Undoubtedly, one of the abiding memories of the March 11 disaster, both in the mainstream press and among Japan’s foreign community, was the measured reaction of people here in the face of overwhelming tragedy. Call it what you want, but there was a calm and ordered response to what happened in Tohoku that helped avert further catastrophe, (contrary to what was said in the more sensationalist press) and allowed the rebuilding process to promptly get undereway.
Anyone wondering where this level of preparation came from or just how people in Japan can handle a 9.0 earthquake need look no further than the education that takes place around natural disasters. It is, of course, impossible to be fully ready for anything on such a scale but you can be as educated as much as possible and much of what Japan has learnt from disasters past is encapsulated in The Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institute.
It is located in Kobe, the city where Japan’s last great earthquake struck on the fateful day of January 17th, 1995. The effects then included the collapse of over 200,000 buildings, the destruction of large stretches of the Hanshin Expressway, the breakup of the port of Kobe, and fires which raged over large portions of the city and ultimately took over 6,000 lives.
The center itself however shows the positive legacy of what happened and is focused on education and information sharing on natural disasters.
Visit to find out not only what happened but how to learn from it and stay prepared yourself. Japan is generally safe, but there is always the chance that something could happen and it is being prepared which can make all the difference.
The center does an excellent job of highlighting what lessons were learned and what was immediately improved upon following the Great Hanshin Earthquake. As visitors make their way through, you can see how authorities improved their disaster response methods, how cities and building plans underwent considerable change and food / water distribution methods are managed (like in Tohoku, the distribution networks of the conbini stores continue to be one of the best ways to get emergency supplies out to stricken areas).
Perhaps crucially for readers of this site, however, one of the big takeaways from the Kobe quake is how volunteerism and foreign involvement in Japan picked up. Infamously, the government in Japan refused foreign aid in the immediate aftermath of Kobe and was unsure of how to deal with the upswell in volunteerism. Tohoku saw a brilliant outpouring of time, money and supplies by people from all walks of life in Japan and the foreign contribution was one of the most significant to take place. The Great Hanshin Earthquake center really helps visitors understand what it is like to live through an event of this magnitude and then how to rebuild better and stronger in the future. If you want to gain an understanding of what happened in March of last year or plan to visit Tohoku, The Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institute should perhaps be your first port of call.
If thinking about natural disasters is getting you down, it is worth remembering just what a talent Japan has for rebuilding and reimagining itself. Kobe today has been rebuilt as a major cultural and tourist hub, famed for a stunning waterfront and a rich mix of old (especially old Western-style) districts and modern downtown areas.
For more information, visit http://www.dri.ne.jp/english/index.html
Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution
1-5-2 Kaigan-dori, Wakinohama, Chuo-ku, Kobe
Information/reservation
Phone: 078-262-5050
