More than 1,000 memorial events were held Jan. 17 to mark the 30th anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake that claimed around 6,400 lives and reduced much of the port city of Kobe to ruins.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited the quake-devastated Noto Peninsula region March 22, praying for those who died and consoling evacuees. They flew by a Self-Defense Forces helicopter ...