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Witness History

Kobe earthquake

Witness History

BBC

Personal Journals, Society & Culture, History

4.51.6K Ratings

🗓️ 15 January 2025

⏱️ 11 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

On 17 January 1995, an earthquake devastated the port city of Kobe, in west Japan.

More than 6,000 people died and around 300,000 people were left homeless.

It was one of the most powerful earthquakes in the country's history.

Rachel Naylor speaks to Kiho Park who, aged eight, had to jump off his balcony to escape when his home was damaged.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: A resident walks through the debris in Kobe after the earthquake. Credit: Toru Yamanaka via AFP via Getty Images)

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

The Traitors is back, and so is that mysterious cloaked figure with the familiar fringe.

0:06.6

Yeah, it's me.

0:07.8

And when you've watched Claudia in the castle, join me, Ed Gamble, for the official visualised companion podcast.

0:13.6

And remember, I'll be listening.

0:15.8

Okay?

0:16.6

No, seriously, I love it.

0:18.4

What a faithful.

0:19.7

We'll unpack betrayals and spill scandalous secrets with celebrity guests,

0:23.7

traitors' legends, and murdered and banished players.

0:27.0

The traitors uncloked.

0:28.3

Watch on EyePlayer, listen for more on BBC Sounds.

0:36.3

Hello and welcome to the Witness History podcast from the BBC World Service with me, Rachel Nailer.

0:41.7

I'm taking you back 30 years to the Kobe earthquake, one of the worst in Japan's history. More than 6,000 people died.

0:48.7

I've been speaking to a survivor. It's 5.46am on the 17th of January 1995 and in the city of Amagasaki.

0:59.6

And some things woke an eight-year-old Kiko parkup.

1:02.2

I couldn't like understand what is going around me.

1:07.3

It was like, it's not a huge truck.

1:09.9

Came to my house and they had a crush.

1:12.4

My first impression was, this is not joking.

1:15.5

Maybe huge truck or some monster that I never seen came to my house.

1:23.0

But it wasn't a truck or a monster.

1:25.6

Japan has been hit by a series of fairly large earthquakes in the last few weeks,

...

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