The Hyogo Prefectural Government held the "creative reconstruction summit" on Saturday, as this year marks the 30th anniversary of a devastating earthquake that hit Kobe and surrounding areas in January 1995.
Participants, including the governors of prefectures that have experienced major natural disasters, adopted the "Hyogo Declaration," aimed at transmitting the philosophy of "creative reconstruction," which calls for building a better society than before disasters.
They highlighted the importance of passing down disaster experiences and lessons to future generations. The meeting took place in Kobe.
Community bonds are very important for the promotion of postdisaster reconstruction, the declaration said, calling on disaster-hit areas to create new values by making use of their characteristics and resources.
"We shared the view that support for the maintenance of communities is most important," Hyogo Gov. Motohiko Saito told a news conference.
The meeting introduced reconstruction efforts in areas damaged by large-scale disasters, such as the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan and the April 2016 earthquakes in Kumamoto Prefecture.
Ishikawa Gov. Hiroshi Hase stressed the importance of measures to prevent disaster victims from becoming isolated, following the January 2024 earthquake in the Noto Peninsula in his prefecture.
Participants in the meeting also included Kumamoto Gov. Takashi Kimura and Kobe Mayor Kizo Hisamoto.
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