Today's print edition Home Delivery The major earthquake that jolted Ishikawa Prefecture’s Noto Peninsula on Jan drew attention to the area’s severe issue of an aging and shrinking population which is in the center of the Noto Peninsula according to an expert researcher at the Nomura Research Institute (NRI) NRI reached an agreement with Anamizu as Mayor Koki Yoshimura looked for an ally to compile and carry out a recovery plan after the magnitude-7.6 earthquake took 38 lives destroyed half of the 4,115 residences and cut off water and power supplies forcing nearly 4,000 people to evacuate.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); the local government and residents had to address the region’s population problem since the evacuation could further exacerbate it “The plan is not just to reconstruct the town We needed to develop something new and more forward-looking to revitalize the place amid a declining population,” said Tsuyoshi Sakaguchi an expert researcher for NRI who spends half of each week in Noto to help realize the plan Anamizu is often called “the gateway to Oku-Noto,” the far part of the peninsula because it is the center of land and air transportation networks a highway and an airport with two flights to Tokyo every day “Since the town has geographical potential its revival should have a positive impact on the whole Noto Peninsula,” Sakaguchi said which involves four major projects working toward disaster resilience with the hope that residents can envision a positive future for the region NRI’s mission was to help Anamizu compile the plan based on surveys it designed and analyzed as well as on opinions presented by members of the reconstruction conference It also set out strategies on how to move forward with specific projects — including revitalizing the commercial area around the station — by helping to generate ideas and selecting outside organizations and companies as partners As part of the mission to help the town start new business activities NRI provides know-how and networks for technologies that Anamizu might need such as self-driving services and decentralized autonomous infrastructure If the town expresses interest in something NRI checks the feasibility and connects it to relevant companies and ministries Introducing things like solar and water power generation power storage and telecommunications in small local areas will help them avoid suffering from blackouts or water cutoffs in severe disasters The peninsula’s unique geography made it hard to support residents in the aftermath of the earthquake A national highway runs along a coastline with steep mountain slopes that were hit by tsunamis and landslides some seaports found that the quake had altered the seabed Rebuilding the area’s infrastructure will take time but that will be handled by the central and local governments What NRI could do was to utilize its know-how on compiling recovery plans drawn partly from its experience with the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 and the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake But that did not mean the recovery plans for those two disasters would automatically be applied to Noto’s case because society has changed significantly since then “More than the past recovery plans themselves it was helpful to know how important it is to listen to local residents,” he continued “Things have changed dramatically since the pandemic,” he added Digital transformation has rapidly permeated people’s lives and one effect of this has been to make them more open to diversity affecting how evacuation spaces should be set up after a big earthquake His colleagues who had worked on NRI’s support for Kumamoto advised gathering opinions from residents of all ages and reflecting them in the plan Sakaguchi said they reviewed all of the survey responses for this purpose Some community leaders helped senior citizens fill out the surveys and others put up posters promoting them at convenience stores and supermarkets “The way in which to reflect their voices was different from before but we learned from past cases that it is essential to value what they hope to do,” Sakaguchi said In a time of both misinformation and too much information quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information National Report Ishikawa Prefecture--Anamizu Elementary School students gleefully entered their school's front gate for the first time since the Noto Peninsula earthquake upended the region eight months ago Waiting on the other side of the gate on Aug but a two-story temporary structure intended to tide students and faculty over Students toured the new building instead of immediately starting lessons; third-graders were seen excitedly taking in the new classrooms as their teacher Huge cracks and tilted floors rendered the original building unsafe leading to Anamizu town's board of education's decision to construct a temporary space while the original school is demolished and a new one built Prior to the temporary building's completion certain classrooms at Anamizu Junior High School were allocated to the elementary schoolers who "had fun" when her class was held at the junior high school she also felt "a little restrained" because they were told to stay calm so they would not interrupt the junior high schoolers “I hope my lively classmates and I can have fun (in the new building),” Rio said Anamizu Elementary School's situation is not unique Many temporary buildings have gone up in succession across northern Noto Peninsula where the damage was especially severe these buildings are another step in gradually improving children's study environments Temporary school buildings have also been completed in Wajima and the town of Noto all 11 elementary and junior high schools were deemed safe enough for students and teachers to return to not too long after the quake temporary housing units had gone up at 10 of the 11 schools; this meant children were not able to use their schoolyards for physical education classes Suzu's board of education said it has secured temporary spaces to stand in for seven of the 10 schoolyards so far Communities remain scarred by Noto quake 4 months later Most schools in Noto resume classes; life a far cry from normal Normal life slowly returns a month after rains hit Kumamoto Noto quake victims struggle with temporary housing shortage Many schools inoperable in quake-hit areas Tokyo school moves into a high-rise in a first for Japan Information on the latest cherry blossom conditions Please right click to use your browser’s translation function.) A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II In-house News and Messages No reproduction or republication without written permission More than 100 businesses have decided to close in four municipalities in Ishikawa Prefecture since they were hit hard by the massive Noto Peninsula earthquake on Jan according to local chambers of commerce and industry Many business owners are giving up on rebuilding their businesses as the affected areas are experiencing population outflows due to slow progress in reconstruction efforts.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); the number of businesses that had decided to close was at least 48 in the city of Suzu 16 in the town of Noto and 10 in the town of Anamizu Japan (AP) — A series of powerful earthquakes that hit western Japan have left at least 55 people dead and damaged thousands of buildings Officials warned Tuesday that more quakes could lie ahead READ MORE: Japan drops tsunami alert but urges caution after series of quakes Aftershocks continued to shake Ishikawa prefecture and nearby areas a day after a magnitude 7.6 temblor slammed the area Damage was so great that it could not immediately be assessed Japanese media reports said tens of thousands of homes were destroyed Government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi said 17 people were seriously injured and gave a slightly lower death toll saying he was aware of the prefecture’s tally power and cell phone service were still down in some areas Residents expressed sorrow about their uncertain futures I don’t think we can live here anymore,” Miki Kobayashi The house was also damaged in a 2007 quake Although casualty numbers continued to climb gradually and the quick response from the general public and officials appeared to have limited some of the damage a University of Tokyo professor specializing in disasters said people were prepared because the area had been hit by quakes in recent years They had evacuation plans and emergency supplies in stock “There is probably no people on earth other than Japanese who are so disaster-ready,” he told The Associated Press Japan is frequently hit by earthquakes because of its location along the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin Katada warned the situation remains precarious and unpredictable The March 2011 quake and tsunami in northeastern Japan had been preceded by other quakes READ MORE: Japan’s neighbors share fear and frustration over radioactive water release Predictions by scientists have repeatedly been proven wrong such as with the 2016 quake in southwestern Kumamoto an area previously seen as relatively quake-free “Having too much confidence in the power of science is very dangerous We are dealing with nature,” Katada