Paku Midin: JAPAN MARKS 2 YEARS SINCE DEVASTATING NOTO QUAKE AS LOCALS REBUILD LIVES

JAPAN MARKS 2 YEARS SINCE DEVASTATING NOTO QUAKE AS LOCALS REBUILD LIVES - KANAZAWA, ISHIKAWA

@Jr_Paku Midin Channel

KANAZAWA, Ishikawa

Japan on Thursday marked two years since a powerful earthquake rocked the Noto Peninsula in central Japan, killing over 200 people and severely damaging tens of thousands of houses, with locals hopeful that recovery will continue to progress.

A memorial service hosted by Ishikawa Prefecture was held in the hard-hit city of Wajima. Participants observed a moment of silence for the victims at 4:10 p.m., the time the magnitude-7.6 quake occurred on New Year's Day in 2024.

At the start of the new year, Masahiro Omukai, 52, was among families visiting the city's Juzo Shrine to make wishes in the morning as snow fell.

"Above all, our hope is to live peacefully and safely. I hope it will be a year in which those suffering from the disaster can spend time with smiles," he said.

In Suzu, another hard-hit city, residents gathered at a scenic coastal spot with a view on Mitsuke Island, where they watched the sun rise.

"The sadness of losing (loved ones) is deepening as time passes," said a woman in her 70s, who lost three relatives in the disaster and currently lives in temporary housing nearby. "I hope I can move a step further this year."

Recovery efforts have been taking place in parts of Ishikawa Prefecture and work to rebuild Wajima's landmark marketplace, which was reduced to ashes by a fire following the temblor, are also under way, with plans in the works to construct a huge roof over stores in the area.

But some 18,000 people are still residing in temporary housing in Ishikawa Prefecture, while an acceleration of population decline in municipalities in the Noto area is triggering concerns over its impact on industry, education and elderly care.

According to an official tally as of Dec. 25, 228 people in Ishikawa Prefecture died as the direct result of the quake and 470 other fatalities across Ishikawa, Niigata, and Toyama prefectures have been blamed on deteriorating health linked to the quake, including some cases associated with the stress of evacuation.

After the Noto disaster once again highlighted the importance of anti-seismic buildings, a Kyodo News survey found that 90 percent of prefectures across Japan have stepped up support to enhance the quake safety of houses, such as by increasing subsidies.

The survey, conducted between November and December, covered prefectures which, along with the central government and municipalities, offer subsidies to home owners and others to improve quake resistance.

A total of 43 prefectures said they enhanced their support after the Noto quake, including Aomori, Shizuoka and Miyazaki prefectures.

When asked the reasons behind the increased support, the northeastern prefecture of Yamagata cited the higher interest in quake-proof homes after the Noto quake, and Tochigi, north of Tokyo, said it took note of factors that could make aging owners reluctant to renovate their homes at a time when they face higher material costs.

Meanwhile, four prefectures -- Iwate, Akita, Saitama, and Okinawa -- said they have not enhanced support on the grounds that there were no such requests from municipalities. But Iwate and Saitama said they are considering doing so in the future.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the nationwide rate of quake-resistant housing stood at approximately 90 percent as of 2023. About 5.7 million homes are estimated to lack sufficient seismic resistance.

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