31st anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

31st anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

People observe a moment of silence at a park in Kobe on at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2026, the exact time when the deadly Great Hanshin Earthquake struck 31 years ago.

31st anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

31st anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

People observe a moment of silence at a park in Kobe at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2026, the exact time when the deadly Great Hanshin Earthquake struck 31 years ago.

31st anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

31st anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

People observe a moment of silence at a park in Kobe at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2026, the exact time when the deadly Great Hanshin Earthquake struck 31 years ago.

30th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

30th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

(from L, front) J-League first-division football club Vissel Kobe defender Tetsushi Yamakawa, manager Takayuki Yoshida, and forward Yoshinori Muto observe a moment of silence at a park in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, on Jan. 17, 2025, at 5:46 a.m., the exact time when the Great Hanshin Earthquake struck the western Japan city and vicinity 30 years ago. The disaster killed more than 6,400 people.

30th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

30th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

Photo taken on Jan. 17, 2025, the 30th anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake, shows a clock in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, that has remained stopped since the disaster struck the western Japan city, Kobe and their vicinity at 5:46 a.m. 30 years ago, killing over 6,400 people.

29th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

29th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

People observe a moment of silence in a park in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, on Jan. 17, 2024, at 5:46 a.m., the time that the Great Hanshin Earthquake struck in 1995, killing more than 6,000 people in the western Japan city and its vicinity.

29th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

29th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

People observe a moment of silence in a park in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, on Jan. 17, 2024, at 5:46 a.m., the time that the Great Hanshin Earthquake struck in 1995, killing more than 6,000 people in the western Japan city and its vicinity.

29th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

29th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

People observe a moment of silence in a park in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, on Jan. 17, 2024, at 5:46 a.m., the time that the Great Hanshin Earthquake struck in 1995, killing more than 6,000 people in the western Japan city and its vicinity.

29th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

29th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

People observe a moment of silence in a park in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, on Jan. 17, 2024, at 5:46 a.m., the time that the Great Hanshin Earthquake struck in 1995, killing more than 6,000 people in the western Japan city and its vicinity.

29th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

29th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

People observe a moment of silence in a park in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, on Jan. 17, 2024, at 5:46 a.m., the time that the Great Hanshin Earthquake struck in 1995, killing more than 6,000 people in the western Japan city and its vicinity.

29th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

29th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

People observe a moment of silence in a park in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, on Jan. 17, 2024, at 5:46 a.m., the time that the Great Hanshin Earthquake struck in 1995, killing more than 6,000 people in the western Japan city and its vicinity.

28th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

28th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

People observe a moment of silence at a park in Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture on Jan. 17, 2023 at 5:46 a.m., the time that the Great Hanshin Earthquake struck in 1995, killing more than 6,000 people in the western Japan city and its vicinity.

28th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

28th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

People observe a moment of silence at a park in Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture on Jan. 17, 2023 at 5:46 a.m., the time that the Great Hanshin Earthquake struck in 1995, killing more than 6,000 people in the western Japan city and its vicinity.

Japan marks 20 years since Kobe quake

Japan marks 20 years since Kobe quake

KOBE, Japan - People observe a moment of silence at a park in Kobe, western Japan, at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2015, the time the Great Hanshin Earthquake occurred, on the 20th anniversary of the disaster, which devastated the port city and its surrounding areas and claimed the lives of 6,434 people.

Korean residents observe silence on Hanshin quake anniv.

Korean residents observe silence on Hanshin quake anniv.

KOBE, Japan - Korean residents of Japan observe a moment of silence on Jan. 17, 2015, at Kobe Korea education and culture center in Kobe's Nagata Ward, western Japan, at 5:46 a.m., the time when the Great Hanshin Earthquake hit the city and its vicinity on Jan. 17, 1995.

Japan marks 20 years since Kobe quake

Japan marks 20 years since Kobe quake

KOBE, Japan - People observe a moment of silence at a park in Kobe, western Japan, at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2015, the time the Great Hanshin Earthquake occurred, on the 20th anniversary of the disaster, which devastated the port city and its surrounding areas and claimed the lives of 6,434 people.