said Japanese media’s aerial footage showed widespread damage in the hardest-hit spots boats tossed in the waters and a fire that had turned an entire section of Wajima city to ashes Japan’s military dispatched 1,000 soldiers to the disaster zones to join rescue efforts “Saving lives is our priority and we are fighting a battle against time,” he said “It is critical that people trapped in homes get rescued immediately.” A quake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.6 shook the Ishikawa area as he was speaking reaching more than 100 aftershocks over the past day Nuclear regulators said several nuclear plants in the region were operating normally The 2011 quake and tsunami caused three reactors to melt and release large amounts of radiation at a nuclear plant in northeastern Japan the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a major tsunami warning for Ishikawa and lower-level tsunami warnings or advisories for the rest of the western coast of Japan’s main island of Honshu as well as for the northern island of Hokkaido The warning was downgraded several hours later and all tsunami warnings were lifted as of early Tuesday Waves measuring more than one meter (3 feet) hit some places half-sunken ships floated in bays where tsunami waves had rolled in READ MORE: China’s earthquake survivors endure frigid overnight temperatures in temporary shelters People who were evacuated from their houses huddled in auditoriums but service was mostly restored by Tuesday afternoon setting off worries about crumbling buildings and infrastructure The region includes tourist spots famous for lacquerware and other traditional crafts along with designated cultural heritage sites President Joe Biden said in a statement that his administration was “ready to provide any necessary assistance for the Japanese people.” Videographer Richard Columbo contributed from Wajima © 1996 - 2025 NewsHour Productions LLC PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization Subscribe to Here's the Deal with Lisa Desjardins Ishikawa Prefecture--Takashi Murayama was left speechless by the sight that confronted him when he opened the door to his winery on Jan The entire floor was swimming in dark red liquid had gone to check up on the Noto Wine premises here following the magnitude-7.6 earthquake that wreaked havoc across the Noto Peninsula on New Year’s Day Pressed grape juice was leaking from one of the raw ingredient tanks amounted to upward of 10 percent of the winery’s annual shipment The ceiling of the store adjacent to the winery was cracked and bottles placed on shelves had fallen to the floor and shattered Although the vineyard itself wasn’t badly damaged fissures in roads around the winery turned an otherwise 20-minute drive from his home into a four-hour journey Murayama confronted the possibility he might have to “close the business for good.” founded 19 years ago with the aim of promoting the appeal of the Noto region across Japan Noto Wine is now striving to provide a spark to help the local tourism industry regain vitality Noto Wine sits on a hill that offers a sweeping view of the vineyard The roughly 5,000 vines at the 4-hectare site produce around 100,000 bottles of wine annually The idea for a winery was suggested when Noto Satoyama Airport started operations in neighboring Wajima city in 2003 Ishikawa Prefecture picked out the grape-derived alcoholic beverage as a new local specialty to publicize the Noto region nationwide Chestnut groves and other plots in Anamizu and other areas covering about 38 hectares in total were redeveloped to incorporate vineyards with the help of a central government subsidy The first winery to rely on locally grown grapes in Ishikawa Prefecture was in place by 2005 A semi-public entity responsible for the brewery’s management took over the operation taking advantage of investment deals offered by regional entities such as Anamizu town and a liquor shop operator The project to culture grapes initially faced a succession of hardships The poorly drained land was characterized by red clayey soil with few nutrients Five employees hired through the town’s recruitment campaign comprised a chestnut farmer and a liquor store owner in the surrounding area Murayama had previously served as head of a construction firm nearby “We were not even in the habit of drinking wine on our own,” Murayama recalled we found it difficult to determine whether it was actually tasty.” Noto Wine used manure from local livestock and locally harvested oyster shell powder to improve the soil quality This allowed 25 grape varieties to be raised experimentally The winery pitched its first bottle in 2006 Its rose wine won the bronze prize in the 2008 Japan Wine Competition while an award for encouragement was presented for a bottle of red from Noto Wine as well “We were surprised by the outcome,” said Murayama realizing the project was sufficiently rewarding for us to devote ourselves fully to it.” Noto Wine crossbred the Cabernet Sauvignon grape variant with the Japanese crimson glory vine to perfect its signature Yama Sauvignon red wine The product is marked by a modest level of sweetness as well as tomato-like acidity Staff at Noto Wine went all-out to clean up the mess following the Jan Bottling resumed toward the end of February But he also harbored mixed feelings about the winery’s recovery “Tourist spots and ryokan in the neighborhood were still in the process of reconstruction,” he said “I felt uncomfortable knowing we were the only business near here to reopen and already considering how we could attract customers.” Patrons of the winery showed up primarily in groups by bus Given that it is only volunteers and construction workers who come to Noto Wine now there is no way of knowing when they will return Murayama beefed up efforts to sell Noto Wine’s items via online shopping sites and local delicacy fairs held outside Ishikawa Prefecture with an eye toward increasing the winery’s presence “We will not be able to get fully back on track for recovery unless sightseers come to us,” Murayama explained “We want to show people nationwide that Noto is fine and doing well via wines crafted with our hearts and souls.” Murayama referred to an old saying in the region: “Noto is gentle “An attribute of wine from Noto is its mild astringency and refreshing acidity,” he said “I want consumers to taste the gentle flavor generated in Noto’s climate.” Hokkaido wine picnic event to be held for first time in 3 years 13,000 homes to be ready for Noto quake survivors before April Young offenders trained to make wine to help them find work 48 confirmed dead in Ishikawa after New Year’s Day earthquake thousands remain living in dire conditions Dear Reader,Unfortunately our comment platform isn\'t available at the moment due to issues with our paywall and authentication vendor Thousands of people made homeless overnight are living in weariness and uncertainty on the western coast of Japan a week after a powerful earthquake left at least 168 dead and dozens missing Japan — Thousands of people made homeless by a powerful earthquake on the western coast of Japan were coping with weariness and uncertainty a week after the temblor left at least 168 dead and dozens missing Authorities warned of the danger of landslides around the quake's epicenter on the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture The landscape blanketed in fluffy white revealed burned and crumbled houses The deaths included 70 people in Wajima, 70 in Suzu, 18 in Anamizu and the rest were spread among four other towns At least 323 people were still unaccounted for a jump from some 100 earlier in the day as rescuers pour over a list of the region's population and 1,390 homes were destroyed or seriously damaged A tsunami of several meters (feet) followed the initial major quake Japanese meteorological officials warned strong quakes could persist for another month said his boats were damaged and he could not go out on the sea Before the quake, Wajima was a tourist town with a shopping street offering seafood and traditional crafts. Much of it was destroyed in the fires that broke out after the Jan slept in his car with his wife to guard against looting there just aren’t going to be enough customers I don’t know how Wajima can survive,” he said auditoriums and other evacuation centers worried about infections as cases of COVID-19 and other illnesses popped up After initial help of a piece of bread and a cup of water for each person a day more aid is allowing some facilities to begin serving hot food cooked in huge pots People were delighted by the temporary bathing facilities set up by soldiers sitting in the hot water they had missed for days Still, exhaustion and stress are wearing them down. Many are in mourning. The main quake struck on New Year’s Day, a time for families to gather in Japan. Some survivors said they were all alone because they lost their loved ones who were visiting on New Year's from Osaka in central Japan and no one is sure what might happen when schools open in a week after the New Year’s break Three stoves were not enough to heat the school's big hall Kageyama reported from Tokyo. Follow her on https://twitter.com/yurikageyama Please view the main text area of the page by skipping the main menu. The page may not be displayed