The 22nd marks the 13th anniversary of the earthquake in southern New Zealand that killed 185 people, including 28 Japanese, and a memorial ceremony was held there with bereaved families from Japan in attendance.
On February 22, 2011, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake occurred in southern New Zealand, causing the collapse of a building housing a language school in central Christchurch, killing 185 people, including 28 Japanese.
On the 22nd, 13 years since the outbreak, a memorial ceremony was held in Christchurch, with New Zealand Prime Minister Lacson and bereaved family members from Japan in attendance.
At the ceremony, participants offered a moment of silence at 12:51 p.m., the time the earthquake occurred, or 8:51 a.m. Japan time, and then the names of all the victims were read out.
After the ceremony, participants paid tribute to the families and friends of the victims by placing flowers on stone monuments with the names of each of them.
Kazuo Hotta of Toyama City, who lost his daughter Megumi, who was 19 years old at the time, said, ``When I come here, I feel like I can meet my daughter.'' After the Noto Peninsula earthquake in January, the first thing that came to my mind was my daughter, and I felt very strong. I couldn't do anything because of the shaking, and my heart ached as I thought it must have been scary."
Prime Minister Lacson also spoke with the bereaved families in Japan, saying, ``13 years after the earthquake, I was glad to be able to talk to the families who lost their daughters.They were here with dreams and possibilities.'' I'll never forget it," he said.
Family: ``My thoughts at the time have not changed.''
Naohiro Kanemaru of Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture, who lost his daughter Kayo, who was 19 years old at the time, said, ``13 years have passed this year, but our feelings have not changed. I am deeply saddened," he said.
In addition, Kunitoshi Kikuta of Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, who also lost his daughter Saori, who was 19 years old at the time, said, ``After experiencing the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, I realized how terrible the tremors of around 7 on the seismic intensity scale my daughter felt 13 years ago.'' "I learned the feeling of fear. The Noto earthquake made me realize once again how grateful we are to be able to live a normal life again."
In addition, Masaji Yokota of Toyama City, who lost his daughter Saki, who was 19 years old at the time, said, ``When the Noto Peninsula earthquake occurred, I was walking along the Jinzu River embankment in Toyama City, and when I looked toward the city, I saw an apartment building. The building was shaking from side to side. Even I was scared, but at the time, my daughter was in a panic and when she imagined the building collapsing in an instant, she was at a loss for words and couldn't think of anything. If only my wish could come true. I want to hear my daughter's voice again and see her smiling.''