Kobe Luminarie, Spectacular Light Festival Held in Memory of Great Hanshin Quake Victims, Begins

A crowd is seen at Meriken Park, the main venue of Kobe Luminarie, an annual festival held in memory of the victims of the Great Hanshin Earthquake, which began on Friday in Kobe. About 400,000 lightbulbs are illuminating the city for the event, which dates back to December 1995, the same year as the earthquake on Jan. 17. The event was originally planned as a one-off event, but it has been held every year because of locals’ wishes, becoming a symbol of the reconstruction. This year, the event will be held until Feb. 2.