The city of Kobe and surrounding areas on Tuesday marked the anniversary of the magnitude-7.3 earthquake that killed more than 6,400 people 22 years ago.
A moment of silence was observed at 5:46 a.m., the time when the temblor hit the city on Jan. 17, 1995. Families of victims vowed to keep the memory of the Great Hanshin Earthquake alive for future generations.
People affected by the massive Tohoku quake-tsunami disaster in March 2011 and the major earthquakes in Kumamoto Prefecture last April joined in prayers for the victims.