Japan Marks 26 Years Since Earthquake In Kobe
People in western Japan are marking the 26th anniversary of a major earthquake that left widespread destruction and 6,434 people dead.
The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake on January 17, 1995, damaged more than 600,000 homes and caused widespread fires.
In the worst affected city of Kobe, people gathered at a park to remember the victims at 5:46 a.m.--- the exact moment the magnitude 7.3 quake hit.
Lanterns have been arranged in the park to read "1.17" and the Japanese word "Ganbarou," meaning "Don't give up."
The word was chosen to encourage people to overcome difficulties together as anxiety hangs over much of the population amid the coronavirus pandemic.
This year, the lanterns were lit a half day earlier to avoid crowding as part of infection prevention measures.
Memorial events for the disaster are scheduled to be held in many places on Sunday. But a survey by a local civic group shows that the number of planned events is 42 -- 30 percent less than last year due to the pandemic.
Handing down memories and lessons from the earthquake to future generations is becoming a major issue as an increasing number of people have no first-hand knowledge of the disaster.