Asbestos in Noto’s Damaged Buildings Causes Health Concerns; Volunteering Suspended, Other Measures Requested

By Tsubasa Narishima and Yuki Miyamoto / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers

12:58 JST, May 25, 2025

WAJIMA/SUZU, Ishikawa — Exposed asbestos was found in several damaged buildings in the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture, which was hit severely by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake and torrential rains last year, and restrictions have been placed on volunteering and other activities amid health concerns.

Asbestos, a fibrous mineral that could cause mesothelioma and lung cancer if inhaled, was found in the ceiling and beams of Hotel Kairakuso, a Japanese style inn in Suzu, in mid-April. The inn closed after heavy rainfall in September last year caused soil and sand to surge inside. Five or six pieces of asbestos with diameters of 3 to 10 centimeters were found broken and determined to be the highly toxic blue asbestos variety.

The Ishikawa prefectural government has asked the owner of the inn to stop accepting volunteers and to take measures to keep the asbestos contained. A notice saying “No entry except by authorized personnel” was posted at the entrance of the inn, and wood was used to block people from entering.

The central government and experts are continuing to investigate the situation and raising awareness. From February to March last year, the Environment Ministry conducted an asbestos survey on disaster-hit buildings in six municipalities. Exposed asbestos was found in 12 of the 64 buildings surveyed, and owners were instructed to take measures to prevent the fibrous mineral from being dispersed.

A team also surveyed buildings in Nanao and Wajima in the prefecture on May 6. The team was led by Fuyushi Nagakura, secretary general of the Tokyo-based non-profit organization Mesothelioma, Pneumoconiosis, and Asbestos Center, and Shigeharu Nakachi, professor of environmental chemistry at Kumamoto Gakuen University.

In Nanao, exposed asbestos was found in a building scheduled to be demolished with public funds. The team asked the prefectural government to take such measures as covering the building with blue sheets.

As of the end of April, about 26,000 buildings in the prefecture had been demolished with public funds, according to the prefectural government. Another 14,000 buildings are scheduled to be demolished in the same way by October. The prefectural government is calling on demolition contractors to wear dust masks and take other measures.