Group to support communities devastated by the Great Hanshin and Awaji Earthquake

Mikuradori 5-chome, Nagata ward, Kobe City 653-0014
Tel 078-578-1100
Fax 078-576-7961
Email：m-comi@bj.wakwak.com
HP:http://park15.wakwak.com/~m-comi

Machi-Communication■ What is Machi-Communication?
The Great Hanshin and Awaji Earthquake occurred on January 17, 1995, and about 80% area of Mikuradori 5-chome and 6-chome in Nagata ward, Kobe City was burnt down.
Machi-Communication (M-COMI) was established in April 1996. Two volunteers rushed to the devastated area from Kanto just after the earthquake. While developing support activities, they began tohelp with the office work of the Mikuradori 5-chome and 6-chome Community Creation Association in October 1995. They participated in the preparation of the joint memorial service for the victims in
Misuga District in January 1996, helping with communications and coordination to hold the service. Through these activities, they noticed that the residents needed to return to their communities.
Subsequently, they established M-COMI to provide continuous support for the communities. Most original members of this group, including the representative, have now been replaced, but the group has
continued to provide intellectual and physical support for the communities.
■ History
Machi-Comi
Machi-Comi, theResearch and studies
Support for the Mikuradori 5, 6, andJanuary 1996
onthewebmonthly newsletter
The first memorial service for the earthquake victims in
7-chome Community Creation
M-COMI conducts research and studies
Misuga District was held (held annually up to the present)Thisnewsletter
hasbeen
M-COMIhas
establishedaAssociation and the residents’on vacant lots in the devastated areas andpublished once a month
web site to provide people
April 1996
association
seeks to find means of utilizing them. The
Machi-Communication, a group to support communities
since July 1997 to provide
with information on thisresults are reported in a monthly
M-COMI supports these associations bydevastated by the Great Hanshin and Awaji Earthquake wasinformation on activities bygroup and the creation of theestablished.
newsletter “Machi-Comi (M-COMI).”keeping records of the meetings, holding
M-COMI, the conditions oflocal community. Please
events, and promoting the implementation ofprojects.
Main actual results• Joint memorial service for the earthquake
victims in Misuga District• Kawachi-ondo Summer Festival• Acceptance of students on school trips• Coordination concerning the constructionof the Mikuradori 5, 6, and 7-chome
Residents’ Association Hall
• Holding a photo-exhibition entitled“Present and Past, Eight years after theEarthquake – Photo exhibition of thecommunity”• Creation of local karuta (a card game)“Misuga karuta” and the holding of a karuta
festival and an exhibition of the original
pictures

In partnership with Le Fauve, an NPO,
events were held two times on a vacant
lot in 2003 and 2004. The events werecalled the “Vacant Earth Exhibition,” inwhich art works were exhibited on thevacant lots.

the Mikura community, andthe creation of thecommunity.

access this site.
http: //park15.wakwak.com/~m-comi

StaffsRepresentative: Akira Miyasada
Advisors: Yasuzo Tanaka(Hyogo Shokai Co., Ltd.)
Katsuhiro Endo (JapanSecurities Agents, Ltd.)
Full-time staff: 2
Voluntary staff: 10
Executives (Scientists, experts): 9

Holding workshops and accepting trainees
Workshops called the Mikura School have been held to study
earthquake disasters and the recreation of communities. The
first workshop was held in August 1997 and since then it has
been held twice a year. In addition, training has been provided
to university students and other people who want to study theseissues.

Main actual results

Support for community creation otherthan the Mikura District
M-COMI has also developed community
creation activities other than the Mikuradori 5,6, and 7-chome area.
Main actual results• Creation of a video in which hearing people’s
experiences during the earthquake disaster inShonai District, Toyonaka City were recorded• Support for the creation of a local karuta inAshiya City
• Support for the opening of the community
creation association hall in Higashiosaka City

• July 24, 2004: Osaka University• July 31, 2004: Kainan City Junior Chamber• August 23, 2004: People and Disaster Prevention FutureCenter• August 25, 2004: JICA (Indonesia)• August 26, 2004: PTA of Tokushima High School

Coordination of cooperative housing project began.
August 1996
Kawachi-ondo Summer Festival was held (continued up tothe present).
August 1997
The Mikura School first workshop was held (heldsemiannually up to the present).
January 2000
The completion ceremony for Mikura 5, a cooperative
housing project, was held.
March 2000
M-COMI and local residents visited an earthquake
devastated area in Taiwan. (subsequently visited twice).
May 2001
Acceptance of students on their school trip began in order toprovide opportunities for the study of earthquake disasters.
January 2003
A photo-exhibition entitled “Present and Past, Eight years
after the Earthquake − Photo exhibition of the community”
was held.
The Minister’s Prize of the 7th Disaster Prevention andCommunication Creation Grand Prix (Ministry of InternalAffairs and Communications) was awarded.
August 2003
The Mikura Week Vacant Earth Exhibition was held torevitalize vacant lots.
September 2003
The Prime Minister’s Prize for Disaster Prevention wasawarded.
December 2003
Mikura karuta, a local karuta, was completed.
January 2004
The Mikuradori 5, 6, and 7-chome Residents’ Association
Hall was completed.
September 2004
The production of a magazine for the restoration of theMikuradori 5, 6, and 7-chome area began.