Hanshin quake anniversary

Hanshin quake anniversary

KOBE, Japan - Mourners observe a moment of silence at a park in Kobe, western Japan, at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2013, the moment the Great Hanshin Earthquake occurred, on the 18th anniversary of the disaster that claimed the lives of more than 6,400 people.

17th anniv. of Great Hanshin quake in Japan

17th anniv. of Great Hanshin quake in Japan

ISHINOMAKI, Japan - People in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, in northeastern Japan, the area hit hardest by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, observe a moment of silence to commemorate the victims of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2012, the exact time the quake hit western Japan 17 years ago.

17th anniv. of Great Hanshin quake in Japan

17th anniv. of Great Hanshin quake in Japan

NISHINOMIYA, Japan - People observe a moment of silence in front of a clock which was stopped by the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake, in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, in western Japan, at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2012, the exact time the quake struck the area 17 years ago.

16th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

16th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

NISHINOMIYA, Japan - People offer a silent prayer around a clock stopped at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17, 1995, the time the Great Hanshin Earthquake struck the area, in the western Japanese city of Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, on the morning of Jan. 17, 2011, the 16th anniversary of the disaster. The quake claimed the lives of 6,434 and imposed many challenges still remaining in the region.

16th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

16th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

KOBE, Japan - People commemorate the 16th anniversary of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake at 5:46 a.m., the time the quake struck the area, by lighting lanterns in the western Japan port city of Kobe on Jan. 17, 2011. The disaster claimed the lives of 6,434 and imposed many challenges still remaining in the region.

Kobe, vicinity mark 15th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

Kobe, vicinity mark 15th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

KOBE, Japan - People offer silent prayers on the 15th anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake in a park located in the center of Kobe at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2010, the same time that the western Japan port city and neighboring areas were hit by a devastating earthquake in 1995.

Events held to commemorate 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake

Events held to commemorate 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake

KOBE, Japan - People lit candles in about 7,000 memorial lanterns during an event held at Higashi Yuenchi Park in Kobe's Chuo Ward, Hyogo Prefecture, before daylight on Jan. 17 to commemorate the 6,434 people who died in the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995. At 5:46 a.m., the time the magnitude 7.3 quake originating in the northern part of the prefecture's Awaji Island in the Seto Inland Sea hit the western Japan area 14 years ago, about 5,500 people offered silent prayers in the event.

Events held to commemorate 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake

Events held to commemorate 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake

KOBE, Japan - Three female junior high school students pray for the 6,434 people who died in the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995, during a memorial event held at Higashi Yuenchi Park in Kobe's Chuo Ward, Hyogo Prefecture, before daylight on Jan. 17. At 5:46 a.m., the time the magnitude 7.3 quake originating in the northern part of the prefecture's Awaji Island in the Seto Inland Sea hit the western Japan area 14 years ago, about 5,500 people offered silent prayers in the event at the park, where candles in about 7,000 memorial lanterns were lit.

Events held to commemorate 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake

Events held to commemorate 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake

KOBE, Japan - People offer their silent prayers for the victims during a memorial service held on a hill in northern Kobe at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17 to mark the 13th anniversary of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake that took more than 6,400 lives.

Memorial gathering held for victims of 1995 Hanshin Earthquake

Memorial gathering held for victims of 1995 Hanshin Earthquake

ITAMI, Japan - A girl places a candle in a memorial gathering at a park in Itami, Hyogo Prefecture, on Jan. 16. Candles will be lit until 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17, the time the earthquake occurred.

(4)People pray for 1995 Kobe quake victims

(4)People pray for 1995 Kobe quake victims

KOBE, Japan - Candles making the shape 1.17 (for Jan. 17) are lit in Kobe's Chuo Ward on the seventh anniversary of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake that devastated the western Japan city. The quake struck Hyogo Prefecture and other areas at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17.

