=?UTF-8?B?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 IGFuZCBpbmZyYXN0cnVjdHVyZS4=?=

A Blue Shadow Creeping from the Water's Depths: Tokyo and Yokohama, 1858–1900 The history of cholera and sanitation reveals how waste issues transcended mere nuisances of sight and smell, becoming intertwined with the very foundations of public health policy. During the great Ansei epidemic of 1858, numerous deaths occurred, primarily in Edo, enveloping the city in an invisible terror. As cholera spreads through contaminated water and food, it proliferates rapidly in environments with inadequate management of wells, waterways, and drainage. When garbage and filth piling up in towns approached the water, the disease crept into the cracks of daily life. Outbreaks recurred during the Meiji period, prompting the establishment of quarantine and disinfection systems in Yokohama and Tokyo. The recognition that disease was introduced through ports spread, driving progress in water supply improvements and strengthened sanitation administration. As improvements in drinking water and
sewage systems progressed, large-scale epidemics were gradually contained, and cities institutionalized sanitation. The Waste Disposal Act enacted in 1900 symbolized this shift. Against the backdrop of infectious disease outbreaks, the disposal of garbage and waste was positioned as a municipal responsibility, with the promotion of incineration explicitly codified. Cleanliness was understood not as an individual's personal effort, but as something to be safeguarded by systems and infrastructure.

Garbage flowed into waterways, decayed, and bred pests that spread disease. Breaking this chain became a crucial urban challenge. The history of cholera quietly continues to tell us that hygienic waste disposal is not merely a matter of aesthetics, but a vital urban infrastructure for protecting lives.