properly if the JavaScript is deactivated on your browser Japanese version A woman bikes amid damaged houses in Noto town in the Noto peninsula facing the Sea of Japan A man cries as a body of his family member was found from a collapsed house caused by powerful earthquake in Suzu Smoke rises from the site of a fire occurred following an earthquake in Wajima This aerial photo shows an area affected by an earthquake in Suzu Bystanders look at damage near Noto town in the Noto peninsula facing the Sea of Japan Firefighters walk near a fallen building following earthquakes in Wajima A partially collapsed road affected by landslide caused by a powerful earthquake is seen near Anamizu Town In this photo provided by Japanese Ministry of Defense Japanese Self Defense Force members carry an injured person out of a collapsed house Firefighters and rescue workers pull a body found from a collapsed house caused by powerful earthquake in Suzu SOS letters formed by folding chairs are seen at a schoolyard after the strong earthquake in Suzu Rescue workers search a collapsed house caused by powerful earthquake in Suzu The cars are seen damaged as the city was hit by the earthquakes and tsunami in Suzu Evacuees rest surrounding a stove at a temporary evacuation center in Suzu in the Noto peninsula facing the Sea of Japan Evacuees rest at a temporary evacuation center in Suzu in the Noto peninsula facing the Sea of Japan An evacuee volunteers to grill pieces of fish at a temporary evacuation center in Suzu in the Noto peninsula facing the Sea of Japan following a series of powerful earthquakes hit western Japan.(Kyodo News via AP) A man directs a driver moving through a damaged street near Anamizu town in the Noto peninsula facing the Sea of Japan A series of powerful earthquakes that hit western Japan damaged thousands of buildings Officials warned that more quakes could lie ahead Houses leveled by an earthquake are seen in Kanazawa Destroyed houses along the coast are seen in Suzu following a series of powerful earthquakes hit western Japan Firefighters search a fallen building hit by earthquakes in Wajima Japanese Self Defense Force members inspect a collapsed house hit by earthquakes in Suzu A person walks past a collapsed houses following an earthquake in Wajima A person looks at a damaged house caused by powerful earthquake Tuesday People walk through the damaged marketplace burned by fire after earthquake in Wajima A woman looks at the burned-out marketplace by a fire following earthquakes in Wajima People walk past collapsed buildings following an earthquake in Wajima A firefighter walks through the rubble and wreckage of a burned-out marketplace following earthquake in Wajima a coastal city of about 15,000 that was also hit by landslides a man wept Wednesday as a family member’s body was pulled from a collapsed home Residents gathered at an evacuation center in the city to rest Firefighters and members of the Japanese Self Defense Force sifted through toppled homes and other buildings in the hopes of finding anyone still trapped with the window for survival getting smaller a town about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of Suzu drivers slowly navigated through streets that were damaged by the earthquake firefighters on Wednesday walked through the marketplace which was reduced to gray ash and rubble by a fire sparked by the quake Japan (AP) — A woman was pulled carefully from the rubble 72 hours after a series of powerful quakes started rattling Japan’s western coast the death toll Friday grew to at least 94 people and the number of missing was lowered to 222 after it shot up the previous day An older man was found alive Wednesday in a collapsed home in Suzu one of the hardest-hit cities in Ishikawa Prefecture dad,” as a flock of firefighters got him out on a stretcher praising him for holding on for so long after Monday’s 7.6 magnitude earthquake Others were forced to wait while rescuers searched for loved ones READ MORE: Scenes of loss play out across Japan’s western coastline after quake kills 84 Ishikawa officials said 55 of those who died were in the city of Wajima and 23 were in Suzu while the others were reported in five neighboring towns The Earthquake Research Institute at the University of Tokyo found that the sandy coastline in western Japan shifted by up to 250 meters (820 feet) seaward in some places The earthquakes set off a large fire in the town of Wajima as well as tsunamis and landslides in the region With some routes cut off by the destruction worries grew about communities in which water The United States announced $100,000 in aid Friday Dodgers major leaguer Shohei Ohtani also announced aid for the Noto area READ MORE: Japan drops tsunami alert but urges caution after series of quakes Thousands of Japanese troops have joined the effort to reach the hardest-hit spots on the Noto Peninsula connected by a narrow land strip to the rest of the main island of Honshu Experts warned of disease and even death at the evacuation centers that now house about 34,000 people who lost their homes a 67-year-old oyster farmer who lives in Anamizu city in Ishikawa said it was tough sleeping on the floor with just one blanket There was no heating until two stoves finally arrived Thursday — three days after the 7.6 quake struck Tomari felt at a loss thinking about his home where broken glass and knocked over items littered the floor It was pitch dark at night because the area was still out of power But Tomari and others were already thinking about rebuilding put up a yellow notice as a warning inside her store where the walls have tipped slanted and a red one for the shed in the back that was completely flattened Maybe we can work hard to rebuild,” she said running water was not fully restored in Anamizu Kato had to get water from a nearby river to flush the toilet Dozens of aftershocks have rattled Ishikawa and the neighboring region in the past week Weather forecasts called for rain and snow over the weekend WATCH: How airline passengers managed to survive fiery runway collision in Japan The region affected by the latest quakes is famous for its craftwork who oversees a resin company called Aras that makes fashionable plates and cups He apologized for delayed deliveries and expressed determination to pick up and rebuild “We are feeling a deep helplessness that works we created with so much love are gone.” who owns a kimono shop on a street lined with picturesque stores in Wajima said she was lucky her 80-year-old store — inherited over generations — was still standing “These people do not have the energy to start something from scratch,” she said “I really wonder what will happen to this street.” About half of buildings constructed under previous quake-resistance standards were destroyed in the New Year’s Day earthquake on the Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa Prefecture conducted by the Hokuriku Branch of the Architectural Institute of Japan covered about 7,000 buildings in three hard-hit municipalities: Wajima and Suzu cities and Anamizu town explained the fates of 5,700 buildings that have been inspected visually 38 percent of these buildings were constructed under the quake-resistance standard that was in place until 1981 in light of the damage wrought by the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake That stricter standard is currently in effect Around 90 percent of the buildings erected before 1981 in those areas were either damaged or destroyed by the quake fewer than 10 percent of buildings constructed since 2000 were damaged or destroyed “Some of the buildings based on the newest standard are already more than 20 years old but they have proved strong enough to withstand structural damage in quakes,” said Akira Murata an assistant professor of civil engineering and disaster prevention at Kanazawa University 20 percent of the buildings built between 1981 and 2000 under the “intermediate” standard collapsed in the Jan “The survey implies that the standard of 1981 was not strong enough,” Murata said More than half of all buildings in the Shoin district of Suzu city were destroyed which was hit by similar potentially destructive shaking fewer than 20 percent of the buildings collapsed “The damage may have accumulated in the buildings (in the Shoin district) because of repeated earthquakes in the area,” Murata said 90% of Noto quake fatalities caused by fallen buildings Ishikawa homes damaged in May quake leveled in latest disaster Quake in Japan revives the trauma of 2011 disasters Quake-hit city described as ‘catastrophic,’ waiting for rescue The Ishikawa Prefectural Government on Monday unveiled a final draft of its plan for reconstruction after the Jan 1 earthquake in the prefecture's Noto Peninsula Covering the nine years through fiscal 2032 the plan features efforts to create disaster-resistant communities and increase the so-called related population or people continuously involved in a particular region without necessarily being permanent residents in order to maintain the prefecture's vitality amid its shrinking population.