25 years since the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Prayers of mourning in various places January 17, 7:55
On the 17th, 25 years after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, various places in Hyogo Prefecture held memorial prayers at 5:46 am when the earthquake occurred.
At the Suwayama Park in Chuo-ku, Kobe, trumpet player Akira Matsudaira (77) played a reconstruction support song, “Flowers bloom,” at 5:46 am when the earthquake occurred.
Matsudaira has been playing trumpet at Suwayama Park every year since 1999 at a rally to commemorate the victims.
This meeting was the last one last year due to the aging of the people in charge of the sponsoring organization, but in response to Matsudaira's intention to “play the trumpet”, the executive committee of “1.17 gathering” With support, the performance on the 17th was realized.
Matsudaira said, "It was 25 years in a flash. I hoped that my life was going back to normal. I wanted to come here and continue playing as long as I could play the trumpet." Was.
In elementary school where five children died ...
At the Takagi Elementary School in Nishinomiya City, five children died in the earthquake, and two bells with a diameter of about 30 cm, named "Bells of Reconstruction," were written beside the main gate with the wish of mourning and reconstruction. It is installed.
On the morning of the 17th, about 200 people including children, parents and local residents gathered, and two representatives of the children mourned the child who died after ringing the bell five times.
Five candles were erected beneath the bell and the people gathered together and prayed quietly.
A 50-year-old man who came with his fifth grade son said, "I participate every year, but I want to convey the importance of life to my children."
At the time of the earthquake, Isao Aramaki (81), the school's principal, said, "I'm glad I made a monument to preserve the memories of the earthquake in future generations. I hope that future generations will make use of the lessons learned from the earthquake." I was talking.
In the Hokudan Earthquake Memorial Park in Awaji City, Hyogo Prefecture, a part of the Nojima Fault that appeared on the surface due to the earthquake has been preserved, and memorial monuments for the victims have been set up.
On the morning of the 17th, about 200 people including bereaved families gathered and mourned 63 people who died on Awaji Island with floating bamboo lamps on the pond of the park.
In the venue, lotus-shaped lights made by local residents and university students were displayed at the venue, and the letters "Awaji" were created by arranging bamboo lamps.
At 5:46 am, I stopped silently in front of the memorial.
After this, all the people gathered and chose "Amazing Grace" with the remembrance of the victims and the thought of reconstruction.
A 74-year-old man from Awaji-shi who participated in the chorus lost his grandmother in the earthquake, saying, "I've been 25 years since the disaster with an emphasis on living positively. Today I'm fine with my family I want to tell my younger generation that natural disasters aren't going to happen when they happen. "