The earthquake centered around Awaji Island, near the city of Kobe. It measured 7.3 on the Richter Scale, the biggest quake to hit Japan since World War II. Though a great earthquake could theoretically occur in any part of Japan, and scientists had warned of the possiblity of earthquakes in the Kansai region, citizens and local goverment tended to be unaware of this possibility 10 years ago. The death and destruction caused by the quake gave a serious shock to the city's residents. One story of the Kobe city hall was totally destroyed, and a part of Meishin Highway between Nagoya and Kobe was ripped apart; a bus barely avoided falling from the broken highway. Engineers buttressed vulnerable city structures throughout Japan after the earthquake. Research revealed that architecture designed under national earthquake-proof standards had survived the earthquake. Many old buildings were rebuilt, reconstructed, or given structual support. Vulnerable city infrastructure was also attended to; in some areas water and fuel supply had been disrupted for over two months. Many municipalities reviewed their standards for civil engineering design. The earthquake also revealed systematic vulnerability within the Japanese government. The prime minister at that time, Tomiichi Murayama, first learned of the earthquake from a TV news program two hours later, and not from a goverment report. He called his secretary, who also knew nothing of it. The government improved these weaknesses, and in the case of the Chuetsu Earthquake in October 2004, the prime minister's office was able to quickly deal with the accident.
The earthquake centered around Awaji Island, near the city of Kobe. It measured 7.3 on the Richter Scale, the biggest quake to hit Japan since World War II. Though a great earthquake could theoretically occur in any part of Japan, and scientists had warned of the possibility of earthquakes in the Kansai region, citizens and local government tended to be unaware of this possibility 10 years ago. The death and destruction caused by the quake gave a serious shock to the city's residents. One story of the Kobe city hall was totally destroyed, and a part of Meishin Highway between Nagoya and Kobe was ripped apart; a bus barely avoided falling from the broken highway. Engineers buttressed vulnerable city structures throughout Japan after the earthquake. Research revealed that architecture designed under national earthquake-proof standards had survived the earthquake. Many old buildings were rebuilt, reconstructed, or given structual support. Vulnerable city infrastructure was also attended to; in some areas water and fuel supply had been disrupted for over two months. Many municipalities reviewed their standards for civil engineering design. The earthquake also revealed systematic vulnerability within the Japanese government. The prime minister at that time, Tomiichi Murayama, first learned of the earthquake from a TV news program two hours later, and not from a government report. He called his secretary, who also knew nothing of it. The government improved these weaknesses, and in the case of the Chuetsu Earthquake in October 2004, the prime minister's office was able to quickly deal with the accident.
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