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); The reconstruction plan will be formally adopted after being presented to the prefectural assembly It was compiled following hearings with local residents and mayors as well as discussions by a panel of experts the Ishikawa government divided up measures to rebuild infrastructure people's livelihoods and daily lives into the three groups of short-term projects lasting two years medium-term projects spanning five years and long-term projects lasting nine years The prefecture said that boosting the related population is its most important task In order to increase the related population an organization will be established to act as a coordinator between the public and private sectors on reconstruction projects and as a liaison for reconstruction aid On vital infrastructure severely damaged by the quake including for electricity and water supplies the draft plan underscored the need to improve resilience by incorporating new perspectives The draft suggested as an option the establishment of a system in which each settlement secures its own power and water sources separate from public water and electricity services in order to create infrastructure that is both disaster-resistant and sustainable The prefecture will also create a scenic route in coastal areas of the peninsula and support local festivals to support the reconstruction of communities The article you have been looking for has expired and is no longer available on our system resumed operations along the entire length of its 33.1-kilometer line after the track and other facilities were damaged in a powerful earthquake three months ago Services were restored along the 16.8-km stretch between Noto-Nakajima and Anamizu stations on April 6 following an accelerated pace of restoration work for the April 8 entrance ceremony of Nanao High School located along the line “We were initially told that it would not reopen until late April or May but they managed to get the work done in time for the entrance ceremony next week,” Ishikawa Governor Hiroshi Hase said at an early morning ceremony held at the northernmost Anamizu Station Noto Railway President Tetsuya Nakata said “I want to thank (everyone) from the bottom of my heart.” The first train departed the station at 6:12 a.m. carrying more than 100 passengers in its two cars after the ceremony “The railway is a symbol of reconstruction,” said Toshinobu Michishita Among the crowd were a couple in their 30s who donated 170,000 yen ($1,120) for the railway’s reconstruction The roof is missing from one of the two platforms at Anamizu Station testimony to the force of the magnitude-7.6 temblor Noto Railway connects Anamizu Station in the north and Nanao Station in the south along the southwestern coast of the Noto Peninsula The remaining 16.3-km section between Noto-Nakajima and Nanao stations Nanao is linked to the prefectural capital of Kanazawa by West Japan Railway Co Noto Railway took over the line’s operation from JR West in 1991 which still owns the track and other facilities carried out post-quake restoration work and shouldered the expenses which were estimated to run to at least several hundred million yen JR Nanao Line partly resumes services in area hit by big quake Service on quake-hit Noto Railway partially starts after 6 weeks Noto quake death toll climbs to 65; 33,000 residents evacuated Powerful quake rocks western Japan on quiet New Year’s Day Naoyuki Teramoto spent most of the first week of 2024 standing near a disaster site in Anamizu clinging to hope as tragic news kept trickling in The New Year’s Day earthquake caused the side of a mountain to collapse One of them was the home of Teramoto’s parents-in-law and daughter Mione—to spend the year-end holidays at the house in Anamizu his wife and their elementary-school-age son were also invited this time around a resident of the prefectural capital of Kanazawa could not join the 10 family members because of work he lost contact with his family but thought it was “probably due to poor reception.” he saw news footage on the internet of his wife’s parents’ home collapsed in the debris The Anamizu town government office informed him that the landslide had buried houses within a radius of 100 meters and that search-and-rescue efforts had started on Jan Shunki had aspired to be a chef and was training at a Japanese restaurant in Tokyo He made “osechi” traditional New Year’s dishes and brought them to his grandparents’ home Why did he have to go through this?” the father said Teramoto did not know what had happened to the other family members he recalled a family trip to the Tokyo Disney Resort in Chiba Prefecture in August and the family planned the visit to cheer him up Everybody in the family loved Mickey Mouse It was their first visit to the resort in about 10 years looking at the family pictures he took on his smartphone “I can’t believe this is happening to us now.” Maybe one of them has escaped to somewhere I hope they were out walking or shopping and are safe.” looked for the name of her childhood friend in the attendance book There were no signs showing that Kyoya Teramoto had checked in Honda knew that Kyoya’s name was on the list of missing persons published by the local government she held out hope that her classmate in elementary and junior high school would be found alive The Honda and Teramoto families were close Honda said Kyoya “has a mischievous side” but is “a kind and gentle friend who loves his mother.” 7 had been organized by a local community center and parents of the new adults said they met at the end of last year and talked about Kyoya’s Coming-of-Age ceremony She said Hiromi was looking forward to returning to her parents’ home with all her children for New Year’s But Hiromi did not show up at a preparation meeting on Jan Looking at the young people dressed in their best kimono getting excited “I want (Hiromi) to come back as if nothing happened ‘You must have been busy preparing for this,’” Akita said wife and son were also confirmed killed in the landslide (This article was compiled from stories written by Yuto Ota Evacuees build bonfires to stay warm in Noto quake aftermath Letter from late son delivered to family decade after he drowned Quake survivors weep as loved ones remain trapped in rubble Tsunami took Noto Peninsula residents by surprise Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako made a second visit to the earthquake-stricken Noto Peninsula on April 12 to offer words of comfort to survivors of the Jan 1 magnitude-7.6 temblor that left hundreds homeless During a visit to an evacuation center in Anamizu where 46 residents of 29 households are taking temporary shelter the imperial couple crouched down to maintain eye-level contact with the evacuees many of whom were elderly and remained seated “Their eyes were so kind,” said the husband of a couple aged 76 who lost their home in the earthquake “I was really happy because I felt they were concerned for us from the bottom of their hearts.” Anamizu Mayor Koki Yoshimura said: “All the residents including those who welcomed them along the route to the evacuation center Naruhito and Masako used a Self-Defense Force aircraft to visit Noto because roads in the region are still out of action The imperial couple were briefed on the extent of the damage and visited the Shiromaru district where one resident died Mayor Kazuyo Omori talked about the height of the tsunami that hit the neighborhood The imperial couple bowed their heads in silent prayer for seven seconds recounted that Naruhito expressed concern about the extended stay he was forced to endure and they showed their concern for us in such a kind way.” The imperial couple visited the hard-hit cities of Wajima and Suzu in the Noto Peninsula on March 22 A second visit was arranged by the Imperial Household Agency and the Ishikawa prefectural government because the imperial couple continued to voice their concern about the situation in the region They had to take a reserve plane from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport to reach Noto Satoyama Airport because of aircraft trouble in the plane originally scheduled to take them there (This article was written by Shoko Rikimaru Imperial couple console victims of Noto quake and tsunami Visitors brave rain to celebrate the emperor’s 64th birthday 1 Noto Peninsula earthquake are scrambling to move into temporary housing but only a fraction of the number of units needed have been built the difficulty in securing stable housing is hampering efforts to rebuild and restore residents’ lives in the region The Asahi Shimbun interviewed eight cities and towns where the Ishikawa prefectural government is constructing emergency temporary housing They were asked about applications for these units Although the calculation methods differed from municipality to municipality the newspaper determined the total number of applications was 8,293 A prefectural government official had said 1,600 units the numbers included those submitted by unqualified applicants and duplicate applications Officials estimate the actual number of applications is about 3,200 for Wajima and around 1,000 for Suzu construction of 5,086 temporary housing units was under way as of March 28 The Ishikawa prefectural government has also offered 8,200 units deemed temporary housing in and outside of the prefecture only a few of these rental housing units are available in the northern part of the Noto Peninsula And the disaster victims prefer to stay close to their homes