inland earthquake to have occurred in the Japanese archipelago.
The earthquake comes at a time when Japan is undergoing a transformation into a more industrial nation and while advancing its scientific understanding in many fields.
Damage from the event is widespread and the loss of life is significant.
The many kilometers of visible fault breaks on the surface of the earth present scientists with opportunities for field investigations that will ultimately lead to an improved understanding of the fault scarps that earthquakes often generate.
