Surviving the Aftermath: Water Shortages and Sanitation Crisis Following the Great Hanshin Earthquake

What was FRIDAY reporting 10, 20, or 30 years ago? In [Playback Friday], we revisit the topics that were making headlines at the time. This time, we look back at the events surrounding the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, which reached its 30th anniversary on January 17. We’ll highlight some of the coverage from the February 7, 1995 special edition, “Emergency Special Edition: Kansai Earthquake” (Note: The name “Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake” was officially decided by the Cabinet on February 14, 1995).

On January 17, 1995, at 5:46 a.m., a magnitude 7.3 inland earthquake struck a wide area of the Kinki region, centered around Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture. Over 310,000 people were displaced as a result of the disaster, making this the first post-war event of its kind.

There was no water! People flocked to water trucks ahead of others

“There’s just too little information. I have no idea where to go for water distribution or where to inquire about missing persons. It’s impossible to find out anything,” said a young man seeking refuge at Wakana Elementary School in central Kobe. He was clearly frustrated with the slow response of local authorities to the needs of the disaster victims.

For those who had fled to shelters, the most urgent issue was water. At Wakana Elementary School, for example, it wasn’t until the third morning after the earthquake that the Self-Defense Forces’ water trucks arrived, and they came only twice. At times, scuffles broke out between the people rushing toward the trucks and the Self-Defense Force personnel.

At Nagata Ward Office, the only water distributed as part of the food supply was oolong tea, and each person was given just one bottle. Even when drinking water started to be distributed, it was common to wait 2 to 3 hours in line before finally receiving it. On the other hand, there were areas like Port Island, where drinking water was distributed in abundance. The uneven distribution of aid appeared to be influenced, at least in part, by road conditions, resulting in significant disparities in the assistance provided across different regions.