[Kobe] - The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Memorial Museum

We also visited Kobe Earthquake Memorial Museum. Our guide told us this museum opened in 2002 to commemorate the tragic event and to educate visitors about earthquakes and disaster prevention.

 This museum is dedicated to showing visitors the effects of the 

Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake that devastated Kobe city on 

January 1, 1995 at 5:46 am. 

It measured 6.9 on the moment magnitude scale and the tremors lasted for approximately 20 seconds. But this short 20 seconds claimed 6,434 lives!  ㅠㅠ

Earthquake-related items and records are displayed together with remarks 

 by contributors regarding their experience of the quake. 

Not only images, visitors can also watch the movie about Kobe's Earthquake. It's not real footage of Kobe's quake, but the scenes showed the impact and the aftermath disasters of the earthquake.

There are documentary program showing how communities and residents have worked for reconstruction, and 5 dioramas showing the road to recovery from the earthquake

 

It's wonderful experience to be guided by knowledgeable 

elderly volunteer. Not only he speaks fluent English, 

but he's so nice to show us around and explain

if we have questions.

Base Isolator (Photo: Source)

He brought us to the experimental corner, then passionately explained and showed us the modeled apartment that constructed with Base Isolator underneath it and another just normal apartment. Then he switched on the device that created earthquake movement, normal apartment broke in pieces. You can see the structure with base isolator  moving back and forth, but it didn't collapse. Awesome engineering!

Sorry, so technical, I don't know how to describe it to you... too bad, I accidentally deleted video files of Japan trip. Else, I can post the video on Youtube.

Kobe Earthquake Museum constructed with base isolator 

platform that can withstand the devastating seismic impact.

The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Memorial Museum

 

Add: Wakinohamakaigandori, Chuo Ward, Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture 651-0073, Japan

Fees: 600 yen

Operating Hours: 9:30 to 17:30 

Closed: Mondays (or following day if Monday is a national holiday), 31 Dec to 1 Jan.