Ishikawa Governor Hiroshi Hase said the prefecture will try to have all applicants move into their preferred temporary housing units by the end of August The New Year’s Day earthquake destroyed 8,400 houses and damaged more than 75,000 homes At least 8,100 people were living as evacuees as of March 29 Noriaki Kagawa says he “felt abandoned” after his house in Anamizu was destroyed in the Jan moved from one shelter to another over three months They had evacuated to the third floor of the town government’s office building and stayed at relatives’ homes on other occasions Kagawa searched for a temporary housing unit or any other place where they could try to settle down The couple took “secondary evacuation” at a hotel in Kanazawa in mid-March but they had to vacate the room at the end of the month He was relieved to learn that he and his wife would be able to move into a temporary housing unit near his home at the end of March Restoration work on roads and water systems has been difficult which has slowed progress on building the temporary housing The head of a construction company said workers commute two and a half hours each way from the southern part of the prefecture to the temporary housing construction site the company is suffering from a labor shortage and it costs (the company) a lot to pay for overtime,” the boss said Wajima Mayor Shigeru Sakaguchi said the prefectural government has been making efforts I honestly feel that it has been taking a long time,” he said The 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes in Kyushu destroyed a similar number of houses (This article was written by Yuichi Nobira 19,000 homes remain without water 2 months after Noto quake Policy to lodge reconstruction workers in Noto announced Ishikawa moves quake evacuees into temporary units in Wajima Quake evacuees face relocation as Shinkansen extension nears 14,000 survivors still evacuating one month after Noto quake Parts of Anamizu Town in Ishikawa Prefecture have been without running water since the New Year's Day earthquake The Self-Defense Forces have been providing temporary public bathing facilities but now the prefectural amenities have reopened Most of the damaged water pipes in the area have been restored including those at the Nono Fureai Cultural Center which has large bathrooms open to the public after nearly three months out of action The Self-Defense Forces will close the bathing facility that had been set up in front of the Anamizu General Hospital "I'm happy we can finally provide a bath for everyone We hope people will continue to use the baths until their homes are restored." The public baths are open daily from 1:00 p.m and will remain free of charge to those affected by the disaster until May 31 High-functioning containers equipped with toilets power generators and water purification systems are proving invaluable in areas affected by the Jan Transport and Tourism is advocating the use of these containers to enhance the disaster-relief capabilities of roadside stations due to their versatility and ease of installation.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); A container toilet installed at the roadside station in the town of Anamizu features a microbial purification system and solar power generation The demolition of buildings damaged by the Noto Peninsula earthquake has generated 2.44 million tons of disaster waste the Ishikawa prefectural government reported on Feb The estimated volume is roughly equivalent to seven years of the prefecture’s annual waste generation The prefectural government is considering maritime transport to process the waste over a wide area aiming to complete disposal by the end of fiscal 2025 Officials calculated the amount of waste based on the estimated 50,644 buildings that were completely or partially destroyed in the prefecture The waste volume also includes wrecked furniture and household goods It is expected that 17 of the prefecture’s 19 municipalities have disaster waste in need of removal The prefecture’s total waste volume of around 2.44 million tons is equivalent to about two Tokyo Domes filled with water Officials said that around 60 percent of the volume will be generated from severely damaged municipalities--Wajima Noto and Anamizu--where approximately 30,000 buildings are estimated to be completely or partially destroyed The amount is equivalent to 59 years’ worth of those areas’ annual waste generation Suzu is estimated to have the highest number of buildings completely or partially destroyed at 10,940 It will generate 576,000 tons of disaster waste equivalent to 132 years of the city’s usual waste generation Anamizu is expected to produce 275,000 tons equivalent to 96 years of waste for the town while Wajima will likely produce 349,000 tons The 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes generated 3.11 million tons of disaster waste while the 2007 Noto Peninsula earthquake resulted in 250,000 tons The Ishikawa prefectural government wants to ask the central government to reduce the financial burden on depopulated municipalities while utilizing subsidies for disaster waste disposal projects Cities and towns in quake-hit areas welcome volunteers Radioactive waste stuck at 830 sites with nowhere to go Now counting the cost of rare tornado that hit Shizuoka Disposing of Fukushima waste proving to be an uphill battle Mourners of 1995 Kobe quake pray for recovery of Noto residents The transport ministry will support installing portable containers equipped with restrooms and showers to michi no eki (roadside rest stations) across the country to enhance their functions for post-disaster relief The ministry will provide municipalities and companies with interest-free loans to cover part of the costs of installation to help more michi no eki stations use such containers which trucks can carry.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); A container with two restroom stalls costs about ¥30 million Municipalities can receive state loans to cover half the cost of purchase and installation Companies can receive loans for 25% of costs each from the central government and municipalities The Cabinet Office will establish a system in fiscal 2025 to register portable containers as disaster response vehicles to keep track of their stock levels across the country Municipalities and companies that receive the loans will be asked to register their containers Portable containers installed at evacuation centers after the powerful earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula in January 2024 were used for multiple purposes The ministry hopes that michi no eki containers will be used as hubs for mobile medical services or retail space in ordinary times so that they will help resolve regional problems Tuesday World Subscribers only In Zurich the leaf blower war or the anti-'woke' backlash World Subscribers only Germany's Friedrich Merz is embracing pragmatism World Subscribers only Trump-Carney meeting: Canada seeks reconciliation World Subscribers only Friedrich Merz bets on two private sector converts to revive the German economy and reform the state World Subscribers only Founder of Sant'Egidio community fears next pope could undo Francis's legacy Opinion Subscribers only 'Russian gas and Europe is an old story that ended badly Economy Subscribers only Europe's steel industry flattened by crisis World Subscribers only How European countries plan to fund defense efforts France Subscribers only Macron announces citizens' convention on school schedules France Subscribers only 21 charged over French prison attacks as investigation narrows in on drug traffickers France Subscribers only French mosque stabber was driven by 'morbid fascination,' prosecutor says France Subscribers only At the trial of Kim Kardashian's robbers Videos World expos: From Paris 1855 to Osaka 2025 Videos How the Trump administration is attacking scientific research in the US Videos Tesla cars set on fire in Las Vegas as calls to boycott Musk's company grow worldwide Videos Can France's nuclear deterrent protect Europe Opinion Subscribers only 'The American dream is dying' Opinion Subscribers only John Bolton: 'The term chaos is commonly used to describe the top of the Defense Department' Opinion Subscribers only 'It is pointless to imagine a significant wave of American academics leaving' Magazine Subscribers only Tracking down the pianos taken from French Jews during the Nazi Occupation Magazine Subscribers only Eve Rodsky the American helping couples balance the mental load Magazine Subscribers only Desecration or more glory Joan Didion's private diaries are revealed Magazine Subscribers only For Jewish cartoonist Joann Sfar 2025."