北淡震災記念公園
On January 17, 1995, one of the greatest disasters of modern times struck Japan. Over 6000 people lost their lives in the Great Hanshin Earthquake, and hideous damage was done in the south of Hyogo. The fault line that caused the earthquake runs right across the north of Awaji. The earthquake effectively caused two sections of the island to rub up against each other. There was a net movement of roughly one meter laterally, and about a half a meter vertically in the north of Awaji, leaving the island intrinsically changed.
Can’t quite picture what it is that I’m talking about? I suggest you visit Awaji’s earthquake museum, officially the Hokudan Earthquake Memorial Park. The museum has preserved a long, horizontal section of the fault line exactly as it was in the aftermath of the earthquake. You can see the way a notable hill suddenly formed in a flat field, the way a straight road was completely ruptured, the way the earthquake literally cut the earth in two. Also on exhibit are a house which was right along the fault line. The house remained standing, and has been left as it was after the earthquake, with the interior restored to the state of chaos it would have been in on the day. There’s also an earthquake simulator, and some displays on the damage done in Kobe, which suffered much higher casualties than Awaji itself.
The museum lies in the village of Toshima, in the north of Awaji. Local buses run nearby (see the Hokudan page for details). The entrance fee is 700 Yen.
The official website is only in Japanese:
http://www.nojima-danso.co.jp/index.html
Awaji Island 