Kobe Port Earthquake Memorial Park
I stayed briefly in Nankinmachi, Chinatown, and then walked back to Kobe Port.
January 17, 1995.
There was a major earthquake in Kobe, and I still remember it.
Even in Korea, there were many news stories about the Kobe earthquake for several days.
Cafe Fish
There was an impressive cafe with fish sculptures at the entrance of Kobe Port.
The cafe interior, designed to resemble a place where fish would be, was striking.
The door was closed, so I didn’t go inside.
Earthquake Memorial Park
This place was created to remember the Kobe earthquake.
Instead of being built, the park was made by leaving the landscape and buildings as they were after the earthquake, without any repairs.
Scenes from the Kobe earthquake
I remember from my childhood that houses collapsed and the elevated highways fell during the Kobe earthquake.
Many people died or were injured, and there was significant financial damage.
There was the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, which Koreans must never forget.
Two years after this trip, the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred in 2011, and its impact still continues 10 years later.
Kobe Port Earthquake Memorial Park
It was a space to indirectly experience the horrors of the earthquake.
Kobe Port Earthquake Memorial Park
Although it was a small space, it held many stories.
I stayed briefly and then moved to the nearby Meriken Park.
Dec. 15, 2009.