> Pixels Subscribers only Golden Owl solution is revealed but leaves players of 31-year hunt disappointed Pixels Subscribers only Secrets of decades-long Golden Owl treasure hunt to be revealed Lifestyle Inside Chanel's French leather workshops Culture Subscribers only The marvelous bronzes of Angkor on display at the Musée Guimet in Paris More than 200 people were still unaccounted for 11 people were reported trapped under two homes that collapsed in Anamizu Wajima city has recorded the highest number of deaths with 69 More than 200 people were still unaccounted for The work of thousands of rescue workers has been hampered by bad weather − snow was forecast for Sunday − and roads torn apart by gaping cracks and blocked by an estimated 1,000 landslides Two elderly women were pulled from the wreckage of their homes on Thursday in the badly hit city of Wajima on the Noto peninsula but since there has been no reason for cheer a dog barked while an AFP team filmed the clean-up operation on Friday Houses containing any fatalities that are discovered are being marked and left alone until a coroner can come with relatives to identify the body "We sincerely pray for the repose of the souls of those who have passed away," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on X he told ministers "urgently and swiftly" to repair roads to help hundreds of people in cut-off areas In an unusual gesture from nearby North Korea leader Kim Jong Un sent a message of condolence to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida the official Korean Central News Agency reported Saturday Japan earlier received messages expressing sympathy and promises of aid from US President Joe Biden and other allies Around 23,800 households were without electricity in Ishikawa region and more than 66,400 without running water Power and water outages have also affected hospitals and facilities for taking care of elderly and disabled people More than 30,000 people were in 357 government shelters Japan experiences hundreds of earthquakes every year and most cause no damage with strict building codes in place for more than four decades Lecture du Monde en cours sur un autre appareil Vous pouvez lire Le Monde sur un seul appareil à la fois Ce message s’affichera sur l’autre appareil Parce qu’une autre personne (ou vous) est en train de lire Le Monde avec ce compte sur un autre appareil Vous ne pouvez lire Le Monde que sur un seul appareil à la fois (ordinateur En cliquant sur « Continuer à lire ici » et en vous assurant que vous êtes la seule personne à consulter Le Monde avec ce compte Que se passera-t-il si vous continuez à lire ici Ce dernier restera connecté avec ce compte Vous pouvez vous connecter avec votre compte sur autant d’appareils que vous le souhaitez mais en les utilisant à des moments différents Nous vous conseillons de modifier votre mot de passe Votre abonnement n’autorise pas la lecture de cet article merci de contacter notre service commercial Noto Tetsudo railway in Ishikawa Prefecture resumed train service Saturday along its entire 33.1-kilometer route which was suspended in the wake of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent Temporary restoration work on the 16.8-kilometer section between Notonakajima Station and Anamizu Station was completed which provides transportation services for the daily lives of local residents finally resumed all services three months after the earthquake Passengers boarded the trains with relieved expressions on their faces the entire Noto Tetsudo line had been out of service because surface of the ground had risen causing the rails to become uneven and dirt to fly into the tunnels At a reopening ceremony held at Anamizu Station shortly before 6 a.m. “Resuming services symbolizes people’s bonds and hope for the future.” the first train of the day departed with local residents on board Passengers waved to people along the tracks and enjoyed the scenery along Nanao Bay A civil servant in Anamizu Town who rode the train with his family said with a smile as my 4-year-old son and I had often come here for fun I feel happy because the train line has been fully restored I could see the scenery through the train windows for the first time in a long time.” Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun Ishikawa — Sumo wrestler and Ishikawa Prefecture native Endo returned to his earthquake-devastated hometown of Anamizu on Tuesday where he and three others from the sumo world encouraged evacuees staying in a local shelter “I believe things will surely return to normal,” Endo told the 120 people staying in the municipal community center serving as a shelter 13 maegashira in the uppermost makuuchi division who comes from the town of Tsubata in the prefecture; second-tier juryo wrestler Kagayaki from the city of Nanao; and sumo elder Takenawa “He swept my fatigue away and boosted my spirits,” said a 75-year-old man from Anamizu after having a commemorative photo taken with Endo The four also visited shelters in Nanao and the town of Uchinada on Tuesday Officials in Ishikawa Prefecture's Wajima City have launched free bus services to assist residents affected by the New Year's Day earthquake The temporary services start and finish at Wajima Municipal Hospital and run along five routes that include stops at evacuation centers and other key sites Each route has three services per day on weekdays The city is encouraging people to use the buses not only for hospital visits the city is temporarily offering buses services that connect to destinations outside the city Buses between Wajima Station and Anamizu General Hospital in Anamizu Town are running eight times a day and buses between Anamizu General Hospital and Sojiji Temple in the city are running four times a day The Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture sets roughly midway on the main island of Honshū jutting into the Sea of Japan like an upturned thumb Its two coastlines offer intriguingly different scenery with dramatic rock formations and sheer cliffs on the west and placid shores on the east Visitors to the eastern section of the peninsula can enjoy a leisurely tour on the sightseeing train Noto Satoyama Satoumi which runs along the calm waters of Nanao Bay The train makes its journey between Nanao and Anamizu Stations at the leisurely pace 20 minutes longer than the regular local train and offering picturesque views of farmland Nanao Station the starting point for the Satoyama Satoumi is 1 hour and 30 minutes from Kanazawa Station on the IR Ishikawa Railway Nanao Line Trains on the IR Ishikawa Railway sport deep blue livery evoking the waters of the Sea of Japan featuring delicate Tatsuruhama wood latticework and decorative panels resplendent in Wajima lacquer The rail cars include gallery space for showcasing traditional crafts Passengers can reserve a bentō for their trip featuring sushi from Wakura Onsen’s famed Nobuzushi (train fare + ¥3,050) A selection of sweets is also available by prior reservation (train fare + ¥2,030) The train makes a 15-minute stop at Noto Nakajima Station where sightseeing passengers can alight and experience the history of the line by visiting a retired railway mail car displayed on a siding The railway mail car one of only two still remaining in the country The mail sorting space inside the car Stamped postcards placed in the mailbox there will be delivered with a special postmark After leaving Noto Nakajima, the train weaves through satoyama scenery before Nanao Bay comes into view again and the train makes brief stops at three scenic spots along the way The car has four-person box seats as well as seats facing outward so that passengers can comfortably enjoy the view Fukaura fishing port lies in a calm inlet A traditional fishing stand overlooks Nanao Sea’s calm Migrating swans winter on marshland around Nanao Bay With barely time to drift off as they are lulled by the peaceful scenery oyster lovers can partake of their favorite treat This eatery is operated by the railway and offers seating alongside the platform or above the tracks on the passenger overpass Farmed oysters normally take two or three years until they can be harvested but thanks to the abundant plankton in Nanao Bay local oysters are ready for market in just one year Atsuatsu-tei is open every year from mid-January to mid-March on weekends and public holidays It is exclusive to Noto Satoyama Satoumi train passengers A suggested itinerary for exploring Oku Noto is to travel from Nanao or Wakura Onsen to Anamizu by rail and head from there to Wajima by bus return to Anamizu by bus the next day and travel on to Nanao by local train A two-day excursion ticket costing ¥3,000 is good for travel on the Noto Railway and Oku Noto buses and allows unlimited stops along the way Wajima is famous for its beautiful lacquerware and lively morning market The Shiroyone Senmaida terraced rice paddies just 20 minutes from Wajima Station by bus Carved into a hillside sloping down to the Sea of Japan the Shiroyone Senmaida are a distinctive sight at any time of year when snow traces the outlines of the paddies The intricate geometric pattern formed by the rice paddies is the star attraction of the Noto Satoyama Satoumi the first site in Japan to be registered under the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems designation The four-hectare slope facing the sea holds 1,004 rice paddies the smallest of which is only 50 centimeters square from planting seedlings to harvesting the rice as the paddies are too small to accommodate farm machinery The Aze no Kirameki illumination event takes place every year from late October to early March and features 25,000 solar-powered LED lights outlining the paddies’ contours Stopping to take in the sunset on Nanao Bay on the way back from Wajima is another way to enjoy Oku Noto’s beauty it is a 20-minute walk to the center of the hot spring resort there is a free footbath fed by the area’s thermal springs