TOKYO -- The Kobe earthquake, which in 1995 left more than 6,400 dead, destroyed buildings, toppled elevated highways and twisted railroads, served as a reality check for a Japan that boasted modern, supposedly temblor-resistant infrastructure.
Local residents of the western city on Friday marked the disaster's 25th anniversary, observing a moment of silence at 5:46 a.m., the moment the quake began to rip through the city.
