1923

The memorials to the Great Kanto Earthquake are all powerful reminders of what happened nearly a century ago. They are a medium of remembrance that changes through time. For survivors, memorials are a testament to lived experience, for subsequent generations the preservation of sites and objects educates and informs the future. Several museums in Tokyo memorialize the Kanto Earthquake of 1923. The dual function of these memorials is limited by their physical sites, as it is unlikely that an uninformed viewer would wander into these memorial sites.The remembrance of the 1923 earthquake is more actively present in the intangible forms of memorialization, such as in the 1960 creation of Disaster Prevention Day in Japan (September 1). Every year on the anniversary of the Kanto earthquake,local governments organize emergency drills across the nation. Intended to stimulate the occurrence of earthquakes, the drills prepare and educate. Unlike other memorial days, this is a powerful and active shaping of the future, not bound by location or accessibility.

1945

The rebuilding of the atomic-bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki carries political, social and cultural significance as much as the event of bombing itself changed the immediate course of WW II and marked Japan's surrender.Hiroshima in particular has become a center point for new architecture and social movements emphasizing world peace. Though much of the building was ruined instantly, the iconic dome in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial at the center of the building miraculously survived. Some wanted it torn down to get rid of painful memories, while others saw it as a standing witness if Japan's resilience. The skeleton of the building has been maintained by the government since. Historically, the Peace Memorial Park has consistently been used by national and global activists to hold international peace and anti-nuclear protests, such as the 1960s anti-nuclear worldwide conferences documented in Ōe Kenzaburō's Hiroshima Notes. It has also recently been branded as UNSECO World Heritage Site which led to its increasing popularity. Increased benefits from tourism at the site allow for new exhibit and public programs.The crane folding event, for example, is one of the public ceremonies in Japan in memory of Sasaki Sadako - a Japanese girl who tried to make 1,000 paper cranes until the last moments of her fight against her nuclear radiation sickness.

1995

The physical landscape of Kobe has mostly recovered. Vigorous recovery efforts rebuilt the city after the earthquake into a modern urban center, but the memories still remain. Every year, at 5:46 a.m.on January 17th, the each time when the earthquake struck, people gather at Higashi Yuenchi Park, offering silent prayers to the departed spirits and light thousands of bamboo lanterns arranged in the shape of "1.17." The memories of the tragedy are still very much alive in the hearts of the survivors - to this day, some cannot hold back tears. In contrast, the Kobe Luminarie, a brilliant light show featuring enormous lighting installations put on every December before Christmas, is a festival marked with liveliness and hope. It originally started in December 1995 as a ceremony to guide the spirits of the departed back to the other world and instill hope in the surviving people. With the traces of disaster still visible and the city in preliminary stages of rebuilding, the stunning festival of lights lit up Kobe, which was in constant darkness due to the mass destruction and subsequent supply cuts, and inspired courage and hope in its people. The Kobe Luminarie is now perceived as a cheerful festival and a symbol of Kobe's recovery, but it has also raised questions on the purpose of memorialization and the necessity of critical reflection.

2011

Not much has been done to properly memorialize the 3.11 Fukushima disaster, because of its recent occurrence. However, the Miracle Pine - a single pine tree out of the seventy thousand ones surrounding the coastal area of Rikuzentaka that has survived through the disasters - has become a national symbol of hope and revival. Destruction surrounds the vicinity, however the tree still stands tall and proud amongst the rubble. For some, this last standing pine has become a national symbol of hope, strength, and perseverance. When viewed in the context of Japanese culture, the "pine tree" symbolizes strength and perseverance within Japanese art. Despite the lack of physical memorialization, memories for 3/11 are created in many other medias, such as fine art, literature, and even on social media. Modern society has provided people with multiple ways to express their sorrow and blessing.