Hiroshima marked the 12th anniversary of the devastating landslide on Thursday with a memorial ceremony in Asaminami Ward, where bereaved families and local residents gathered to honor those who lost their lives, according to NHKニュース.
The event, held on August 20, included moments of silence and prayer. Family members of victims attended the ceremony, which took place in the area hardest hit by the 2014 disaster. NHKニュース reports that the gathering was one of several held across the city to remember the 77 people who died in the mudslide.
The landslide, triggered by heavy rain in August 2014, destroyed dozens of homes in Hiroshima's northern districts. In the years since, survivors and relatives have pushed for stronger disaster preparedness and better early warning systems. A separate report from Yahoo!ニュース highlighted the ongoing grief of a mother who lost two children to the mudslide, underscoring the personal toll that remains vivid a dozen years later.
Other outlets, including 日テレNEWS NNN, covered the memorial events, noting that residents lit candles in remembrance. FNNプライムオンライン reported that 100 candles were lit as a symbol of the continued commitment to keep the memory of the victims alive.
毎日新聞, meanwhile, raised concerns about a decline in public awareness of landslide risks over time. The outlet quoted worries that people are becoming less vigilant about evacuation procedures, even as climate change increases the frequency of extreme rainfall events in the region.
Looking ahead, local officials and community groups are expected to continue urging residents to maintain a strong "escape mindset" during heavy rain warnings, hoping to prevent a repeat of the 2014 tragedy.
