On January 17, 1995 at 5:46 am, the city of Kobe was hit by the Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake, resulting in the death of more than 5000 people and the destruction of tens of thousands of homes.
The Earthquake Memorial Museum, part of the Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution (人と防災未来センター, Hito to Bōsai Mirai Center), was opened in 2002 to commemorate the tragic event and to educate visitors about earthquakes and disaster prevention. The museum includes a large screen theater with realistic images of the earthquake's destructiveness, a documentary film about the recovery process, lots of information about the earthquake and various interactive games about disaster prevention.
Access
The Earthquake Museum is located in HAT Kobe, a relatively new city district east of the city center. It can be reached in a ten minute walk from Iwaya Station on the Hanshin Main Line (4 minutes, 150 yen from Sannomiya Station) or in a 15 minute walk from Nada Station on the JR Kobe Line (3 minutes, 130 yen from Sannomiya Station).
The Earthquake Museum is also just a few steps from the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art.
Hours and Fees
Hours
Closed
December 31 and January 1
Admission
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Links and Resources
Hotels around Kobe
