Twenty-six years have passed today since the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, which claimed over 6,400 precious lives and brought devastating damages. I express my sincere condolences to those who lost their lives due to the earthquake.

Amidst the intensification of natural disasters, the Government intends to continue swiftly and thoroughly respond to the emergencies caused by natural disasters, making full use of the experiences and lessons learned from this disaster. With renewed determination, we will work on disaster prevention and mitigation as well as build national resilience.