Nearly 5,000 runners from Japan and around the world took part in a marathon Sunday in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, to focus attention on the area's nearly complete recovery from the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake.
The Koshien Nishinomiya International Marathon started off with a speech from Nishinomiya Mayor Satoru Yamada, who said he wanted runners to see how the rebuilt city looks nearly seven years after the devastating quake ravaged the region.
Marathoner Yuko Arimori, the silver medalist at the Barcelona Olympics, was also on hand to mark the event and even participated in a relay run by elementary school students.
The course started at Koshien Stadium and wound through the city and by public housing facilities built for those rendered homeless by the quake.
The event was held to express appreciation for those who supported the revival operation, and officials also hoped it would augment a tourism campaign promoting the Hanshin-Awaji region.
Satsuko Suzuki, a 61-year-old runner from Tokyo, said she was surprised the city had rebounded so well and that there were hardly any signs of the earthquake.