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Sakurai Sho Talks About the Great Hanshin Earthquake
Source: Nikkan Sports
Translated by: sparkles_n15 @ asianfanatics.net
On the 11th, Arashi's Sakurai Sho (27) appeared at the preview event for his Fuji Television special drama "Hanshin・Awaji Daishinsai Kara 15 Nen: Kobe Shimbun no Nanokakan~Hisaichi ni Ikita Kishatachi no Tatakai~" which airs on Saturday January 16th at 9:00pm. In the docudrama, employees at Kobe Shimbun must confront the crisis they are faced with during the aftermath of the earthquake. While the office building housing the newspaper suffered damages, they are determined to keep the paper running. Sakurai plays the role of a photographer who has been working at the newspaper for the past four years.
Sakurai is very grateful for the chance to play this role, "There was a sense of fear that was unearthed [from the victim's feelings]. Afterwards, there was also the Sarin Incident that occurred. The coverage of the Sarin Incident overshadowed the earthquake, so there was a side of the earthquake disaster that was never brought to light. I'm happy for the chance to uncover [the reality of the situation]." Playing his colleague, a new photographer, Fukiishi Kazue (27) was in Nara at the time of the earthquake and recalls being awakened by the tremors. "I still remember it. When I went to where my mother and brothers were, I could feel the place shaking."
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Note: The Great Hanshin earthquake occured on January 17, 1995. The Subway Sarin Incident occured two months later on March 20, 1995. This act of domestic terrorism killed twelve people when sarin gas was released on the subway. (Information from wiki)
