Thirty years on: remembering the Great Hanshin Earthquake

A separate ceremony is planned by Hyogo Prefecture, with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako expected to attend. The Kobe quake injured about 43,800 people and damaged or destroyed roughly 640,000 homes. As many as 310,000 people sought refuge in emergency shelters after the quake, and criticism of the government's initially slow response has spurred efforts to strengthen crisis management over the years. People were shocked by TV images of the 1995 devastation, including a collapsed highway. Post-quake fires also destroyed 7,574 buildings. Drawing on lessons from the quake, the government has implemented measures to improve disaster response, including establishing a crisis management center at the prime minister's office. The quake prompted enactment of a law to provide post-disaster assistance to affected residents and spurred the widespread adoption of earthquake insurance.

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He captured scenes of rising smoke, caved-in roads, and displaced residents wandering without direction. Despite facing criticism for filming during the disaster, Matsuzaki believed it was essential to record the damage for future recovery efforts. Matsuzaki's footage reveals the chaos and human resilience amidst the destruction. People waited to use phones, traffic was self-directed by drivers, and flames engulfed areas filled with chemical factories. Water shortages hindered firefighting, and entire neighborhoods were devastated. He documented these events until late at night, capturing over 15 hours of footage that contrasted starkly with the aerial views shown on television, focusing instead on the lives of those directly affected. The earthquake overwhelmed the city's resources, with insufficient emergency services and widespread infrastructure collapse. Matsuzaki's recordings highlight the struggles of evacuees, the slow arrival of external assistance, and the dangers posed by collapsing buildings and spreading fires. Emergency vehicles faced severe traffic congestion, delaying critical aid for hours. By evening, areas he had walked through earlier were consumed by flames.

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