On January 17, 1995, the day the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake struck, the Kobe University of Mercantile Marine (now the Faculty of Ocean Science and Technology of Kobe University) suffered extensive damage. In the Fukae district of Higashinada Ward, Kobe City, where the campus is located, the Hanshin Expressway toppled and many houses collapsed. University classrooms were turned into morgues and the gymnasium and the student dormitory “Hakuo Dormitory” became shelters for disaster victims. The efforts of dormitory students who rushed to rescue residents immediately after the earthquake are still remembered and passed down in the community.
As the 30th anniversary of the earthquake approaches, we asked SUGITA Hideaki, who was a professor and the dean of students affairs of the Kobe University of Mercantile Marine at the time (now a professor emeritus of Kobe University), to reflect on his experiences and let us hear his sentiments and lessons he wishes to pass on to future generations.
The earthquake struck at 5:46 AM and you immediately headed to the Kobe University of Mercantile Marine from your home in the city’s Kita Ward in your own car.
Sugita:
Before going to the university, I stopped by Hakuo Dormitory, which was on the way and about a ten-minute walk from the campus. Fortunately, the building did not sustain any major damage and many students had already left the dormitory to rescue nearby residents. At that time, the university was no longer a boarding school and the self-governing dormitory was managed by the students. A third-year student who was the president of the dormitory’s self-governing association was leading the rescue efforts by the dormitory residents. I recall that at that point, local residents had not yet arrived to seek shelter.
In order to get from the dormitory to the university, one has to cross National Route 43, but the Hanshin Expressway, which runs above the national route, had collapsed, making it difficult to pass through. The roads near the dormitory were also blocked by fallen utility poles. Therefore, I left my car at the dormitory and walked to the university.
Reflecting on the highly praised rescue efforts of Hakuo Dormitory students
The students of Hakuo Dormitory are said to have rescued more than 100 local residents and their activities were covered by many media outlets. They also received various awards, including the Prime Minister's Commendations to Contributors for Disaster Prevention.
Sugita:
The Kobe University of Mercantile Marine had on-campus ship training and experimental practicals, and the dormitory was equipped with helmets, safety shoes, work clothes and gloves. I believe these were useful for rescue operations. Furthermore, the dormitory students borrowed crowbars and saws from the local residents and the Higashinada Fire Station and rescued people trapped in collapsed houses.
Five days after the earthquake, the university closed the dormitory’s residential buildings and sent the students back home. However, the student officers of the dormitory’s self-governing association stayed to support the residents who had evacuated to the dormitory. We received many letters and phone calls expressing gratitude from various people for these efforts.
But it wasn't just our students who worked hard. Young people and volunteers in other affected areas were also engaged in various support activities. Dormitory students at the time expressed sentiments that the activities of Kobe University of Mercantile Marine students may have been somewhat overrated. They were a bit puzzled by all the accolades they received.
As the dean of students at that time, what role did you play?
Sugita:
As the dean of students, I was usually in charge of matters related to student life and academic affairs, entrance examinations and dormitory management, and I continued to fulfill these roles after the earthquake. On the day of the earthquake, we established a disaster response headquarters in the study room of the library, with at that time President INOUE Tokujiro as the chief and the director-general and myself as the deputy chiefs.
The study room in the library had been used as the headquarters for the National Center Test for University Admissions until the previous day, and after the earthquake, one temporary telephone line was still connected. In those days when mobile phones were not widely used, that line was extremely useful.
The hardest thing of the day was the death of one of my students who lived in an apartment near the university. Staff and dormitory students transported the body, which had been pulled out from the collapsed first floor, to Hakuo Dormitory using a handcart. It was heartbreaking: “Why did this student have to die?” The student casualties included three undergraduate students, one graduate student, and one international research student. Initially, there were cases where the whereabouts of some students were unknown and their supervisors had to search their residences and mortuaries.
One of the most difficult parts of my usual duties was that we had the faculty’s entrance examination for recommendation-based admissions scheduled three days after the earthquake. We had no choice but to postpone the examinations, and they were held in two parts, on January 27 and February 3, at multiple locations including the university and Osaka City.
It was also very difficult to confirm the whereabouts of the international students. Fortunately, they had close connections with each other and information came in through word of mouth. However, because aftershocks were still continuing, the international students who evacuated to the university were afraid to enter the buildings. They pulled out the campus plants and plant stakes and built bonfires, but we couldn't tell them to stop.
The importance of ships as the university became a morgue and evacuation shelter
The university also became a morgue and a shelter.
