Kobe after the Earthquake

The day of celebration

Early Last March, in the Higashinada area, the celebration "Danjiri" happened. This carnival is a regular event in the Higashinada area but last year was canceled because of the earthquake. This year, everybody wanted to have the celebration again to pray to god for the revival of Kobe. At one of the Danjiri (like a big Mikoshi = moving shrine), they had a small bouquet on it.

Designed to pray for the spirit of dead friends. Danjiri is very heavy and the people push or pull to move it all around the Higashinada area. Some guys climb up to the top and dance. Drum and cymbals are played inside and one or two guys are in there to make the sounds. Several areas of the town each has their own Danjiri and it's like a competition of heros. Town of flat areas have no problem to push and pull it. At mountainous areas of town, it's tuff. One time per year, people who lives in different areas are joined by this carnival to make their communications more tight.

Hopefully, god gives them big help. Person who live in other prefectures, do not understand the situation. Not all but..... Newspapers are not exposing what is going on in Kobe. This is to let you see what happens when a modern town gets damaged by earthquake or other disasters. This is a serious example for the future.

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