Great Hanshin Earthquake’s victims remembered 30 years on; Emperor, Empress Attend Memorial Ceremony in Kobe (Update 1)

The Yomiuri Shimbun

11:54 JST, January 17, 2025 (updated at 17:25 JST, Jan. 17)

KOBE — Memorials dedicated to the 6,434 victims of the Great Hanshin Earthquake took place in Hyogo Prefecture on Friday, 30 years to the day since it struck.

The “1.17 no Tsudoi” (A gathering for Jan. 17) memorial ceremony started in the small hours of Friday at Kobe East Park in the city’s Chuo Ward. The event was organized by the municipal government and a nonprofit organization, among other entities. About 11,000 people had participated as of 7 a.m., nearly double last year’s number.

About 6,500 candles were arranged and to form the date “1.17” and the word “yorisou,” which means “We are here for you.” Participants observed a moment of silence at 5:46 a.m., the time the earthquake struck.

Genki Hasegawa, an elementary school teacher in Kobe, made a speech as a representative of the bereaved. The 38-year-old lost his mother Noriko, then 34, and brother Shoto, then 1, due to the quake.

“I’ve spent the past 30 years determined to live each and every day to my fullest so that I won’t have any regrets, while expressing my gratitude to those around me,” he said. “I’ll share what I’ve learned [from the quake] not just with the generation who does not know the disaster, but with many people.”

Another memorial service, which was organized by the prefectural government and other entities, started before noon in the city. The Emperor and Empress attended the ceremony for the first time since the Emperor’s accession to the throne.

“I hope that based on the experiences and lessons of the disaster, the work to build communities where people can live safely and with security while helping each other will continue, and that this work will be passed on to the future generations,” the Emperor said in his address.

Prior to the ceremony, the couple met with five people who work to support those affected by the quake. Among the five was a second-year high school student who serves as a storyteller based on his interviews with quake-affected people.