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Kobe Earthquake Memorial Museum

Name: Kobe Earthquake Memorial Museum
Address: 1-chōme-5-2 Wakinohamakaigandōri, Chuo Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-0073, Japan
Rating: 4.3

4.3 (200)・Tourist Attraction・Museum・Point Of Interest・Establishment

The Kobe Earthquake Memorial Museum, officially known as the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Memorial Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution, is a poignant tribute to the resilience and recovery of Kobe following the devastating earthquake on January 17, 1995. This museum is a must-visit for anyone interested in understanding the impact of natural disasters and the strength of the human spirit.

The earthquake, which measured 7.3 on the Richter scale, caused widespread destruction and claimed over 6,000 lives. The museum opened in 2002, serves as a reminder of this tragedy while also educating visitors on disaster preparedness and response. The exhibits include realistic simulations of the earthquake, allowing visitors to experience the intensity of the quake. Interactive displays and detailed dioramas show the damage caused and the subsequent reconstruction efforts.

Personal stories and testimonies from survivors add a deeply human element to the museum, highlighting the community's resilience and solidarity in the face of disaster. The museum also features exhibits on modern disaster prevention technologies and strategies, aiming to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.

Hours:

9:30 AM to 5:30 PM (Last entry until 4:30 PM)

Closed:

Mondays (or following day if Monday is a national holiday) December 31 and January 1

Available:

All year

Minimum Age:

All ages are welcome

Fees:

Adults: 600 yen

Hours

Monday: Closed

Tuesday: 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Wednesday: 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Thursday: 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Friday: 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Saturday: 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Sunday: 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Phone

+81 78-262-5050

Website

www.dri.ne.jp

The area

Address

1-chōme-5-2 Wakinohamakaigandōri, Chuo Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-0073, Japan

Top ways to experience Kobe Earthquake Memorial Museum

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Kobe Exclusive: Personalized Local Highlights & Hidden Gems Tour

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What other travelers are saying about Kobe Earthquake Memorial Museum

We don’t understand Japanese, but whole building’s staff can tell we are tourist,they speak communicable English and there’s English subtitle in many display. The stories and cases are very touching too. 650 yen for 2 hours to understand the cause of earthquake to Kobe is totally worth it.

May 27, 2025

This is an interesting museum dedicated to the Kobe and surrounding area's terrible earthquake. Many lessons were learned about architecture and ways to make housing and buildings much stronger using braces on homes and shock absorbing foundations for buildings. It's interesting. Many school children visit this museum to learn about the earthquake.

Hayes Weggeman

May 18, 2025

Museum with lots of opportunities to demonstrate devastating force of the earthquake, but it lacks a bit. Some of the exhibitions were only in Japanese. I really appreciated the fact that there were people who experienced this earthquake personally and they were able to speak from their own experience. Generally staff was very helpful and smiling. Location of the museum is not great (away from the city center) so keep that in mind.

Damian Bielawski

Apr 13, 2025

Very fun and informative museum. Japanese really take lessons from their disaster also pay respect to the victim’s impacted from Kobe Earthquake. So many lessons learned there, especially the emergency bag. So impressive. Both kids and adults can both enjoy the experience

Lala Putri

Apr 12, 2025

Very good museum, great experience. We were surprised by the structure of the visit: first you see a video, then there are interactive activities and volunteers kindly explain what happened and why, showing the scientific and engineering strategies applied to reconstruct the city after the earthquake. Wholeheartedly recommended! It was impressive to see the resilience and cooperation of Kobe's habitants. The exposition and the activities have subtitles in English; the volunteers speak English too.