from where visitors can leisurely soak their feet while watching through the pine trees the sun set over Noto Island The train makes its return trip in autumn’s late afternoon light Train attendants on the Noto Satoyama Satoumi Banner photo: The Noto Satoyama Satoumi sightseeing train rolls through the Oku Noto countryside The cars’ dark blue bodies evoke the deep blue waters of the Sea of Japan and their mirrored finish reminds of the region’s traditional black roof tiles All photos © Noto Railway unless otherwise noted.) some factories were forced to halt operations for an extended period due to extensive damage managed a quick recovery thanks to prepared business continuity plans (BCP) which aim to minimize damage while maintaining essential operations and expediting recovery as much as possible in the event of emergencies A factory of Murata Manufacturing Co.’s subsidiary in Anamizu where a tremor registered an upper 6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 must suspend operations until May for repairs to buildings and equipment Murata Manufacturing had formulated BCPs at every domestic plant under the leadership of its top management the company strengthened the review of its action plans and damage assumptions 10 of its 13 factories in three prefectures in the Hokuriku region have resumed operations with one more expected to follow suit this month But some factories faced delays in resuming operations set to restart in March and the other in Anamizu in May a major bearing manufacturer in Shika in the same prefecture where the seismic intensity reached 7 plans to partially resume operations in April has yet to announce when full restoration of its group company’s factory in the same town might be possible the largest domestic manufacturer of reeds--essential components for weaving looms--managed to restart production about a week after the earthquake The company’s Yoshikawa factory in Nakanoto which exports 70 percent of its production overseas was hit by a tremor measuring a lower 6 in seismic intensity Production equipment in the factory collapsed but most of the hundreds of reeds in production remained intact due to routinely securing objects with belts in preparation for earthquakes Having a BCP in place also enabled a swift initial response the company confirmed the safety of all 85 employees and set up a recovery task force in accordance with the BCP “Looms cannot operate without reeds,” said Toru Takayama The government introduced the approval system of the Business Continuity Enhancement Plan in fiscal 2019 to encourage small and midsize companies to prepare for disasters in advance Certified companies are eligible for support such as preferential tax treatment and priority access to subsidies a transportation company based in Noto Peninsula that operates charter and school buses The company developed its BCP after discussions with an instructor dispatched through the local chamber of commerce The plan covers not only employees’ safety checks and seismic reinforcement such as securing alternative production sites and a cash flow “I envisioned all the first actions I should take clearly in my mind,” said Ryuichi Hoshiba he confirmed the safety of the 10 employees along with the condition of the office and the five buses As the office was equipped with a portable power generator Hoshiba could quickly boot up the computers Some of the employees had their homes completely destroyed or lost family members The bus transported people stranded at Noto Airport to Kanazawa The shuttle service for Chiba city officials who are assisting in the disaster-affected area the company also considered financial management in the event of a business interruption--how much of their own funds would be needed and how to obtain a loan The company said it was able to simulate this disruption before the earthquake we would have focused only on operating buses and might have run out of funds in two months,” Hoshiba said (This article was written by Kenta Nakamura Trapped water could be behind quake swarm in Ishikawa Magnitude-6.3 earthquake causes damage in Ishikawa Risk of major Noto quake still 100 times greater than normal Strong quake rattles the Noto Peninsula and nearby areas Damage from Noto earthquake estimated to hit 2.6 trillion yen law-abiding drivers on a 1.2-kilometer stretch of the Noto-Satoyama Kaido Expressway in Ishikawa Prefecture are treated to a song that comes from below The melody of “Marezora,” the opening song for “Mare,” a Japan Broadcasting Corp plays for a minute when the motorist follows the speed limit of 70 kph The music is generated through the friction between the vehicle’s tires and small grooves carved into the hard surface of the road They promote traffic safety by encouraging drivers not to speed and preventing them from nodding off while keeping the roads from getting icy Japan has several dozen musical road sections many of which are installed on roads with a speed limit of 40 kph The one in Ishikawa Prefecture on the Noto Peninsula is the only musical road in the three-prefecture Hokuriku region Locally known as “Otonomichi” (path of sound) the section runs between the Besshodake service area straddling Nanao and Anamizu and the Koshinohara Interchange in Anamizu bound for Wajima According to the prefectural government’s Nakanoto Civil Engineering General Office the cost of installation was about 48 million yen ($320,000) It was the longest musical road in Japan when it was completed in 2015 The section requires no particular maintenance It has also not been criticized by severe music critics or neighbors demanding peace and quiet a civil engineering firm based in Shibetsu set up the first musical road in 2004 when it created a section that plays “Shiretoko Ryojo” in Shibetsu a vehicle acts like the needle of a record player and the parallel cuts in the road are like grooves on a vinyl album ranges and melodies can be made through adjustments to the spacing of the grooves After obtaining a patent for the technology and the trademark for “melody road,” Shinoda Kougyo installed many musical sections in and outside Japan we would lie down on the ground to mark dots and etch grooves with a push-along cutter,” Takeshi Shinoda it has been replaced by digital technology and a specialized machine to produce more complex melodies.” It takes as little as a week to make a musical road and about a month to create an elaborate one Musical roads are installed at the discretion of local government road management authorities Notable ones include a section of the Biwa-Ohashi bridge in Shiga Prefecture which plays “Biwako Shuko no Uta,” a stretch of a prefectural road in Sakaiminato where motorists can hear the theme song of the “Gegege no Kitaro” anime show and an old segment of a national route in Nago But Gunma Prefecture has the most musical roads Ten melody lines were installed there about 10 years ago as part of a tourism-promotion campaign a musical road was created in April this year along Daiichi Irohazaka ahead of the Group of Seven meeting of gender equality and women’s empowerment ministers in June The song played is Godiego’s “Monkey Magic,” which has been covered by artists around the world in tribute to the three wise monkeys at Nikko Toshogu Shrine a mountain road with many sharp curves and other difficult features has been the site of speeding and skidding accidents in winter Prefectural officials came up with the musical road idea as a countermeasure “We weren’t motivated by (adjacent) Gunma Prefecture,” an official said Toyama and Fukui prefectures are planning no musical roads The town office of Naganohara in Gunma Prefecture spent about 15 million yen to install a musical road that played “Ah But the municipality received noise complaints from nearby holiday homes and was forced to remove the singing section just over a year after it was completed But several passers-by reported the road wasn’t producing good sounds for the song The prefectural government decided to remove the section after 12 years because it would take too much effort to repair it “The road was falling into disrepair due to abrasion and cracks because it can be covered with snow,” an official said There have been no noise or other complaints about Otonomichi And there have been no reported accidents there since it was installed Ishikawa Prefecture said it has no immediate plans to install a new musical road making it difficult to drive at a constant speed It requires skill to play the steady melody in the latter half of the song Hong Kong protest song disappears from music streaming sites Fukushima evacuee to release song on 3/11 anniversary still spinning Western tunes on Miyazaki radio “It has been over 40 hours since the earthquake and there continue to be many reports of people who need rescue,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told a news conference on Wednesday morning “We must keep in mind that this is a race against time and continue to put all our labor into rescue efforts After the so-called golden 72 hours following an earthquake the survival rate drops significantly.