KOBE -- This city marked the sixth anniversary of the earthquake that resulted in the loss of 6,432 lives with prayers and remembrance services Wednesday, but also with a sense that the temblor is fading into history and that the recovery is almost complete.
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At a ceremony in Chuo Ward, Hyogo Gov. Toshitami Kaihara said, "I believe that handing down what we have learned from the aftermath of the great quake to future generations and rebuilding a beautiful Kobe populated by people with hearts of gold is the only way to honor those who died."