Japan Marks 1 Year of Huge Noto Peninsula Earthquake

Jiji Press

11:27 JST, January 1, 2025

WAJIMA, Ishikawa (Jiji Press) — Japan on Wednesday marked the first anniversary of a massive earthquake in the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture that has left more than 500 people dead.

Most of the people affected by the disaster have returned to their homes or moved into temporary housing, and are working to rebuild their lives.

The death toll from the 7.6-magnitude temblor came to 504, according to data as of Friday from the Ishikawa prefectural government and other sources.

Of them, 228 people died for direct causes, such as being hit by tsunami and collapsed buildings, while 276 lost their lives due to indirect causes, including those who died during evacuation.

Municipalities on the Noto Peninsula were also hit hard by heavy rains in September last year.

The number of evacuees from the Jan. 1, 2024, quake, which peaked at some 34,000 at one point, has decreased to 28. A total of 6,882 temporary housing units for those afflicted by the temblor were completed by December.

Evacuees from the torrential rains, totaling 221, are expected to start moving into temporary housing around late March this year.

Among major roads cut off by the earthquake, the Noetsu Expressway, linking Ishikawa and the neighboring prefecture of Toyama, and National Route 249 in Ishikawa were fully reopened in July and December 2024, respectively. Water outages have been almost fully resolved.

Work to remove destroyed and damaged buildings using public money is expected to be completed in October 2025.

Meanwhile, disaster-affected municipalities in Ishikawa have logged major outflows of residents.

The city of Wajima saw its population decrease about 9% in the 11 months after the powerful earthquake. In particular, 18 pct of its residents aged under 40 left the city.

According to the Ishikawa prefectural government, about 80% of disaster-hit businesses in six municipalities in the Noto region have resumed operations. But some are hesitant to fully restart operations due to uncertainties over progress in postdisaster reconstruction and the lack of successors.

Reconstruction of the region faces a host of challenges, such as restoring damaged farmlands and rebuilding affected accommodation facilities.

On Wednesday, the Ishikawa prefectural government is scheduled to hold a memorial ceremony, in which about 460 participants, including bereaved relatives and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, will offer prayers for the victims of the earthquake and heavy rains.