Kobe Earthquake Memorial Museum: Shaking is a Part of Life in Japan

 Located along the waterfront in a newly developed district east of Kobe's center, the Kobe Earthquake Memorial Museum opened in 2002 to commemorate the event and educate visitors about earthquakes and preparedness and disaster prevention.

 The building itself is quite attractive and I understand it is built to be very earthquake-proof, despite all that glass.

In case you don't know or don't remember, on January 17, 1995, at 5:46 AM, Kobe was hit by the Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake, a 6.8-magnitude quake only 20-km away from the city. It caused massive destruction, with 22% of buildings in Kobe destroyed, most train lines out of commission, and 1 km of the elevated freeway having collapsed.

This earthquake was about the same as the Northridge earthquake in intensity and proximity, but due to older building techniques on many of the structures in town, Kobe suffered much more. 150,000 buildings were destroyed and over 6000 people were killed. Electricity, transportation, water, and pretty much everything else was cut off to the city and many of the surrounding suburbs.

 Your tour of the museum starts with a video recreation of the earthquake. You'll see images of what it was really like to live through that event. I've been through the slightly-stronger Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989, and I know what it felt like. And while I remembered a bit of what I had seen in America after the earthquake, I originally thought the video was being overly dramatic, similar to a movie that might be found on a cable TV network or sold as straight-to-DVD.

But after the video and a walk through a simulated Kobe street right after the quake, you enter the main display area of the museum. And it is full of artifacts and photos from Kobe. I was really surprised seeing some of the photos of real destruction, exactly like I had seen in the movie. That's when you realize that the destruction from this earthquake was so much worse than the one I had experienced in California.

 You can stop at one of the dozens of information screens throughout the area, too. Sometimes these have testimonials or video footage. Others teach about preparedness. One theme I found throughout the museum is the need to be prepared for self-sufficiency after an earthquake. Without gas, electricity, or water, no means of transportation, crowded emergency rooms and a lack of support due to limited manpower, the communities worked together to provide for each other and help people survive. And this togetherness continues on today, helping elderly people and children (including 68 orphans and 332 children who lost one parent) left alone or afraid after the quake, and unable to function.

Despite the sadness of the event, the museum serves to tell a positive story: preparedness and togetherness help save lives. And while the museum can be moving at times, it helps those who have never experienced a major earthquake really get a feel for what it is like - and I don't mean the shaking itself. I found myself frequently reflecting back on my experiences in California and what I would do - or just be able to do - if I experienced another major earthquake.

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The museum is open 9:30-17:30 or later (closed Mondays), but you have to arrive one hour before closing (and at a minimum it will probably take you that long to watch the movie and explore the museum). English language is decent, and there are tons of guides on hand to answer any questions you have. Admission is 600 yen. You can get to the Earthquake Museum from Iwaya Station on the Hanshin Line, a 10 minute walk away. There are several large buildings in this area, some with shopping and entertainment options, others with offices.

The Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art is a couple buildings down, which I wish I had been able to visit. It, too, opened as part of the rebuilding efforts in Kobe and is a very large contemporary and modern art museum.

And after all that, I think it's time for something really upbeat. Maybe you've seen this - it's been out a year. And it has over 100 million views. But it's still fun.

Location: Kanto Earthquake Memorial Museum

September 1, 1923 was a horrible day in Tokyo's history. Just before noon, a massive earthquake struck the area and destroyed many of the buildings. And like the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, fires ravaged the remaining buildings, driving people from their homes to find any open spaces they could find.

One of those spaces was a small block that formerly held the Army Clothing Depot. Tens of thousands took shelter here after the earthquake, but a firestorm killed 38,000 in this small block alone! As such, it was chosen as the site of a memorial to the victims of the quake - almost 100,000 in all.

 The pagoda was built in 1930, in a traditional Buddhist style.

 There is a pagoda on the back side.

 The inside has a large space for services and remembrance.

 Below is the memorial to victims of the World War II air raid bombings, remembering the more than 100,000 people who died.

 There are other memorials scattered throughout the park.

 There is a nice memorial garden with a small stream and a peaceful walking path.

 Next to the museum is an impressive collection of equipment damaged by the earthquake and fires.

 This is all that remains of a burnt car - the engine, frame, and axles.

 Any idea what this is? How about a bunch of nails, melted into one big mass from the fires.

 Here is the museum itself; the outdoor "sculpture garden" created by the earthquake sits to the left.

 There are two floors to the museum. The bottom floor holds artifacts and exhibits relating to the quake. There are damaged items, such as the bicycle above, and other broken household goods. There are also several maps and displays to educate visitors about the earthquake. Almost everything is in Japanese, but there is an English pamphlet available.

