* The Kobe earthquake is also known as the Great Hanshin earthquake after the bridge that collapsed over. 

* The epicenter of the earthquake was about 20 km away from the city of Kobe.

* It was the first 7 magnitude earthquake that was recorded on the shindo magnitude scale used by the JMA (Japan Meteorolgical Agency)

* About 1.2 million people from around the world help with the relief of Kobe victims.

* This date, January 17th starts National Disaster Prevention and Volunteerism Week.

* Even up until now, Kobe still hasn't rebuilt itself, but the city has been in tremendous growth since the earthquake.

* The tremble made 240 kilotons of TNT.
* Greatest disaster in Japan since the destruction in WWII.
* People actually escaped to the city of Kobe because the city wasn't usually earthquake prone ironically enough.
* Kobe was  located in the unlikely hood of an earthquake.
* Although it was a very bad disaster that turned Kobe inside out, most of the newer constructed homes were badly burned, but still stood, while other older constructed houses couldn't survive the earthquake, leading up to 60% of people over the age of 60 had sadly passed away.
* There was a second earthquake hours after Kobe struck.99.9% of people in what is called "stricken area" had safely survived.
* Since Kobe was unlikely to get struck by the earthquake, no one prepared for it, so that's why so many people were getting hurt.
* Yamaguchi- Gami and other organization crime groups in Japan took better care of their community than the government in Kobe did, by providing food, water, and shelter to victims affected by the earthquake.
* $450 million were fund raised all across Japan in order to cope with damages the earthquake caused.