When you think of 宝永地震, a massive earthquake that struck Japan in 1707, triggering tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and economic collapse. Also known as Hōei earthquake, it was one of the most destructive natural disasters in Japanese history—killing tens of thousands and wiping out centuries of accumulated wealth. What does this have to do with blockchain? More than you think. When entire economies collapse overnight, people stop trusting banks, governments, and paper money. That’s when new systems rise. The 宝永地震 didn’t just destroy buildings—it shattered faith in centralized control. Today, that same distrust drives millions to Bitcoin, DeFi, and self-custody wallets. History doesn’t repeat, but it rhymes.
Disasters like the 宝永地震 forced communities to find new ways to store value, trade goods, and survive without state-backed systems. Sound familiar? That’s exactly what crypto does now. When the Philippines froze $150 million in crypto assets, or Vietnam fined businesses for accepting Bitcoin, people didn’t stop using crypto—they found smarter ways. Just like after the 宝永地震, when farmers traded rice for silver because paper currency lost value, today’s users trade tokens across borders because banks won’t let them. The same human instinct: survive without permission.
Blockchain isn’t just about technology. It’s about resilience. When power grids fail, when governments freeze accounts, when inflation eats your savings—people look for systems that don’t rely on a single point of control. The 宝永地震 didn’t create Bitcoin, but it created the same conditions that make Bitcoin necessary. Look at the posts below: crypto bans in Korea, frozen assets in the Philippines, mining restrictions in Nigeria. These aren’t random events. They’re modern echoes of a 300-year-old quake. Every time a government tries to lock down money, someone finds a way around it. That’s the pattern. That’s the lesson. And that’s what you’ll find in the articles ahead—real stories of people adapting when the system breaks. Not theory. Not hype. Just what happens when trust vanishes—and someone builds something better.
The 1707 Hōei earthquake was Japan’s largest recorded quake until 2011. It ruptured the entire Nankai Trough at once, triggered a massive tsunami, and even caused Mount Fuji to erupt. Its legacy shapes modern disaster planning worldwide.