Residents of Kobe and surrounding areas offered prayers for the 6,433 victims of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake on Friday, the eighth anniversary of the disaster.
The Kobe Municipal Government and citizens' groups held a memorial event at a Chuo Ward park and lit 6,433 candles in remembrance of the victims at the time the magnitude 7.3 quake devastated Hyogo Prefecture and other areas Jan. 17, 1995.
"Completing full reconstruction from the disaster as soon as possible is the only way to serve the victims," Kobe Mayor Tatsuo Yada said.
In the prefectural office, Hyogo Gov. Toshizo Ido and other local officials offered silent prayers for the victims.