Remembering Lessons for the 27th Anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake

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Twenty-seven years have passed since the Great Hanshin Earthquake on January 17, 1995, a disaster that claimed more than 6,000 lives.

Remember in Kobe, the site of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, 27 years later.

Repeated waves of COVID-19 infections have prompted memorial events to be canceled or scaled back again this year. But now, more than a quarter century later, it is more important than ever to ensure that lessons from disaster are passed on.

Prior to this anniversary, between midnight on January 15 and early morning of January 16, 2022, a tsunami caused by a massive eruption of an underwater volcano off the coast of Tonga in the South Pacific reached the Pacific coast of Japan.

Kobe on January 17, 1995, after the earthquake. Kobe on January 17, 1995, after the earthquake.

It provides an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of not letting memories of disasters fade. There must be a commitment to pass on the lessons of the Great Earthquake to future generations to build a nation resilient to disasters.

The Great Hanshin Earthquake was the largest urban earthquake in Japan since World War II. It violently exposed the weaknesses of Japanese cities – the Hanshin Expressway collapsed and Kobe City caught fire, although disaster struck early that morning at 5:46 am.

Together, they are a painful reminder of the need for disaster prevention, the destructive power of fires from energy recovery after a power outage, and the importance of securing furniture safely.

Japan is an earthquake prone country. In 2011, nearly 20,000 people were killed or missing in the Great East Japan Earthquake. And there have been a series of earthquakes since then.

Earthquake hazard map in Japan

There are reports that a massive earthquake in Nankai Tru could strike in the 1930s. Moreover, experts say there is a 70% chance of an earthquake directly under the Tokyo metropolitan area in the next 30 years. The occurrence of either of them would be a national crisis.

Related: [3.11 Earthquake: Rebuilding] Major earthquake hazards are present throughout the islands of Japan

Through frequent earthquakes, Japan has learned the importance of preparedness. In 1995, the Great Hanshin Earthquake stirred up the spirit of volunteerism in Japan. The necessary knowledge was spread throughout the country and practical disaster exercises were conducted in many areas.

Related: [HEISEI IN PICTURES] Disasters, take care of the afflicted and not give up hope

It is difficult to predict when the next earthquake will strike, but there is no doubt that Japan will strike again.

This year’s January 17th anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake should be a day to commemorate the victims of the disaster – and also a day to re-examine whether Japan is prepared for the next earthquake.

Knowing the destructive power of water

It just so happened that just before dawn this year on January 16, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning for the Amami and Tokara islands in Kagoshima Prefecture and Iwate Prefecture, and a tsunami warning for the entire Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Okinawa.

Some 229,000 people have been ordered to evacuate in eight prefectures across Japan. Although the tide was more than a meter high at the highest point, many fishing boats moored at ports in Kochi Prefecture and Tokushima Prefecture capsized, sank, or washed up — a terrifying reminder of the destructive power of water.

In Iwate Prefecture, evacuation centers were set up relatively quickly, and disaster-prevention sirens and radios prompted many residents to wear warm clothes and walk to higher places in the freezing cold. The region was particularly hard hit by the tsunami that followed the Great East Japan Earthquake.

In the aftermath of the tsunami in Japan

They knew that the only way to escape a tsunami was to get away from the coast and rivers and evacuate to higher ground or upper floors of sturdy buildings. They did not let the disaster experience in vain. It is a lesson everyone should learn.

In contrast, in Amami Oshima, people were evacuated in their cars, causing traffic jams that brought to a complete standstill on the coastal road at certain times. Although the people of Amami Oshima are familiar with typhoon disaster prevention, the Great East Japan Earthquake and the ensuing tsunami that swept away many cars did not take root in their memory.

Earthquakes and tsunamis can occur anywhere in the Japanese archipelago, which means that there should be no regional disparities in the level of preparedness and knowledge of disaster prevention and evacuation.

After the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning, the government set up a liaison office within the Crisis Management Center in the Prime Minister’s Office.

But Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was nowhere to be seen. With the evacuation order issued to such a wide area of ​​Japan, it would have been better for the prime minister to make some form of statement or appeal to the people.

Prevent memories from fading away

Prior to this year’s tsunami warning on the evening of January 16, a memorial was erected in Kobe East Park at Chu Ward in Kobe to commemorate the victims of the Great Hanshin Earthquake. The lanterns were aligned to form the letter “I forget” for 12 hours until the time of the earthquake.

At 5:46 a.m. the next day, the citizens observed a minute’s silence.

A moment of silence in memory of the moment the earthquake struck Kobe.

The organizing committee of the event explained that the character “Forget” was chosen because “the earthquake must not be forgotten” and also to take into account the bereaved families’ feelings of wanting to be forgotten. Even after 27 years, their emotional scars have not healed.

Need to remember, but desire to forget. Although the two seem contradictory, Japan needs both sentiments to move forward in the future.

No matter how tragic the event, it is gradually fading away from our memory. Disaster anniversaries are important days for us to face memories that have been sealed away, so that life-saving lessons can continue to be remembered.

These include January 17, the day of the Great Hanshin Earthquake, March 11, the day of the Great East Japan Earthquake almost 11 years ago, and August 15, the end of World War II.

Related:

(Read the editorial in Japanese at this link.)

Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun

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