Photo/Illutration Bamboo and paper lanterns form the word “Tomoni” (Together) at Higashi Yuenchi park in Kobe on Jan. 17. (Masaru Komiyaji)

KOBE--Bereaved families commemorated the 29th anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake on Jan. 17 and expressed empathy for survivors of the New Year’s Day earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula.

Teruko Kirihata, 84, who is from the neighboring city of Nishinomiya, visited Higashi Yuenchi park in Kobe’s Chuo Ward, the venue of a memorial service, early on Jan. 17.

She was trapped under the roof of her house and suffered a head injury during the earthquake that devastated this port city and surrounding areas in 1995.

“I think victims of the Noto Peninsula earthquake are feeling the same pain as I did at the time,” said Kirihata, who lost nine relatives in the quake.

“I hope that the Law on Support for Reconstructing Livelihoods of Disaster Victims, which was established after the Great Hanshin Earthquake, will be put to good use and that people in the Noto region will recover as soon as possible,” she said.

Under the law, financial assistance is provided to help disaster victims rebuild their homes.

Many people were gathered in Higashi Yuenchi park at 5:46 a.m., the exact time the Great Hanshin Earthquake struck.

About 7,000 bamboo and paper lanterns were lit to form the words “1995 Tomoni 1.17.”

“Tomoni” (Together) was chosen to express the desire to empathize with survivors of the Noto Peninsula earthquake and pass on earthquake experiences together with the younger generation, according to the event’s executive committee.

About 6,000 people visited the park by 7 a.m., Kobe city officials said. 

Memorial services were held at many other locations in Hyogo Prefecture.

The magnitude-7.3 earthquake left 6,434 people dead and 43,792 others injured. Three people are still listed as missing. About 250,000 homes were destroyed or damaged.

The earthquake’s focus was in the northern part of the Awajishima island in Hyogo Prefecture.

The year 1995 was called the first year of volunteerism since an estimated 1.38 million people worked as volunteers in the year after the earthquake.

The Law on Promotion of Specified Nonprofit Activities was established to encourage volunteer activities.

Under a law enacted to promote seismic retrofitting of buildings, the central and local governments have taken measures to improve the earthquake resistance of homes.

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