KOBE -- A dozen years after the Great Hanshin Earthquake, debate is growing over how best to remember the disaster and its aftermath in a city where only 70 percent of current residents were here when the temblor struck.
Since the first anniversary of the 1995 earthquake that resulted in the loss of 6,434 lives and left nearly 44,000 people injured, the Hyogo Prefectural Government and Kobe Municipal Government have sponsored annual memorial services for relatives of those who died. For the first few years, attendees at the prefectural government's lavish events included members of the Imperial family, the prime minister and Cabinet ministers.
Over the past few years, as most residents moved on with their lives, there have been growing calls to cut back on the official ceremonies.