At the time of the Hanshin-Awaji BIG Earthquake hit Japan on January 17, 1995, I happened to be awake at 5:46 at dawn.

I remember suddenly shaking so much that books and CDs flew off from the shelves. 

After that, I was stunned by the tragedy on TV. I remember thinking, "This is like a nightmare" in a situation that gets worse over time.

Over 5,000 people died by this big earthquake.

At the Osaka factory, It seems that the seismic intensity was level 4. Roof tiles fell, shelves fell, machines fell, and walls were cracked. 

Still, our headquater andfactory was able to operate without closing.

However, we couldn't confirm of the Yamazaki Factory's (Shiso City, Hyogo Prefecture) safe during a week. The phone was connected, but we couldn't confirm the current situation. The expressway connectiong between Osaka and Yamasaki has collapsed and closed. After a week, a colleague actually went to that site without knowing what was going on. The Chugoku Expressway is a one-lane restricted, and it took 8 hours, which usually a 2-hour drive.

At the time of reconstruction, the factory was less damaged, and there were many customers involved in hydraulic machinery, water, gas, infrastructure, and lifelines (Our products are O-rings, packings, gaskets, and diaphragms)., so we received many orders from here and there. They say it took 2 years our business back to normal.

26 years has passed since that day. Reconstruction was achieved in Kobe, in Japan. But we never forget.

Now we are in an emergency situation due to the COVID-19, so we have to be careful.

But we also have to feel grateful to have the same day as usual.