KOBE -- The people of the Kobe area on Thursday marked the seventh anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, which resulted in the loss of more than 6,400 lives and left tens of thousands homeless.
People holding candles celebrate a memorial Mass Thursday morning at Takatori Catholic Church in Nagata Ward, Kobe, in memory of the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995.Although it is difficult to find visible reminders of the disaster, some survivors and local businesses are still struggling. Residents have also expressed concern that memories of the tragedy are fading.