What specific impacts did the Hoei Eruption have on Edo (present-day Tokyo)?

Alright, let's talk about the impact of the famous 1707 Great Hoei Eruption on Edo (modern-day Tokyo).

Imagine living in Edo over three hundred years ago—a bustling city built largely of wood and paper. Suddenly, Mount Fuji, located 100 kilometers away, erupts. While you can't see the lava, a "calamity from the sky" arrives silently.

The impact on Edo wasn't primarily devastating destruction, but rather a prolonged and miserable ordeal of "catastrophic filth and dysfunction." Specifically, it manifested in the following ways:

1. Sky Darkened, Days Like Night, Volcanic "Snow"

This was the most immediate and dramatic experience.

"Black Snow" Falling from the Sky: After the eruption began, massive amounts of volcanic ash, carried by westerly winds, streamed towards Edo. Records indicate volcanic ash fell on Edo for a solid two weeks. This wasn't the fine dust we see today, but coarse, grey-black particles like sand. The entire city was blanketed under a thick layer of ash, reportedly several centimeters deep—like unmeltable black snow covering the ground.
Near-Total Darkness: The sheer volume of ash blocked out the sun, turning Edo as dark as dusk or even night during the daytime. People had to carry lanterns (andon) to go outside. The city fell into gloom and an oppressive atmosphere. You can picture this apocalyptic scene; the psychological impact on the residents must have been immense.

2. Life Paralyzed, Health Crisis

The pervasive volcanic ash turned daily life for Edo citizens into a nightmare.

The Pain of Breathing: The air was filled with a sharp sulfur smell and fine ash particles. People commonly suffered from coughs, sore throats, and eye irritation. People would cover their noses and mouths with hand towels (tenugui), essentially Edo-period "face masks."
Contaminated Water and Food: Ash fell into wells and rivers, polluting drinking water. Hung-out laundry, vegetables in the fields—everything was coated in ash. Food inevitably had a gritty texture.
Travel Disrupted: Roads were covered in ash—slippery and filthy—severely hampering transportation. Commerce ground to a halt, shops closed down, and the once-bustling streets became eerily quiet.

3. Economic Turmoil, Soaring Prices

Beneath the disaster, the economic order suffered severe disruption.

Skyrocketing Prices: With day turning to night, the prices of candles, lamp oil, and lanterns soared instantly. Simultaneously, fearing prolonged hardship, people rushed to hoard rice, sending its price soaring and imposing a heavy burden on ordinary citizens.
Greatly Increased Fire Risk: Edo, built mostly of wood, was always terrified of fire. Some of the falling ash was still hot. These "live embers" landing on wooden roofs drastically increased the fire hazard. The government (Shogunate) was extremely nervous about this and strictly ordered people to be vigilant about fire prevention.
Massive Cleanup Costs: Once the eruption ended, cleaning the ash blanketing the entire city became a huge undertaking. The Shogunate ordered the ash to be collected centrally and dumped into the sea or designated landfills. This work consumed vast amounts of labor and resources, putting significant pressure on government finances.

4. Indirect but Lasting Secondary Disasters

The most troublesome aspect for Edo wasn't just the ash in the city, but the chain reaction triggered by the eruption.

Huge amounts of ash built up on Mt. Fuji and surrounding areas, particularly flowing into rivers like the Sakawa River (酒匂川, Sakawa-gawa). This rapidly raised riverbeds, severely reducing their drainage capacity.

The result was frequent flooding in the years that followed. With heavy rain, rivers easily overflowed, inundating vast tracts of farmland downstream. This caused long-term reductions in crop yields. Edo, as the major consuming metropolis of the time, relied heavily on the surrounding regions for its food supply. This instability in the food supply, in turn, affected prices and social stability within Edo itself.

In summary:

For Edo, the Great Hoei Eruption wasn't the movie scenario of being engulfed in lava and flames. It was more like a prolonged, comprehensive "urban dysfunction."

It subjected Edo to two weeks of darkness, made its citizens endure respiratory illnesses and immense daily hardship, triggered economic chaos with soaring prices, and by damaging agriculture in the surrounding areas, caused ongoing trouble for the city for several years afterwards.

It's fair to say that this eruption, occurring 100 kilometers away, delivered a vivid and painful lesson about natural disasters to the citizens of Edo, then the world's largest city. It was a stark reminder that even amidst the hustle and bustle of a great metropolis, they could never be insulated from the forces of nature.