The western Japanese city of Kobe marked the 15th anniversary of a massive 1995 earthquake yesterday, just days after a devastating tremor killed tens of thousands in Haiti.
Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako attended a ceremony in Kobe, where a quake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale hit at 5:46 am on Jan. 17, 1995, killing 6,434 people.
Hatoyama promised that the government would do its best to prepare for natural disasters.
PHOTO: EPA
“I pledge that we will give our all to implement comprehensive disaster policies so that Japanese people can live in safety,” he told the gathering.
Before dawn, thousands gathered in parks and at public memorials to remember the victims at the hour the quake hit.
Many offered flowers and lit candles as they wept and held their hands clasped in prayer.
Naruhito, in his address at the main public ceremony, said that lessons from the Kobe quake have resulted in new disaster policies and mitigation technologies.
However, the prince said he also remembered the suffering of Kobe’s residents.
“I hope that the knowledge and wisdom learned ... will be passed on to future generations regardless of national borders,” he said.
Naruhito also referred to the deadly disaster in Haiti, where a 7.0-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday killed at least 50,000.
“I express my sincere condolences to those who perished and my sympathy to their bereaved families and those who suffered damage,” he said. “I hope for swift progress on reconstruction and recovery from the disaster.”
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