 Upstairs, you'll find artwork relating to the disaster, collected from all over the world. Also on this floor are several city layouts, presumably showing what the city was like before the quake.

 Hrm. That car is driving on the right side of the road. They drive on the left side in Japan.

 This other street scene shows a couple streetcars and another car driving on the wrong side of the road...

 but looking to the right a bit shows that this particular street must be one-way. There's a nice residential area on top of that walled hill.

And here is an industrial area.

The museum has a nice collection of materials, but certainly feels dusty and old. Children wouldn't be interested as there isn't anything to do; older children might enjoy looking at the models seen above. While it doesn't have the new, clean feel many museums have, it holds an important part of Tokyo's history. Admission is free, and a visit could be a quick addition before or after a visit to the Edo Tokyo Museum and Sumo Wrestling Stadium and Museum nearby.

The memorial and museum are located in Yokoamicho Park, reached by a short walk from JR Ryogoku Station. Use the exit for the sumo stadium, and make a right. Follow the road, with the sumo stadium on your right, for two full blocks. Make a right at that light (the hospital should be on your left after you turn), and you should soon be able to see the pagoda. If you arrive at Ryogoku Station via the subway, just head north down the main street (away from the elevated JR tracks) a couple blocks to the park. Free admission, open generally 9:00-4:30 except Mondays.

White Day/Shake, Rattle and Roll

Today is a special day for ladies here in Japan. One month after Valentine's Day, Japan celebrates White Day. No, it isn't a sale on bed sheets at Macy's. White Day is when men give women gifts in return for gifts received on Valentine's Day. Many students bring gifts for one or both of the days for us teachers (shared with everyone of course) and I brought a box of chocolates. I probably didn't bring enough, but I can't afford much else now. I think I'll add to the pile once I get paid next month. Maybe I will pick up some of those cream puffs everybody loves!

Meanwhile, right around 9pm, we had a pretty big earthquake/aftershock. The nearby quake was reported as 5.7 by the USGS, though the local news called it a 6.1. It was the biggest earthquake to come from Chiba since the March 11 quake. There were also a couple stronger quakes up to the north. I was surprised that nothing fell off the shelves in my apartment, as I had given no concern to earthquakes when I placed stuff. I guess it just comes naturally? Anyway, everyone's fine although the news said there was some minor(?) damage in the Chiba area.

Hey, there's stand up comedy on TV. In Japanese. I didn't know Japan had stand up comedy. If only it was in English!

Good morning!

It's February 29. A day that happens only once every four years.

So at 2AM, the earthquake alert goes off on my phone. Happy leap day!

And then, I open my window to see what you see in the picture. It's snowing. In what should be March. Woohoo!

My First (Practice) Adult Lesson

This post was written Tuesday evening.

I taught my first adult lesson today. Unlike the kids lesson, where I felt unprepared and I feel like I bumbled through many parts of it, I remembered most of the structure and points to note. I think I hit every step needed, and there were only a few points the trainer brought up I needed to address. I still need to relax! I’m not sure how I can address this problem, because no matter how many times I tell myself to relax, I still get anxious and it’s debilitating at times. The rest of my problems were minor, but I’ll certainly make a point to work on them.

We also practiced interviewing prospective students today, and while I did much better the second time through, I still don’t feel certain of my skills in this area. I’ll have to practice this more once I reach my school. Speaking of which: in one week, I will be working in the actual school! I visit the school on Monday, but I think most of the time will be spent greeting the staff and other teachers, moving my luggage to my apartment, and applying for my resident alien card and completing other paperwork. I won’t be teaching the first few days, either. The teacher I’m replacing will probably teach next week (at least some of the lessons; I’ll find out soon!) and I will be introduced to each class and start preparing for real teaching!

On a side note, we had a decent earthquake this morning (maybe a 3 or 4? I can’t look it up while writing this post, though I might remember to check once I reach the internet cafe). Nothing was damaged or even fell. I’ve mentioned there is a large amount of construction going on in the building behind us, and that tends to shake the ground pretty violently, but I was able to identify the shaking as an earthquake pretty quickly. Nobody panicked (remember, most of us have been in Japan or at least earthquake-prone areas).

I’ve not put much thought into what I’m going to do next weekend. I hope to meet up with Elizabeth and Eiji, but if that doesn’t happen I have several options worth exploring within my current budget. I’ll need to repack my bags, which I’m not looking forward to! I haven’t accumulated much extra weight, but it was a challenge getting everything properly organized the first time. Meanwhile, I’m off towards the train station to post this and my other topics to the blog, and I can grab a bite to eat as its 8pm, which means dinner time! I’m thinking curry! That stuff was awesome.