KOBE: On Jan 20, 1995, three days after the Great Hanshin Earthquake, a baby girl weighing 2.97 kilogrammes was born at Kanebo Memorial Hospital in Hyogo Ward, Kobe. The happy news from the disaster-struck area was reported both in Japan and abroad, and diapers and clothing were sent to the hospital.
The girl was named Hanako, with “hana” meaning “cheerfulness.” Her parents hoped that the “ruined city may see a cheerful rebirth, as soon as possible.” The name has proved providential for Hanako Ukon, now 30.
