The Hanshin-Awaji earthquake was a catastrophe which claimed over 6,300 precious lives. It is true that the earthquake was enormous and surpassed all imagination, but it has been pointed out that in the disaster area, people had scant knowledge or awareness about earthquakes.
Though we hope that scientific research will allow the early establishment of an earthquake prediction system, at the present time this is not a likely probability.
As we live in a land of frequent earthquakes, it is our duty to make the most of the important lessons learned from the large-scale earthquakes of the past, and minimize the damage from earthquakes which could strike anytime, anywhere.
If earthquake preparations are to be effective, the national and local governments must of course play their part; and each individual resident must arm himself with accurate knowledge about earthquakes, and be ready to take the necessary actions when an earthquake strikes.
We have said a lot about preparations for earthquakes and what to do after the earthquake. To minimize the damage caused by an earthquake, we need to participate in the anti-disaster drills held in each region, and obtain accurate knowledge about disaster prevention, learn how to act in a disaster, and increase communication with our neighbours by, for example, organizing independent disaster-prevention groups.
We need to prepare with self-confidence for an earthquake, and in order to minimize the damage caused by it, we must face up to the earthquakes with originality and ingenuity.