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); there had been around 130 requests for the rescue of people buried under collapsed buildings there were over 72 requests for rescue that had yet to be answered an estimated total of over 60 people were isolated and cut off from any aid Here are scenes from Day 3 after the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that devastated parts of the scenic Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture on New Year's Day After giving up the corporate life for one on the road Japanese "campervangelist" Ikuma Nakagawa came to realize he wanted to help others experience the enlightenment #vanlife brings he found an idyllic locale to set up a hub where like-minded travelers can enjoy the best of their four-wheeled accommodations opened the Inaka Backpacker House in rural Anamizu in Ishikawa Prefecture dubbed Japan's first "livable" campervan facility people who choose to travel in a way popularized on Instagram with the hashtag #vanlife can park up and enjoy the rural charms of the fishing village that so captivated Nakagawa The idea was born from Nakagawa's days backpacking around the Japanese countryside nearly 10 years ago convenience and even creature comforts van life can allow Nakagawa joined forces with Tokyo-based start-up Carstay Inc. which operates peer-to-peer RV parking spaces and the "Vanlife" campervan-sharing platform to create his version of a travelers' paradise a portmanteau used to describe the practice of living or traveling in a vehicle that is also one's temporary or permanent home has boomed in popularity as people increasingly pursue a relatively simple The development of modern technology has also given many a way to work while on the road with just a laptop and internet connection affording them the freedom to choose an office with a view "This is a lifestyle where it is possible to be both mobile and settled in the way you live," said Nakagawa "I want to promote it and at the same time promote Okunoto," he said referring to the northern part of the Noto peninsula where Anamizu is located The facility consists of a remodeled traditional rural share house and a parking area for campervans allowing people to work and live at the site for a short period One of the selling points for travelers is how cheap a stay at the campervan site is while also extolling the benefits of escaping into a "non-urban" lifestyle Nakagawa explains that facilities like his that can support people who wish to stay in a campervan for a long period are still rare in Japan A stopover at Inaka Backpacker House will set travelers back 7,000 yen for seven days with the charge covering all the facilities on site While the #vanlife community is still relatively new to Japan it is well established in places like the United States Like it has done to all other types of travel the coronavirus pandemic has proved a roadblock to van nomads as locals worry about imported infections Nakagawa also admitted to being hesitant to take in people lately unless he is confident they are showing no signs of COVID-19 I was really conflicted due to corona," he wrote on his blog about welcoming in April a couple driving a van displaying a Yokohama license plate requesting they keep their distance from people in the village for the time being and wear masks Nakagawa believes more travelers will seek fixed locations where they can stay for a little longer than the relatively short-term stops allowed at roadside rest areas and auto campsites that only permit naps or overnight stays life on the road is glorified via Instagram with people sharing their travels to beautiful spots with the #vanlife hashtag -- totaling some 7.3 million posts on the platform there are over 4,000 posts on Instagram that include the #vanlifejapan hashtag showing people who have chosen four wheels to holiday or travel in various parts of the country Nakagawa was born in Tokyo and raised in neighboring Kanagawa Prefecture But he left Japan to study in the United States for high school and university who described the United States as a country where "individual opinions are respected." That experience led him to realize that "It may be good to take a road different from that of other people." he worked for a decade as a publicist for various companies before quitting the corporate life in 2010 to embark on a two-and-a-half-year backpacking journey across Japan seeking a life free of the typical Japanese hustle and bustle He discovered van life suited him as he traipsed across Hokkaido in northern Japan Nakagawa set up a Toyota HiAce van as his "mobile base-camp" and realized that a full-time van life was not only possible He may have to some extent given up the life of a nomad when he laid down roots with his family in Anamizu but he did so while allowing others to live out their dreams of life on the road he takes great pleasure in promoting the charms of the local area to anyone who passes through "I wish to share the fascination of Okunoto with everyone By offering a practical experience that is also enriching I hope to show people how they can enhance their lifestyles," Nakagawa said To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription Please check your inbox for a confirmation email Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible have been forced to use classrooms in the nearby junior high school building after their own were damaged in the Noto Peninsula earthquake they're giving up their time to tutor their younger peers a group of Anamizu High School students stayed behind to help third graders in English and math Teachers at Anamizu Junior High School say the younger students are suffering from anxiety due to the quake and upcoming high school entrance exams but the guidance they're getting from the older students is putting them at ease Japan Post is now accepting mail packages for residents in quake-hit areas with eight post offices open in Ishikawa Prefecture's Wajima City People will need to collect the packages in person as delivery services remain suspended due to extensive damage to post office buildings and other facilities during the Noto Peninsula earthquake on New Year's Day packages can be sent from anywhere in Japan to the following post offices: The Anamizu Post Office is operating out of a temporary facility on the same premises as its damaged building Japan Post is requesting that mailers contact addressees to let them know a package is on its way People are also encouraged to monitor tracking numbers By Makoto Akino and Susumu Miyajima / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers KANAZAWA — As the death toll in Ishikawa Prefecture from the Noto Peninsula Earthquake exceeded 100 Saturday search for missing persons continued in many quake-stricken areas A 52-year-old man watched rescue operations in Anamizu praying for the safety of his seven family members who were stuck under the debris of the collapsed house of his wife’s parents Three buildings collapsed due to a landslide at the site leaving five men and women dead as of Saturday evening including four family members and three relatives of Naoyuki Teramoto an employee at a support facility for the disabled in Kanazawa The Teramotos had traditionally spent the New Year’s holiday at the home of the parents of Teramoto’s wife Hiromi Hiromi went to the home with the couple’s eldest son Ryusei and their elementary school-age child had also gathered there where Hiromi’s parents Teramoto was scheduled to join them in the evening of Jan He exchanged New Year’s messages with his family members on a LINE group as soon as the new year started As he was about to leave Kanazawa in the evening He called Hiromi many times but could not get through Since the area around her parents’ house always had poor cell phone reception he said he first thought they must have been able to evacuate safely he became more worried as he was unable to contact anyone in his family After contacting the town office and prefectural police Teramoto learned that Hiromi’s parents’ house had collapsed due to a landslide He had to wait until Friday morning to leave Kanazawa by car since roads were blocked or closed in many places due to the earthquake Having arrived at the site on Friday evening after driving over rough roads he was left dazed after seeing the destruction The house had been swept away by earth and sand and utility poles around the house were destroyed he continued to watch rescue operations by firefighters believing that his family members will be safely rescued Hiromi’s parents and Shunki were found in the debris Shunki’s body was so badly damaged that Teramoto was only able to recognize him by his clothes Teramoto said he could not move for a while because of the huge sense of loss “I will watch over the rescue operations to the end I want to see the New Year with everyone once again,” he tearfully said Click here for the Noto Peninsula Earthquake Articles Oahu Junior Golf Association held its 20th annual Guinea Kop Memorial Golf Tournament at Pearl Country Club Funds raised benefit juniors of the nonprofit OJGA providing competitive tournament play for junior golfers on Oahu Photos by Nathalie Walker nwalker@midweek.com A strong magnitude 5.7 earthquake hit 52 km (32 mi) away from Nanao, Ishikawa-ken,  Japan The quake had a very shallow depth of 9 km (5.6 mi) and was felt over a large region The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicenter than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would.