Japan marks 26th anniversary of Kobe earthquake amid Covid-19 restrictions 1 minute read Tokyo, Jan 17 (efe-epa).- Japan on Sunday remembered the more than 6,400 people killed by the 1995 Kobe earthquake on its 26th anniversary and amid restrictions to curb the Covid-19 epidemic. The Japanese port city hosted several events in tribute to the victims, although due to the state of emergency active across much of Japan to curb the coronavirus epidemic, attendance was limited and the occasion was on a smaller scale than previous years. Residents and families of the victims observed a minute of silence at 5.46 am (20:46 GMT on Saturday), the exact time that the magnitude-6.9 tremor, also known as the Great Hanshin Earthquake, struck at a depth of 22 kilometers on Jan. 17, 1995.