<P> Up to 6,434 people lost their lives ; about 4,600 of them were from Kobe . Among major cities , Kobe , with its population of 1.5 million , was the closest to the epicenter and hit by the strongest tremors . This was Japan 's worst earthquake in the 20th century after the Great Kantō earthquake in 1923 , which claimed more than 105,000 lives . </P>
<P> Up to 6,434 people lost their lives ; about 4,600 of them were from Kobe . Among major cities , Kobe , with its population of 1.5 million , was the closest to the epicenter and hit by the strongest tremors . This was Japan 's worst earthquake in the 20th century after the Great Kantō earthquake in 1923 , which claimed more than 105,000 lives . </P>
the 1995 kobe earthquake was the worst catastrophe in japan since
the 1995 kobe earthquake was the worst catastrophe in japan since
the Great Kantō earthquake in 1923
the Great Kantō earthquake in 1923