Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko offer bouquets of flowers for the earthquake victims Monday.

A city rallies to remember the thousands of victims and the awful price that was paid in 1995.

KOBE--Some wept, others held back tears as thousands of people braved frigid conditions Monday to mourn the 6,433 lives taken in the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 10 years ago.

The nation's worst postwar natural disaster was made all the more pertinent by the huge loss that afflicted Asian nations in the wake of the Dec. 26 quake-induced tsunami off Sumatra.

Cold rain fell as mourners gathered at 5:46 a.m. to mark the time the 7.3 Richter scale temblor struck, leveling much of Kobe and the surrounding Hanshin area. Nearly 250,000 homes were destroyed.

Ceremonies were held across the region. Many people offered a silent prayer at the Higashi Yuenchi Park adjacent to Kobe City Hall in Chuo Ward, where 6,433 small candles had been lit since early morning.

Many of the Hanshin victims were killed in fires that flared after the massive jolt on Jan. 17, 1995. The worst-hit areas was Kobe's Nagata Ward.

Officials said about 97 percent of homes in the ward's East Takatori district were destroyed by the quake and subsequent fires.

Tadayoshi Nagashima, mayor of the mountain village of Yamakoshi in Niigata Prefecture that was devastated by the Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake in October, was among those offering a silent prayer.

``I'm very impressed to see how strongly residents have maintained their ties during the past 10 years,'' Nagashima said. ``While our situation was very different, I believe that reconstruction depends on people's spirit to get on with their lives.''

The nearby Takatori Church held a memorial service as it does every year.

``I attend so that I won't forget the disaster,'' said Le Trong Tri, a 40-year-old Vietnamese woman. ``Because of the earthquake 10 years ago, Vietnamese, South Koreans and other Asians now gather frequently to help each other.''

Asked her thoughts of the tsunami tragedy in the Indian Ocean, she replied: ``All we can do is to pray, like 10 years ago.''

Katsumi Kawafuku, a resident of Nagata Ward, said: ``I can't forget that my close friends perished in the fires. One of them was trapped under his collapsed home, shouting `run, run, sayonara' to his wife and children as the flames approached.''

The population of Nagata Ward is still about 20 percent less than what it was.

Shortly after midday, Emperor Akihito and the Empress Michiko attended a separate ceremony at a prefectural building in central Kobe. It was the third time for the imperial couple to visit the area.

Because only about 400 people were invited, an estimated 5,000 gathered 3 kilometers away to view a live telecast of the proceedings on a giant screen.

At noon, boats at Kobe port blew their whistles and fog horns, signaling a minute of silent prayer.

And then the heavens opened up, as if the sky was weeping in sympathy.

In his address, Emperor Akihito said: ``The damage wrought by the earthquake and fires that occurred in the predawn hours 10 years ago was huge. We visited the quake-stricken area two weeks after the quake and I still recall the people grieving who had lost their homes and their families.

``I am also encouraged to see that volunteer activities are increasingly becoming common at times of natural disaster these days,'' he added.

Rain continued to fall until the end of the emperor's speech.

Kyoko Muramatsu, 47, whose husband and two daughters died in the Hanshin quake, gave a speech on behalf of bereaved families.

``I thought every day about joining my family,'' Muramatsu said.

However, encouraged by her mother and friends, she says now: ``I heard there is no pain and grief that cannot be overcome. After 10 years, I think I've become stronger ... .''

Starting today, the five-day United Nations World Conference on Disaster Reduction got under way in Kobe.(IHT/Asahi: January 18,2005)