Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution
Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution
Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution
4.5
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
About
At 5:46 of January 17, 1995, a 7.3-magnitude earthquake centered in the northern part of Awaji Island in Hyogo Prefecture occurred. The earthquake hammered the nearby metropolitan area that many elderly persons called home and wreaked enormous damage including more than 6,400 dead. The Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution has inherited the experiences and lessons of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake so that it can disseminate information necessary to prevent and reduce disasters. Visitors acquire accurate knowledge about disasters and their prevention from exhibits, films, and stories told by earthquake survivors.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
199 reviews
Excellent
104
Very good
75
Average
14
Poor
5
Terrible
1
Malcolm S.
Singapore, Singapore579 contributions
Dec 2019
Having never experienced an earthquake before, this museum was an eye-opener for myself. Earthquake is kinda a part and parcel of life in Japan as this region lies on many of the tectonic lines. The highlight was definitely the two movies on the 1995 Kobe Hanshin great earthquake, which was reproduced to showcase the extent of the damage and immerse the viewers in the earthquake experience. The movie was played in Japanese, but there were audio guides provided. After that there were exhibitions on the wreckage shown in the museum and the recovery process. Across the building was information on other type of natural disaster in Japan and there was even a simulator on running/swimming away from a tsunami. Definitely worth a visit if visiting Kobe!
Written January 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nik D
Hollister, CA110 contributions
Nov 2011 • Friends
Yes, the tongue-twister of a name - "Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution" - is truly confusing. This is really a museum, a catalog, an archive... and much more of the terrible 1995 earthquake in Kobe. The 7-minute multimedia experience gives you a real feel of how horrible that fateful January morning was in 1995. There is an incredible amount of material for those wishing to understand and research not only this earthquake but also natural disasters in general and - also, especially - the human, family, community, private sector and government roles in such terrible situations. If you happen to be in Kobe, even for a few hours, do not miss this museum.
Written November 20, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kunal B
Jaipur, India229 contributions
Sep 2012 • Solo
The visit begins with a movie which shows the earthquake striking kobe and the devastation it caused. It was in a surround type theatre but would have better had it been in 3D. The second movie shows the post earthquake effect and reconstruction. Today it is impossible to believe that so much destruction was caused during the earthquake. There are no traces of the same whatsoever. The museum also gives scientifc information which gives a first hand understanding of the devastation caused by earthquakes and how humans have designed buildings to withstand earthquakes. Very informative.
Written October 7, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eliott
Melbourne, Australia51 contributions
Feb 2011
If you love Kobe, please visit this place. This place is informative and interesting. The building itself is a great piece of architecture construction. First thing you do is to watch an amazing earthquake moives, it's trying to replicate what happen on Tuesday, January 17, 1995, at 05:46 and the 20 second of earthqauke. The moive was so well made and I immediately feel what Kobe people has gone through.
You will then pass a corriode to the 2nd cinema. This corriode is decorated as Kobe after destruction. It is very real. Maybe cos of the 1st moive, my friend and I was speechless when we walked pass. We was shocked, we feel like we are at the scece.
The 2nd moive was very touching, telling you what happened just after the earthqauke.....
You will then visit the other exhibition floors where you found more stories. Staff there speak very good English and very keen to explain you the displays.
You will also see how Japanese people learned from the past and prepare the next EXPECTED SOON-COMING earthquake. They told us that the next one should arrive now or in next 2 years according to the cycle........and it's gonna be bigger earthqauke than 1995.
Last, you will watch a moive in 3D cinema located on the ground floor. The film content isn't that good, but the seat are very comfy......so go and take a rest before your 15mins walk to JR Nade station.
You will then pass a corriode to the 2nd cinema. This corriode is decorated as Kobe after destruction. It is very real. Maybe cos of the 1st moive, my friend and I was speechless when we walked pass. We was shocked, we feel like we are at the scece.
The 2nd moive was very touching, telling you what happened just after the earthqauke.....
You will then visit the other exhibition floors where you found more stories. Staff there speak very good English and very keen to explain you the displays.
You will also see how Japanese people learned from the past and prepare the next EXPECTED SOON-COMING earthquake. They told us that the next one should arrive now or in next 2 years according to the cycle........and it's gonna be bigger earthqauke than 1995.
Last, you will watch a moive in 3D cinema located on the ground floor. The film content isn't that good, but the seat are very comfy......so go and take a rest before your 15mins walk to JR Nade station.
