- Japan is commemorating the 31st anniversary of the devastating Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake.
- Memorial events include lantern displays and a moment of silence at the time of the quake.
- The number of memorial events is decreasing as fewer people directly remember the disaster.

A: Hey! Did you hear it's the anniversary of the big earthquake?

B: No! Really? How long ago was that?

A: It's been 31 years! It was January 17th, 1995. Kobe got hit really hard.

B: Wow, that’s a lot of years. So, what are people doing?

A: They’re putting lanterns up in Kobe. They make a big shape – the date and a word that means "to weave" or "move forward."

B: That's beautiful! Like, remembering but also looking to the future?

A: Exactly! There was also a moment of silence at the exact time the earthquake started.

B: I remember my host family talking about it. Is it still a big event?

A: It used to be bigger. This year they’re having fewer memorial events.

B: Oh, that’s sad. Does that mean people are forgetting?

A: Well, more and more people didn't actually *experience* the earthquake. It's a worry, how to keep the memory alive, you know?