Great Fire of Hakodate

File:1934Hakodate_Fire_map.png

The Great Fire of Hakodate ({{Langx|ja|函館大火}}) is a fire that broke out in Hakodate, Hokkaido in Japan on 21 March 1934.{{Cite web|title=函館大火 {{!}} 函館市|url=https://www.city.hakodate.hokkaido.jp/docs/2014012200615/index.html|access-date=2021-06-22|website=www.city.hakodate.hokkaido.jp}}[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr3-c35Koms 昭和9年函館大火の記録映像 1934年3月21日] - YouTube It is considered one of the worst city fires in Japan's history.{{According to whom|date=March 2025}}

On 21 March 1934, a fire was started in a house located within the Sumiyoshi area, Hakodate.{{Cite web|date=2014-04-08|title=「函館市史」通説編3 5編2章7節2-10|url=http://www.lib-hkd.jp/hensan/hakodateshishi/tsuusetsu_03/shishi_05-02/shishi_05-02-07-02-10.htm|access-date=2021-06-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408221736/http://www.lib-hkd.jp/hensan/hakodateshishi/tsuusetsu_03/shishi_05-02/shishi_05-02-07-02-10.htm|archive-date=2014-04-08}} Over two days, burning debris fanned by strong winds set fire to the surrounding areas; including a local court, department store, school, and hospital. According to official documents, 2,166 people lost their lives, with 9,485 injured; 145,500 people were made homeless and 11,055 buildings lost.{{Cite web|title=Los Angeles Herald 30 August 1907 — California Digital Newspaper Collection|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=LAH19070830.2.54|access-date=2021-06-22|website=cdnc.ucr.edu}} The fire destroyed around two-thirds of all buildings in Hakodate. This event also led to many residents leaving and subsequently depopulating the city.{{Cite book|title=International Dictionary of Historic Places, Volume 5: Asia and Oceania|publisher=Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers|year=1996|isbn=1-884964-04-4|editor-last=Schellinger|editor-first=Paul|location=Chicago|pages=317–320|editor-last2=Salkin|editor-first2=Robert}}