Written March 3, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Caroline R
Lausanne, Switzerland158 contributions
Sep 2012 • Solo
When i went to Kobe, i didn't really know what to expect from the city and i therefore booked only one night in a hotel. I visited the museum on my first day there and in the end extended my stay by 3 nights. I wasn't expecting much from it but yet spent more than 3 hours there. I don't cry easily but it really moved me to tears. I found they did a good job at making us remember the disaster but not in a morbid way. When you leave the museum you keep thinking about it and it changes you.
I found this spark in Kobe that i found nowhere else in my travels in Japan. The people there have this special something that no one else has. The museum was definitely my highlight and the part i preferred from the city. I highly recommend you go visit it. Plus, if you're a fan of architecture, you'll enjoy the building
I found this spark in Kobe that i found nowhere else in my travels in Japan. The people there have this special something that no one else has. The museum was definitely my highlight and the part i preferred from the city. I highly recommend you go visit it. Plus, if you're a fan of architecture, you'll enjoy the building
Written August 22, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EirianCymraes
Mold, UK133 contributions
Aug 2012 • Family
This informative, ineractive museum really brings to life the horror of earthquakes and the human cost. Particularly sobering so soon after the earthquake and tsunami in north Japan ( we visited in August 2012). We didn`t allow enough time to see everything thoroughly, but we were lucky enough to be accompanied by an English-speaking volunteer guide who had experienced the earthquake and was extremely interesting. Well worth a visit, also go to see the memorial park at the harbour which really brings home the power and devastation, but also the regeneration of Kobe.
Written July 26, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
maxi567890
London, UK6 contributions
Aug 2017 • Solo
Coming from the UK, a country not accustomed to natural disasters, it was shocking to discover the impact of the Kobe Earthquake. Two very moving short films start the exhibition before being led into the main exhibition area. It is clear that the Japanese were not fully prepared for such a large earthquake in Kobe, given the damage and casualties that were recorded. The exhibition room is very personalised and based on people's experiences, and hence very moving. Also, the exhibition and films are very English friendly and the staff are always interested to interact with its customers. I was lucky enough to enter for free due to it being the 17th of the month (earthquake occurred on the 17th January 1995). This is the first thing you should do if you go to Kobe, although it is surprisingly anonymous on Tripadvisor's front page on things to do in Kobe.
Written August 17, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael H
Hong Kong, China472 contributions
Interested in understanding more about the Kobe earthquakes. There are movies and exhibits. The movies are with English translation (ear pieces). The exhibits have limited English, but there are English speaking volunteers there try to explain. Although sometimes difficult to communicate, you can see that they try really hard and have a passion on what they are doing. I actually learnt that most of the people did not get any compensation from the insurance policies they bought (due to some technicalities), and most of the people only got some kind of a tax rebate a couple of years after the earthquakes. Even worse, some people only got some back after lengthy court battles (up to 13 years I was told). This is actually a good place to spend a couple of hours. By the way, the ice-cream at the ground floor of the second building was really creamy.
Written October 30, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LastMinuteLarry
446 contributions
May 2014 • Couples
The Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution is a large museum dedicated to the Hanshin-Awaji 1995 earthquake, which pretty much destroyed the city of Kobe. The place itself provides plenty of information through videos, displays and very enthuseastic volunteers. We knew a little about the quake but did not appreciate the scale of destruction and the residents determination to rebuild their city. The staff are very organised and entry is co-ordinated via allocated time slots starting with the intense video introduction. This allows visitors to move through the museum in 'batches', making for a better experience unless you get swamped by the hoards of excited school kids!
Quite a depressing experience if you stop and think about the human loss and destruction, but go visit and learn. You can always cheer yourself up with a big Mac and shake at McD's just across the road. A worthy visit but we think you need to plan your visit followed up by something more light-hearted to pick you back up.
There are plenty of lockers available to the right of the entry desk and access to DRHRI is via the Hanshin Kasuganomichi station followed by a 10 minute walk.
Quite a depressing experience if you stop and think about the human loss and destruction, but go visit and learn. You can always cheer yourself up with a big Mac and shake at McD's just across the road. A worthy visit but we think you need to plan your visit followed up by something more light-hearted to pick you back up.
There are plenty of lockers available to the right of the entry desk and access to DRHRI is via the Hanshin Kasuganomichi station followed by a 10 minute walk.
Written June 17, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RedstoneBoy
Toronto, Canada166 contributions
May 2013 • Couples
Although the amount of English in the exhibits is limited, the museum is very well organized and presented with excellent multimedia and video experiences. It's particularly effective for teaching young people and you could see this from the number of school students in attendance.
Written May 29, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How do I get to the museum from Sannomiya station? We have a Kansai Wide pass for JR line
Written July 25, 2016
Take the Kobe local subway from sannomiya and get off at kasuganomichi station. From there is around a 10 min walk.
Written October 4, 2017
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