Jan. 17 marked 27 years since the Great Hanshin Earthquake. In recent years, there has been a spate of significant earthquakes in various parts of Japan. It is vital to reflect again on the lessons learned from the massive earthquake that claimed the lives of 6,434 people and use them in future measures.
A disaster recovery fund that had helped people affected by the earthquake, an organization established by the Hyogo prefectural government and the Kobe municipal government three months after the disaster, was dissolved last summer. Up to then, the fund had spent about 370 billion yen, including investment proceeds, to help the elderly rebuild their houses and the needy become independent.
The dissolution of the fund may mean that the organization had expended its funds and played a certain role.
