[JapanUrbanLegend] a professor's note.

 

One of Japan's urban legends is related to the Kanto Earthquake. According to the legend, a university professor in Japan went missing. Initially, his assistant thought he might be on a trip, but when contact was lost with the professor's family as well, the assistant became concerned. Upon visiting the professor's home, the assistant found that all household items were gone. At that moment, the assistant discovered a note on the professor's desk that read, "By X date, you must leave the Kanto region as far as possible. If you talk about this note, it will cause panic throughout Japan." Since the professor was a world-renowned expert in earthquake prediction, the assistant hurriedly packed up and left.

However, as with many urban legends, this story is likely false. Modern technology still struggles to predict earthquakes accurately, so it's hard to believe that predictions with exact dates were possible in 1923. If such technology had existed, it might have reduced the impact of major earthquakes like the Kobe or Tohoku disasters. Moreover, if the professor were truly a leading authority, the Japanese government would have acted on his warning and taken steps to prevent loss of life, rather than ignoring it. The idea that the professor kept the information secret and fled alone seems highly irresponsible. Thus, this legend remains intriguing but difficult to believe.