In 1923 Mori was devastated by the Great Kantō earthquake , causing him to lose most of his research . In July 1926 , at age 49 , he disappeared in a boat returning to Japan and it is speculated that he committed suicide . Historians Liao and Wang consider the legacy of Mori and Torii to be somewhat mixed . On one hand , their accounts and publications provide irreplaceable anthropological information about the aboriginies , as well as a wealth of detail about the natural landscape of Taiwan . On the other hand , government officials were able to use this information as they " exploited and oppressed the aboriginies under their ' civilizing barbarians ' policy . " Other historians note the same ambiguity . In fact , Mori himself understood his delicate position between the government ( which was funding his work and also using his photographs for propaganda ) , which wanted to develop Taiwan for its natural resources , and the local populations , which were being treated inhumanely . Nevertheless , after the Tapani incident of 1915 , in which great tensions followed a month-long uprising by Taiwanese Han and aboriginies against the Japanese government , Mori attempted to intervene using his expertise to provide a peaceful solution , but his assistance was rebuffed
Great Kantō earthquake
1923 Great Kantō earthquake
Ushinosuke Mori