17 days will mark 28 years since the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, which killed 6,434 people.
In Kochi City, which is expected to suffer damage such as flooding from the Nankai Trough Megathrust Earthquake, local residents held a moment of silence to mourn the victims in order to connect the memories and lessons of the earthquake and raise awareness of disaster prevention.
The Shimochi district in the center of Kochi city is expected to be flooded for a long time by the tsunami caused by the Nankai Trough megathrust earthquake.
For this reason, the residents of the district gather in the park every year to mourn the victims in an effort to connect memories and lessons learned from the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and raise awareness of disaster prevention.
This year, residents lit bamboo lanterns with candles to make the letters "1.17" appear.
At 5:46 a.m., when the quake struck, all participants gathered around a candle to mourn the victims.
Takaaki Minamoto, chairman of the Shimochi Disaster Mitigation Liaison Committee, who organized the meeting, said, "Unlike the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, the Great Nankai Trough Earthquake is a disaster that can be predicted to some extent. That's why I want you to have a high awareness of preparation in advance."
A second-year high school girl who participated said, "I haven't decided where my family will meet in the event of a disaster, so I want to prepare well so that we can meet again in our lives."