Essay of My Wonderful Life, Memory of Hanshin Earthquake

A large earthquake of magnitude 8.9 hit Hanshin and Awajishima of Japan at 5:46AM, January 17th, 1995. This large-scaled earthquake caused huge casualties of 6,434 dead & 43,792 injured persons and the damage on property of 104,906 completely destroyed houses and 144,274 partially destroyed. It was the earthquake just ten years-ago.

Because I lived in Tokyo on the day, I was not able to feel any shake of the earthquake. On the morning, I woke up as usual. Through TV news I knew that an earthquake occurred in Osaka and Kobe and tens of people died. So I don't think that it was serious. I went to my office as usual and was doing my business. At lunchtime I happened to switch on the TV and watched many black pillars of smoke and fire were rising sky-high here and there. It made me so surprised and I knew that it was an extra-ordinary earthquake.

At that time, I was in charge of textile industry. I soon anticipated that the blanket and clothes might be insufficient in the stricken area, because it was in winter. I immediately planned how to correct blanket, apparels and clothes. I knew that Izumisano area is near to Osaka and Kobe and that there were many blanket manufacturers. I called to the Blanket Manufacturer's Association and asked them to prepare blankets for the people of the damaged region. But their answer made me surprised. He said, "The track, full of blankets, has already started to the region damaged by the earthquake in this morning. We have prepared around 30,000 pieces of blankets. If necessary, we will prepare more blankets for them." I was very impressed by them and appreciated them.

Next, I had some urgent calls to the key persons of the Apparel Industry Association. I asked the president and vice-presidents to donate winter clothes and apparels to the people damaged in Kansai. All of them said that they were willing to help. As they were the leaders of the industry possessing neighborly loves, which was very wonderful spirits. About one hour passed since I started to this job. I felt hungry and tried to have a break.

But soon I noticed that there were no means to carry the donated clothed and apparels to Kansai area. I called to the Japan Coast Guard Agency at 1:00PM and asked them to transport the clothes to the damaged area in Kansai. They refused on the spot, saying that they were not transporting company. I thought it was wastes of time to persuade such an inflexible type of persons. (Note) Then I put down the receiver of telephone. Next, I called the Defense Agency. But my telephone was passed to many sections and finally one director said to me that there was a transportation sea-liner one week later. I thought it was really useless and put down the receiver also.

I called to the leaders of industry whether they can have some transportation to Kansai. One of them said that he would ask one of his friends' companies and he would be very reliable and helpful. Finally he could contact with him and he agreed to transport. The first convoy of tracks started to Kansai on the evening of that day and finally arrived at the destination after a considerable hardship.

Then, it became "If so, it could do nothing but ask the carrying company that always made it to the friendship" from one from among having heard it by telephone that whether, and the materials handling technique decided to go to leaders of the industry in the line though they were such settlements. By the way, it is said that the first formation of this track was left before the day is out, and arrived at the locale at the dawn of next morning.

On the day, one of the leaders of the industry in the meantime called me and said "To tell the truth, there are some problems on the donation of clothes. We are willing to help and donate our commodities. But we are afraid that the Tax Agency might misunderstand us. The Agency might think that we just conceal our sales from the account figure. If so, we would be so embarrassed." Well, I couldn't imagine such things. I soon replied that I understood the situation and I would do and solve the problem.

After I put off the telephone line, I planned how to negotiate with tax people. Firstly I will make a contact with section A, next section B, as the third steps I should explain section C.... I realized that this was the matter of emergency. If I would follow the bureaucratic way, it would take more than one week to get contact with tax people. With taking a risk to be scolded later on by the administration, I made up my mind of directly calling to the director in charge of corporate tax of the Tax Bureau of the Ministry of Finance. Of course both of personally and officially I didn't know him. Through the telephone, I explained the situation and I needed his help. His answer made me at ease. He said that he understood the necessity and emergency of the donation of clothes by apparel companies. He promised me to take action.

After that conversation, it was only two hours for me to get a telephone call from this director. He said that he had already asked to the director-general and finished necessary arrangement on this matter. I really appreciated to him for his friendly attitude, sense of emergency and efficiency of work. At that time, Ministry of Finance was criticized saying that the officials were corrupted. But I dare to say the Ministry had good officers with human hearts. I was proud of informing of this conclusion to the leaders of industry. All of them were surprised to get such a favorite answer in such an early stage. Since then, they were so eager to correct the winter clothes. I was reported that at least tens of thousands of winter clothes were given to the people damaged by the earthquake.

This is my experience of the first earthquake day, ten years. Anyway, it was an awful earthquake. I thought that next would be my turn. Because of this one shock of earthquake, many people were collapsed, lots of buildings were broken and port facilities or highways fell down on the ground. Moreover, I deeply express my condolence to the victims who were burnt to death due to a fire afterwards of the earthquake.

(January 17, 2005)