Sugita:
The police requested to use two classrooms as morgues. However, this was not enough, so we ended up offering three classrooms in total and accepted 160 bodies. We also moved the body of the student that was first brought to the dormitory to the university, and we placed the bodies of other students and university-related victims there as well. University staff were also responsible for procuring dry ice for use in the morgue, among other tasks.
Police officers worked tirelessly to manage the morgue, which I found to be a very demanding job. We closed the morgue ten days after the earthquake. On the last day, we found that somebody had written “Thank you for everything” on the blackboard, which I deeply appreciated. I wanted to say “Thank you for your hard work” as well.
We opened the gymnasium and the martial arts hall on campus as well as the cafeteria of the Hakuo Dormitory a short distance away as evacuation shelters for residents. Five days after the earthquake, around 600 evacuees were in the gymnasium and martial arts hall combined, and about 460 evacuees in the dormitory. The university is designated by Kobe City as an evacuation center in the times of disaster, but we did not expect that we would be responsible for supporting the evacuees. Nevertheless, I believe that faculty, staff and students did their best to provide food, supplies and other necessary support for daily life.
What was reassuring was the support from national universities throughout Japan, as well as maritime assistance from universities and national institutes of technology that have training vessels. I realized the importance of utilizing vessels during disasters. Ships are equipped with water desalination devices that convert seawater into fresh water and also have toilets and showers. The evacuees were very pleased to be able to take showers. Transporting relief supplies by ship and the provision of meals by the crew were also helpful. In addition to schools, shipping companies and other maritime-related organizations also provided a great deal of support.
After the initial chaos, how did you respond during the recovery and reconstruction phase?
Sugita:
Since the university has a large sports ground, it became a base for various recovery efforts and it hosted bases for Osaka Gas and the Self-Defense Forces. Temporary school buildings for elementary and junior high schools damaged by the earthquake were constructed on the tennis courts. Whenever there was a request for land provision from various organizations or authorities, the university made swift decisions.
From the day of the earthquake until early March, I stayed and slept at the disaster response headquarters. By March, as students were returning in preparation for the new semester, we had to ask the residents taking refuge in the dormitory to move to the university gymnasium. However, many of the evacuees were elderly and in some cases, it was difficult for them to move because it would be far from the hospitals they were attending. It was quite challenging and ultimately, the last evacuees left in late August, seven months after the earthquake.
Young people act when it really matters
Reflecting on the university's response to the earthquake, what challenges did you perceive?
Sugita:
I thought it would be better to avoid designating the dormitories, where students live, as evacuation centers if possible. Students are usually indebted to local residents and should naturally cooperate with them in an emergency, but dormitories are primarily living spaces for students, so this requires consideration.
At the time, we did not have the perspective of mental care for the students and staff involved in the rescue activities for the residents and in transporting the bodies.
On the other hand, there were various discoveries made during the state of emergency. Some staff members, who were not usually the most proactive, emerged as key individuals during the emergency, showcasing creativity and effective problem-solving. I felt that those in charge of an organization need to recognize this side of their staff members.
One of the most painful experiences was not being able to award diplomas to deceased students because of strict regulations. Some said it was “cold hearted,” but the regulations made it impossible. I feel that we should have been able to provide them with a special certificate of enrollment or some other form of recognition.
Disasters continue to occur across the country. What experiences and lessons do you want to share?
Sugita:
I think it is important to maintain human dignity even in times of emergency. Although supporting evacuees is not originally the job of a university, we can't simply ignore it. Each time a disaster occurs, securing toilets remains a major problem, and I feel it is one of the biggest sources of stress.
The efforts of the students of the Kobe University of Mercantile Marine in rescuing local residents won widespread praise, but I believe all young people have the potential to take action in critical situations. I hope the experience of the Kobe University of Mercantile Marine can be used to encourage today’s students by saying, “You can do it too.”
Resume
Born in 1943. Graduated from the Faculty of Mercantile Marine Science at the Kobe University of Mercantile Marine in 1965. Became an assistant professor in 1973, earned a doctorate in engineering from Osaka University in 1980, and was promoted to professor at the Kobe University of Mercantile Marine in 1988. Served as the dean of student affairs in 1994 and as vice-president (in charge of education) in 2002.
When Kobe University and the Kobe University of Mercantile Marine merged in October 2003, he became a professor in the Faculty of Maritime Sciences at Kobe University. In 2006, he became professor emeritus of Kobe University and advisor to the Maritime Museum of Kobe University.
