At 5:46 AM on January 17, 1995, a massive earthquake struck the coastal city of Kobe and the surrounding area. More than 5,000 people were killed, tens of thousands more were injured, and almost 250,000 homes were destroyed by the earthquake and resulting fires. This earthquake came to be called the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and in the following years, massive reconstruction efforts were undertaken. These efforts created some of the most important elements of Kobe we see today, including the iconic Port Tower and the surrounding Harborland area. The area recovered so well that the metaph…