Kobe marks 27th anniversary of deadly quake

Video taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows an overview of Kobe, western Japan, on Jan. 17, 2022, the 27th anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake that struck the city and its vicinity, killing more than 6,000 people. The western Japan city of Kobe on Monday marked the 27th anniversary of the magnitude 7.3 earthquake that killed 6,434 people in the area. Local residents and victims' families observed a moment of silence at 5:46 a.m., the time the Great Hanshin Earthquake struck the port city in Hyogo Prefecture and neighboring areas on Jan. 17, 1995. In a predawn event at Higashi Yuenchi, a park in Kobe's Chuo Ward, people lit about 3,000 bamboo lanterns that were aligned to form "1.17," the date of the disaster.

27th anniv. of Great Hanshin Earthquake

27th anniv. of Great Hanshin Earthquake

People observe a silent prayer at a park in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2022, when the Great Hanshin Earthquake hit the western Japan port city and surrounding areas 27 years ago and killed more than 6,000.

27th anniv. of Great Hanshin Earthquake

27th anniv. of Great Hanshin Earthquake

People observe a silent prayer at a park in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2022, when the Great Hanshin Earthquake hit the western Japan port city and surrounding areas 27 years ago and killed more than 6,000.

27th anniv. of Great Hanshin Earthquake

27th anniv. of Great Hanshin Earthquake

People observe a silent prayer at a park in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2022, when the Great Hanshin Earthquake hit the western Japan port city and surrounding areas 27 years ago and killed more than 6,000.

27th anniv. of Great Hanshin Earthquake

27th anniv. of Great Hanshin Earthquake

People observe a silent prayer at a park in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2022, when the Great Hanshin Earthquake hit the western Japan port city and surrounding areas 27 years ago and killed more than 6,000.

27th anniv. of Great Hanshin Earthquake

27th anniv. of Great Hanshin Earthquake

People observe a silent prayer at a park in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2022, when the Great Hanshin Earthquake hit the western Japan port city and surrounding areas 27 years ago and killed more than 6,000.

(4)People pray for 1995 Kobe quake victims

(4)People pray for 1995 Kobe quake victims

KOBE, Japan - Candles making the shape 1.17 (for Jan. 17) are lit in Kobe's Chuo Ward on the seventh anniversary of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake that devastated the western Japan city. The quake struck Hyogo Prefecture and other areas at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17.

Kobe marks 21 years since Great Hanshin Earthquake

Kobe marks 21 years since Great Hanshin Earthquake

People offer prayers on Jan. 17, 2016, in a park in Kobe, western Japan, at 5:46 a.m., the time the Great Hanshin Earthquake occurred 21 years earlier, devastating the port city and surrounding areas, and claiming the lives of 6,434 people. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Kobe marks 21 years since Great Hanshin Earthquake

Kobe marks 21 years since Great Hanshin Earthquake

People offer prayers on Jan. 17, 2016, in a park in Kobe, western Japan, at 5:46 a.m., the time the Great Hanshin Earthquake occurred 21 years earlier, devastating the port city and surrounding areas, and claiming the lives of 6,434 people. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Kobe quake 21 years on

Kobe quake 21 years on

Shohei Amachi, 63, a resident of Nishinomiya, cries beside a clock that stopped at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17, 1995, the moment that a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck the area, saying he still regrets having been unable to rescue a trapped truck driver in the wake of the disaster, on Dec. 21, 2015, in the western Japanese city. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Events held to commemorate 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake

Events held to commemorate 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake

KOBE, Japan - People lit candles in about 7,000 memorial lanterns during an event held at Higashi Yuenchi Park in Kobe's Chuo Ward, Hyogo Prefecture, before daylight on Jan. 17 to commemorate the 6,434 people who died in the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995. At 5:46 a.m., the time the magnitude 7.3 quake originating in the northern part of the prefecture's Awaji Island in the Seto Inland Sea hit the western Japan area 14 years ago, about 5,500 people offered silent prayers in the event. (Kyodo)

Events held to commemorate 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake

Events held to commemorate 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake

