KOBE The Japanese Prime Minister, Mr Ryutaro Hashimoto, defended the government's record in helping Kobe on the eve of leading national mourning today on the first anniversary of the earthquake which killed 6,000 people and devastated the city.
Mr Hashimoto, who took charge of the ruling coalition last week, stepped into the controversy while speaking at the national disaster headquarters in Tokyo. "Former prime minister, Tomiichi Murayama, took the issue as one of the most important tasks for the government," he said, pledging to pursue help to rebuild Kobe.