I was touched by the “Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake + Creative Timeline Mapping Project” since I was stationed in Japan during that earthquake, and also because I spent some time during my school days in Kobe.

Disaster recovery is a time consuming process, and a very complex task that requires both hard and soft support, depending on needs that change with time and situation. In the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake, the Australian government conducted search activities and provided relief supplies, but in some cases it is difficult for government agencies to react flexibly and in a versatile manner.

The benefits of intangible mental support such as through the arts may be less visible compared to building infrastructure; however, we cannot live humanly without culture. In that sense too, I deeply sympathize with this project which tries to preserve “history” that is likely to be lost over time, through the arts. Since we have a much more advanced information and communication environment compared to back in 1995, now should be the time we actively transmit this “history”.

In order to convey the valuable wisdom that Japan obtained through hardship to the world, I urge you to publish at least the analysis results in other languages. I believe not only we, but the whole world can gain from this universal wisdom.

I’m hoping to see the victims’ feelings and experiences shared throughout the world by connecting points on the map.