Many shocked by delays in reconstruction of quake-hit area

On the 8th anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, many people were surprised to witness damage left by the earthquake still remaining in Nagata Ward, Kobe City.

About 80 participants in the "Nagata Walking Tour on the 8th Anniversary," which was organized by a local group, on January 17 visited areas with many collapsed houses, temporary stores, and buildings with cracks in Nagata Ward.

In another district, the walkers saw many vacant lots as part of a land readjustment project. The local government confiscated residents' land to widen streets and parks but has not paid them money in compensation to help them move and build a new house.

A volunteer tour guide explained to the participants that the population of the district has decreased by 30 percent over the last eight years and that most of the current residents moved in from other cities.

One of the tour participants said she was irritated by the central governmentﾕs failure to help the collapsed town rebuild while planning to use tax money to build a new airport in Kobe City. (end)