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1990s in Japan Subsection: The Great Hanshin Earthquake

Note: This section cannot be a large part of the total article as it is already a relatively short article and even more important evens occurred in this time period. However, I felt as if this section is a necessary addition to the article and will make the article be much stronger than it currently is.

The Great Hanshin Earthquake, which occurred on January 17, 1995, in the southern part of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, was a devastating event. It measured 6.9 on the moment magnitude scale and had a maximum intensity of 7 on the JMA Seismic Intensity Scale. The earthquake resulted in approximately 6,434 deaths, with Kobe being the most severely affected city.

The quake was an "inland shallow earthquake" caused by the movement along active faults, notably the Nojima Fault on Awaji and the Suma and Suwayama faults in Kobe. It lasted for 20 seconds, causing significant damage, including destroying nearly 400,000 buildings, elevated road and rail bridges, and port quays. Approximately 300 fires were triggered, and water, electricity, and gas supply disruptions were widespread.

The majority of the casualties occurred in Hyōgo Prefecture, with over 4,000 deaths. Structural damage was severe, with one in five uninhabitable buildings in the worst-hit areas. The earthquake also profoundly impacted transportation infrastructure, with elevated expressways and railways sustaining substantial damage.

The earthquake prompted a reassessment of building codes and construction practices. Despite initial beliefs that collapsed structures were negligently constructed, it was later revealed that many complied with the building codes of the 1960s, which were later found to be inadequate. The damage highlighted the vulnerability of certain construction methods, particularly those predating the 1981 building code revision.

The earthquake caused subsidence in artificial islands, such as Rokkō Island and Port Island in Kobe, due to liquefaction. Notably, the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge, under construction near the epicenter, was undamaged but experienced horizontal displacement.

In the aftermath, there were extensive efforts to repair and rebuild infrastructure, with the Kobe Municipal Subway resuming operations a day after the earthquake. The earthquake had a lasting impact on seismic regulations and disaster preparedness in Japan.

References:

Chang, S. E., & Nojima, N. (2001). Measuring post-disaster transportation system performance: the 1995 Kobe earthquake in comparative perspective. Transportation research part A: policy and practice, 35(6), 475-494.

Zhao, D., & Negishi, H. (1998). The 1995 Kobe earthquake: seismic image of the source zone and its implications for the rupture nucleation. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 103(B5), 9967-9986.

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2023, September 1). Kōbe earthquake of 1995. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Kobe-earthquake-of-1995

Ghasemi, H. (n.d.). Aftermath of the Kobe earthquake. Aftermath of The Kobe Earthquake | FHWA. https://highways.dot.gov/public-roads/fall-1996/aftermath-kobe-earthquake

Muguruma, H., Nishiyama, M., & Watanabe, F. (1995). Lessons learned from the Kobe earthquake—A Japanese perspective. Pci Journal, 40(4), 28-42.

Sawada, Y., & Shimizutani, S. (2008). How do people cope with natural disasters? Evidence from the Great Hanshin‐Awaji (Kobe) earthquake in 1995. Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, 40(2‐3), 463-488.