As Japan marks Kobe quake anniversary, fears of another major disaster mount

Tremors in the Nankai Trough, south of Kobe, have increased recently as seismologists flag higher risks of a major quake in the area

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People mark the 30th anniversary of the 1995 “Great Hanshin Earthquake” in Kobe on Friday. Photo: AFP

Published: 3:00pm, 18 Jan 2025

As the Japanese city of Kobe marked the 30th anniversary of a deadly earthquake on Friday, a series of recent tremors off the country’s central region has triggered fears that another major quake may be imminent.

On January 17, 1995, an earthquake of magnitude 7.3 devastated large parts of central Japan and caused the deaths of 6,434 people.

In Kobe, residents observed a moment of silence at 5.46am – the moment the quake struck – and placed lanterns in a park spelling out 1.17, the date of the tragedy.

“We will continue on our way to the new era, keeping in mind memories and remembering the grief,” Kobe Mayor Kizo Hashimoto said at a commemorative event.

On Wednesday, a panel of experts set up to advise the government on risks associated with natural disasters updated its estimate of the threat posed by a major earthquake in the Nankai Trough, a 900km (560 miles) fault beneath the seabed off southern Japan, running from southern Kyushu to near Mount Fuji.

The panel’s previous assessment was that there was a 70 per cent to 80 per cent risk of a quake in the trough with a magnitude of up to 9 within the next 30 years. The panel’s latest estimate of the risk is 80 per cent.