Commemorative ceremony at a vocational school that kills 12 people 9 years after the NZ earthquake Toyama February 22, 13:10

k10012297241_202002221307_202002221308.mp4

It's been 22 years and 9 years since the earthquake in southern New Zealand where 28 Japanese died. A memorial ceremony was held at a vocational school in Toyama City, where 12 students during language training were killed.

Nine years ago, the earthquake that struck southern New Zealand on February 22 destroyed the building that housed the language school in Christchurch and killed 28 Japanese people.

A memorial ceremony was held on March 22 at Toyama Foreign Language College in Toyama, where 12 students who had visited for language training died.

Approximately 120 survivors, classmates, and current students offered silence at 8:51 am Japan time, when the earthquake occurred.

Principal Tamehisa Ueda said, "Your strong desire to learn English is a proof of life and has been passed down to juniors and has been supporting the heart."

After this, the attendees turned the flowers to the flower stand and prayed quietly one by one.

Finally, Masaji (64), father of Saki Yokota, who died at the age of 19 at the time, greeted the bereaved family and said, "Saki's smile was really nice when she left for New Zealand. That was her last smile. , Saki is no longer old in our memories. "

He told him that he could not remove the sticker stating "out of office" on the entrance to his room before he left, and said, "I feel like I'm coming back now. Nine years have passed since the catastrophe, but I'm always pursuing her daughter somewhere. "

Memorial ceremony in Christchurch

On the other hand, in Christchurch, a memorial ceremony was held in the center of the city where the memorial was built, attended by locals and Japanese bereaved families.

At the ceremony, the names of the victims were read aloud, and participants gave silence at the time of the earthquake, and then turned the flowers to the memorial.

Mr. Kazuo Hotta of Toyama City, who lost his daughter in the earthquake, said, "It's hard to renew sadness. I know it's true, but it's hard when I come."

Prior to the ceremony, Christchurch Mayor Dalziel told NHK, "I am very sorry that people have lost their families. I have repeatedly expressed my condolences and will continue to do so." Said.

The structure of the collapsed building was confirmed to have significant flaws, and the mayor of Darjeel officially apologized to the bereaved and injured of the victims on Tuesday, and to Tokyo next week. I will meet with a Japanese bereaved.

The bereaved family's desire to apologize

This is a big milestone for the bereaved.

Mr. Kazuo Hotta of Toyama City, who lost his 19-year-old daughter Megumi at the time, represents a group made of bereaved families and has been sending documents to Christchurch City through the New Zealand Embassy and so on, and has continued to seek an apology.

Regarding the collapse of the building, the Royal Commission of New Zealand compiled a report that there was a problem with the design of the building, and local police continued to investigate the design officer etc., but there was sufficient evidence The case has been postponed in 2017 for not being able to do so.

On the other hand, Mr. Hotta has called for an apology along with the progress of the investigation, stating that the moral responsibility of Christchurch City who issued the building permit was inevitable even while the investigation was ongoing.

Last December, a letter arrived from Christchurch's Mayor to Mr. Hotta, who announced his intention to officially apologize to the bereaved family at the New Sealand Embassy in Japan on March 25.

Earlier this day, Mr. Hotta stated that he had been sending documents so far: "No one takes responsibility or apologizes when the facts are known. We ask for an apology for what we can do. `` I can only do it.While a person with no fault has died or been injured, I thought that if I do not do anything, I think that if I do not do anything, it will be a remnant for my bereaved family. '' I spoke inside my chest.

He said of his feelings ahead of his meeting with the mayor: "It's a reassuring feeling to finally realize. As a parent of the same person, I hope that the mayor can understand the feelings of the bereaved family who lost the child. I want an apology to feel it. "

He then told his daughter, Megumi, "I want to report," I'm sorry, "I'm sorry I'm up to here."

In addition, on the day of the meeting, he will hand over the wishes of the bereaved family in writing to the mayor, saying, "I hope that the same tragedy will not occur again. I want to convey the feeling that it will not be difficult to end it with a sense of unfortunate event." I was