Five Kobe shop owners have opened a supermarket in a brand-new two-story building in Nagata Ward, replacing a temporary market they set up only four months after the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake.
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| Drums and balloons attend the opening ceremony of Ajisaikan Sugahara. |
The five are among the 22 shop owners who used to operate within Sugahara Ichiba, a local market dating back to 1920 that was razed by a blaze triggered by the quake. Many of the former shop owners have since given up their businesses due to old age.
When the temporary market emerged in the quake's aftermath, it was seen as a symbol of the city's recovery from the disaster.
The opening of Ajisaikan Sugahara, as the new market is dubbed, also received a warm welcome, with more than 300 people lining up before its opening at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
"I've been coming to this market for nearly 20 years and I hope the opening of this new supermarket helps revitalize the area," said Kazumi Kiyama, 66, who lives in the neighborhood.
"The business climate is severe but we're confident of the quality of our products," said Masanobu Karasaki, 57, who heads the Sugahara Ichiba cooperative association. "We'd like to make this shop convenient for people in this area."