KOBE, Japan - Three female junior high school students pray for the 6,434 people who died in the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995, during a memorial event held at Higashi Yuenchi Park in Kobe's Chuo Ward, Hyogo Prefecture, before daylight on Jan. 17. At 5:46 a.m., the time the magnitude 7.3 quake originating in the northern part of the prefecture's Awaji Island in the Seto Inland Sea hit the western Japan area 14 years ago, about 5,500 people offered silent prayers in the event at the park, where candles in about 7,000 memorial lanterns were lit. (Kyodo)

Events held to commemorate 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake

Events held to commemorate 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake

KOBE, Japan - People offer their silent prayers for the victims during a memorial service held on a hill in northern Kobe at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17 to mark the 13th anniversary of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake that took more than 6,400 lives. (Kyodo)

Memorial gathering held for victims of 1995 Hanshin Earthquake

Memorial gathering held for victims of 1995 Hanshin Earthquake

ITAMI, Japan - A girl places a candle in a memorial gathering at a park in Itami, Hyogo Prefecture, on Jan. 16. Candles will be lit until 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17, the time the earthquake occurred. (Kyodo)

Japan marks 20 years since Kobe quake

Japan marks 20 years since Kobe quake

KOBE, Japan - People observe a moment of silence at a park in Kobe, western Japan, at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2015, the time the Great Hanshin Earthquake occurred, on the 20th anniversary of the disaster, which devastated the port city and its surrounding areas and claimed the lives of 6,434 people. (Kyodo)

Japan marks 20 years since Kobe quake

Japan marks 20 years since Kobe quake

KOBE, Japan - People observe a moment of silence at a park in Kobe, western Japan, at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2015, the time the Great Hanshin Earthquake occurred, on the 20th anniversary of the disaster, which devastated the port city and its surrounding areas and claimed the lives of 6,434 people. (Kyodo)

16th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

16th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

KOBE, Japan - People commemorate the 16th anniversary of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake at 5:46 a.m., the time the quake struck the area, by lighting lanterns in the western Japan port city of Kobe on Jan. 17, 2011. The disaster claimed the lives of 6,434 and imposed many challenges still remaining in the region. (Kyodo)

16th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

16th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

NISHINOMIYA, Japan - People offer a silent prayer around a clock stopped at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17, 1995, the time the Great Hanshin Earthquake struck the area, in the western Japanese city of Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, on the morning of Jan. 17, 2011, the 16th anniversary of the disaster. The quake claimed the lives of 6,434 and imposed many challenges still remaining in the region. (Kyodo)

Kobe, vicinity mark 15th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

Kobe, vicinity mark 15th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

KOBE, Japan - People offer silent prayers on the 15th anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake in a park located in the center of Kobe at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2010, the same time that the western Japan port city and neighboring areas were hit by a devastating earthquake in 1995. (Kyodo)

17th anniv. of Great Hanshin quake in Japan

17th anniv. of Great Hanshin quake in Japan

NISHINOMIYA, Japan - People observe a moment of silence in front of a clock which was stopped by the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake, in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, in western Japan, at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2012, the exact time the quake struck the area 17 years ago. (Kyodo)

17th anniv. of Great Hanshin quake in Japan

17th anniv. of Great Hanshin quake in Japan

ISHINOMAKI, Japan - People in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, in northeastern Japan, the area hit hardest by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, observe a moment of silence to commemorate the victims of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2012, the exact time the quake hit western Japan 17 years ago. (Kyodo)

24th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

24th anniversary of Great Hanshin Earthquake

People observe a moment of silence at 5:46 a.m. in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, on Jan. 17, 2019, next to a clock that stopped at the moment the magnitude 7.3 earthquake hit Kobe and its vicinity 24 years ago. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

25th anniversary of Kobe quake

25th anniversary of Kobe quake

People observe a moment of silence in Kobe at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2020, the exact time when a deadly earthquake struck 25 years ago. The quake damaged the western Japan city and its vicinity, and killed more than 6,000 people. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo