On Jan. 17, 1995, as the Great Hanshin Earthquake ravaged Kobe, a baby named Mitsuaki Gatayama entered the world.

Mitsuaki was given his name — which means “to illuminate brightly” — by his parents whose wish is for him to brighten up the lives of the people in Kobe.

Thirty years later, he still carries that hope in his heart and lives with a constant smile on his face.