KANAZAWA, Japan – Japan on Thursday marked two years since a powerful earthquake rocked the Noto Peninsula in central Japan, killing over 200 people and severely damaging thousands of houses, with locals hopeful that recovery will continue to progress.
A memorial service hosted by Ishikawa Prefecture will be held in the hard-hit city of Wajima. Participants will observe 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 a 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.
AloJapan.com