A ceremony was held to celebrate people turning 20 years old in Kobe on Monday ahead of the 30th anniversary on Friday of a powerful earthquake that struck the western Japan area.
"People in Kobe have overcome challenges (from the earthquake) by helping and encouraging each other," Mayor Kizo Hisamoto said in a speech at the ceremony.
"I hope you will continue to contribute to communities while receiving help from people around you," Hisamoto told the 20-year-olds.
A minute of silence was observed for the victims of the Jan. 17, 1995, earthquake.
Yuto Koyama, a 20-year-old student at Kobe Gakuin University, said, "I became interested in crime and disaster prevention after learning about the tragedy of earthquakes and the suffering of victims through my grandmother and school classes."
Koyama, who participated in the ceremony as a staff member, said he grew up hearing from his grandmother that his great-grandfather, who ran a public bath, was injured in the earthquake.
"I want to be a public servant who can help people in need and be relied on," he said.
Although the legal age of adulthood in Japan was lowered from 20 to 18 in 2022, many local governments continue hosting ceremonies for 20-year-olds around the Coming-of-Age Day, which was on Monday this year.
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