14 years ago today, the great earthquake broke out in Hanshin district.
My husband and I had not met yet at that time, but both of us had lived very close to the epicenter respectively.
I was pulled by someone from my collapsed room, and escaped wearing only pajamas and in bare foot.
The big tremor made my husband fell down from his bed, just after that moment, a roof crashed down over him. Miraculously, he could manage to crawl out of the narrow space between a roof and a floor. If he hadn’t fallen down from his bed or woken up earlier than usual, he might lost his life.
I can remember the sound and the smell of the scene. You may find it is hard to believe, but I could hear nothing. It was a silence! People were stunned without a word for a while before they took some actions. The smell…I smelled strong odor of gas.
Yesterday, I participated in the picking up kids training at my son’s school.
It has passed 14 years since that big earthquake. That means under 14 year kids don’t know how it occurs. 40% of teachers who got their jobs after the earthquake don’t have an experience of managing in such a panic. So, the school conducts the disaster drill every year on around January 17. The parents also had a drill to pick up their children quickly and certainly.
I hope that we would have only a drill not the real event.
***heenai heenai *** 
What happened to you sounds very scary. It’s good that you were OK.
Hi, Eric,
Thanks for coming!
It was so scary. I couldn’t understand what had happened immediately. I was very lucky that all of my family and friends were all safe.
I think all schools hold an earthquake drill on the anniversary of the 阪神淡路大震災 (Kobe Earthquake).
My kids’ school had one yesterday (Friday)…(because there’s no school today).
Did you see my post about the 阪神淡路大震災?
http://tokyo5.wordpress.com/2009/01/17/kobe-earthquake/
tokyo5,
Yes, I read yours. I remember those sights of photos on your site.
I passed under that collapsed highway bridge in my father’s car.
I had lived in Nishinomiya city at that time. It took so long time to reach to my home town Akashi.
It looked like battlefield there.
My father went back and forth for me.
You remember seeing that disaster in person…I only remember when it was on TV.
My second daughter was born six days before that earthquake!
I hope another big one like that never strikes Japan again! (But they say Tokyo’s overdue! 😦 )
tokyo5,
>You remember seeing that disaster in person
Sorry, it’s a little bit complicated for me, but you may mean “あなたはその災害を目でみた人間”, right?
I have to leran these expression more!!
Anyway, after the experience whenever I see other disasters on TV, I feel more scary and vividly.
The western part of my state (my part) is historically prone to earthquakes because its in the New Madrid zone.
We felt a minor quake last year, but it just shook our beds.
Everyone is waiting for the ‘big one’. The possibility of a magnitude 6.0 or greater in the near future is a 90% chance by 2040. The problem is… we are not prepared at all! None of the building are earthquake-proof and we do not conduct drills often enough. The last ‘big one’ was in 1812.
A.D.
I think ‘earthquake-proof’ is the most important preparation in especially at school and hospital. but we had’t done enough in Japan.
Tatsu’s school had been done in last summer.
Do you know the Japanese proverb “のどもと過ぎれば、熱さ忘れる” (If you accidently drink piping hot tea, you’ll feel burning. But after the tea went through down your stomach, you don’t feel anything) I neither have any preparation…only some instant noodles and bottles of water!!
Sorry, yes, “in person” means that you were there. Didn’t just see it on TV, like I did.
tokyo5
Thanks!
I really want to know these kind of natural expression. I will try using it somewhere!!