Today 15,000 families lives in the public housing that made for the victims after the Earthquake. At these housing, old people has large percentage of the tenants.

Asahi-shinbun newspaper publishes this news at 7th January. Today's problem is lonely death. At last year, least 42 people has dead in their house. 25 of them were more than 65 years old who dead alone or suicide   in their public housing alone. That percentage of the lonely death or suicide at the public housing in Kobe disaster stricken area are 1.5 times more than other normal area. Because 220 of old persons were dead alone or suicide at entire Kobe-city except public housing which build to revival. This mean 32 per 10,000 people and 47 per 10,000 at the public housing. Then public housing has 1.5 times more percentage to death alone or suicide.

These public housings are good modern building. But each tenant rooms has completely separated each. Then the old people missing the local communication and feels alone.

At one of the case, 64 years old man found as dead 2 weeks after of his death when middle of July 2000. One lady who lives same floor says "We had no conversation. I think we had good relation when we live in the temporary houses". Another tenant person said "I did not see the person who lives in other room". Then police checked rooms and found mummify body who was 47 years old man. At the day next found mummify body, another 63 years old man has found as dead body by cirrhosis of the liver.

At the entire Hyogo prefecture, 56 has been dead or suicide last year (2000). Before last year (1999) was 38. Least 125 people has been in this kind of case at last three years. 42 were dead from sickness, 8 was suicide and  6 were malnutrition, freeze or unknown. The 29, almost half of them were more than 65 years old..

Consultant making patrol but they has limited time and too many victims to visit. Some of the residents who lives in same area doing community meeting with any events to support. But basically it is the job by public welfare service. The city of Kobe has large value of creditor and Japanese economy are too bad at same moment. Everybody, every service doing their best but still not enough to wipe off the sad story.

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©Daisuke Tomiyasu 1998