Survivors hope for a new dawn one year after the Noto earthquake

It's been a year since a massive earthquake struck Japan's Noto Peninsula on New Year's Day. Survivors paused to remember their loved ones at a public memorial service on Wednesday.

“I am devastated by this sudden event.”

Kobayashi Yukiko represented the bereaved families at the event. Her father, Yuichi, died when the earthquake struck. It also destroyed her family's store, which had been standing for more than 130 years.

Kobayashi Yukiko, representative of the victims' families: The New Year's Day earthquake immediately turned our store into a pile of rubble. Not only that, my parents' house nearby was also destroyed and I lost my beloved father under the rubble. He was dedicated to his work and supporting our family. He always watched us with a kind smile. I was devastated and overwhelmed by this sudden event.

Kobayashi said she considered not reopening the store. But she said her neighbors supported her with their kind words. Currently, she has restarted the family business in the city's temporary shopping street.

Kobayashi Yukiko: For now, it's just baby steps, but I hope to protect our store with my husband and keep moving forward with our neighbors. This is my way of showing gratitude to my parents and giving back to my community.

Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru also attended the ceremony. He said that his country is committed to the recovery and reconstruction of the region.

Ishiba Shigeru, Prime Minister of Japan: I am deeply pained by the profound grief felt by the grieving families who lost their loved ones and by the regret of those who were victims of the two disasters. It is truly a source of tremendous pain and an overwhelming feeling of sadness. In order to restore the vibrant cities here and the smiles of its people, the government will work as one entity to rebuild these lives and livelihoods, and restore the damaged areas.

Residents prayed for peace and healing

January 1 marks one year since a massive earthquake struck Japan's Noto Peninsula. Although the scars of the disaster remain, many hope that the new year will also mark a new beginning.

Residents and volunteers in Wajima City celebrated the New Year at a local shrine. It was damaged by the earthquake and repairs are still ongoing. The visitors said they prayed for peace and recovery of the area.

A man in his 70s who lost his entire home in the disaster said he prays for Wajima to recover, for people to return and for the population to grow, so that the city can prosper.

A woman in her 30s said she would like to make this year a year where people can return to their normal lives and live happily.

The 7.6-magnitude earthquake killed 504 people in Ishikawa, Toyama and Niigata prefectures in central Japan.

Then came the second blow last September, when heavy rains fell on the Noto region, killing 16 people.

Disasters have hit some people particularly hard. A man in his 60s lost his home and the Japanese restaurant he ran for 35 years. Now, he lives alone in a temporary house in Wajima City.

He said the hardest part is that he still can't work and it's really frustrating. He added that he wants to cook food and go back to work, but things are not going well.

More than 2,100 earthquakes have struck the Noto region since the 2024 New Year's Day earthquake

The Japan Meteorological Agency says that more than 2,100 tremors of magnitude 1 or higher have been recorded in the Noto area in Ishikawa Prefecture in central Japan, since a devastating earthquake occurred there on January 1, 2024.

The magnitude of the earthquake reached 7.6, and its maximum intensity was measured at 7 in Wajima City and Shika Town on the Japanese seismic scale from zero to seven.

Seismic activity has been active in the Noto area since 2020. Since the major earthquake that occurred last year, the number of tremors in and around the area has increased.

Some of them were strong. In November, a 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck off the west coast of Ishikawa Prefecture. The strength of the tremor was less than 5 degrees in the governorate.

Agency officials say earthquakes have occurred less frequently overall, but it is difficult to predict when seismic activity will decline to levels seen before 2020.

Officials called on area residents to be cautious.

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