17 January marked the 27th anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. The tragedy cannot be forgotten. I feel that it is becoming more and more important to make efforts to pass on the experiences and lessons learned from the disaster to the next generation. Also, on January 30, I had the opportunity to participate as a panelist in the "Conference on Disasters and People with Disabilities" YouTube live broadcast (hosted by the Center for Persons with Disabilities in Hyogo Prefecture). I raised awareness of the issues related to the evacuation response of facilities that take care of people with disabilities, especially those located in disaster risk areas, and the need to prioritize the construction of these facilites in safe locations where there is no need for evacuation. In fact, it is very difficult to relocate pre-existent facilities to safer areas. First of all, I think it is important for residents and local governments to recognize and share the notion of "added value" that improve the disaster preparedness of the entire community - for example, by designating the destination of relocation as new a welfare evacuation shelter, benefiting even more the safety of community against catastrophes.
