Latest news with #NotoPeninsulaEarthquake
Yomiuri Shimbun
18-07-2025
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Noto Peninsula Quake-Damaged Tunnel in Ishikawa Pref. Reopens After 18 Months; Residents Upbeat About Shortened Travel Time
WAJIMA, Ishikawa —A vital quake-damaged road including a tunnel reopened on Thursday after being closed for 18 months following the Noto Peninsula Earthquake in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture. Nakaya Tunnel measures 1.3-kilometers and is on National Highway Route 249 in the prefecture. The tunnel sustained damage, including the collapse of its concrete inner walls, during the earthquake. Just before the repairs were completed, subsequent heavy rains caused the surrounding slopes to collapse on Sept. 21, once again rendering the tunnel impassable. Residents, who have been eagerly awaiting its reopening, expressed hope that it would boost recovery efforts. The tunnel was part of a 5.5-kilometer section that was restored by the Hokuriku Regional Development Bureau of the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry. The opening of this vital artery — the sole main road connecting the Monzen district of Wajima City to the city center — will shorten travel time by up to 20 minutes compared to the detour route. 'The roads are still damaged, but it will be easier to get to shopping and hospitals,' said a 78-year-old man from the city.
Asahi Shimbun
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
LDP committee chair to resign over ‘fortunate' quake remark
Criticized from all sides, the chair of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's Upper House Budget Committee decided to resign from the post for a remark that angered survivors of the deadly Noto Peninsula Earthquake. Yosuke Tsuruho, 58, has already submitted his resignation letter to the LDP's Upper House speaker, according to a senior party member. But Tsuruho earlier denied he would vacate his Upper House seat or leave the party, saying, 'At present, I am not thinking that far.' Tsuruho made the offensive comment in a speech in support of an LDP candidate for the Upper House election in Wakayama on July 8. He said efforts to create 'two-region lifestyles,' in which people can have two different bases of living, had progressed after the Noto Peninsula Earthquake on New Year's Day last year. 'Fortunately, there was an earthquake in Noto,' he said. Tsuruho was criticized as insensitive by disaster victims as well as ruling and opposition party members. He also received a stern warning from Hiroshi Moriyama, the LDP secretary-general. Tsuruho issued a statement of apology and retracted the statement later on July 8. 'I did not mean to imply that the Noto region was lucky to have been hit by the disaster,' he said. 'I deeply regret my lack of consideration for the victims and my inadequate words, and I apologize and withdraw my comment.' He also held a news conference on the following day to apologize. Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, criticized Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba over the Tsuruho incident. After Tsuruho's decision to resign became known, Noda told reporters on July 12: 'There was a sense that he left (the matter) to the Upper House and LDP leaders. It is regrettable that we did not see any leadership from (Ishiba).' Tetsuo Saito, leader of Komeito, the LDP's junior coalition partner, said, 'It is only natural that (Tsuruho) should resign' from the post. 'Considering the seriousness of what he said, he should have made a decision earlier,' Saito said. Tsuruho was first elected to the Upper House in 1998 in the Wakayama prefectural district. He is currently serving his fifth term in the Diet chamber.
Yomiuri Shimbun
05-07-2025
- General
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Giant Kiriko Lantern Festival Kicks Off in Quake-Stricken Noto; Participants Carry Floats, Chant to Raise Enthusiasm for Reconstruction
Giant kiriko lantern floats paraded on Friday through the Ushitsu district in Noto, Ishikawa Prefecture, which was hit hard by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake last year. All 36 of the city's community associations took part in the traditional two-day Abare Festival, the first in a series of Kiriko Festivals, this year. Last year, four of them were unable to participate due to the disaster. The participants' chants echoed through the town, boosting enthusiasm for rebuilding the quake-hit area, as about 40 floats, each over six meters tall, were carried down the street. In the evening everyone gathered near the Ushitsu Pier, where torches burned high in the air. The people were all united in their desire to revive the Noto area.
Yomiuri Shimbun
02-07-2025
- General
- Yomiuri Shimbun
118 Houses Left Damaged With No Known Owner After Noto Quake; Number Expected to Rise as Investigations Continue
KANAZAWA — At least 118 houses have been left damaged and with no known owner in six cities and towns that were severely affected by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake last year. The number of such houses is likely to rise further as these municipalities struggle to determine the exact total. It is feared that the situation will hinder reconstruction efforts if it continues for too long. The revised Civil Code that took effect in April 2023 introduced a specialized property administration system for managing unclaimed land. Under this system, interested parties can file a petition with a court to have a lawyer or a licensed land and building surveyor, depending on the circumstances of the case, appointed as the manager of a vacant building when the owner's identity or whereabouts is unknown. The Noto Peninsula Earthquake is the first case in which this system has been fully applied in a disaster area. Public funds are being used for demolition under the system, but so far only three buildings have been demolished in the Noto region. The Takojimamachi district of Suzu City is dotted with vacant lots, as public-funded demolition has made significant progress in the year and a half since the disaster. Among these lots stands a single abandoned house, with household items and fragments of wood scattered all around it. According to the district's mayor Yoshinori Kobiki, 55, the house has been in an unclaimed state since the elderly woman who lived there passed away over 10 years ago. 'Crumbling vacant houses can hinder reconstruction efforts and have a deleterious effect on public safety and the landscape,' Kobiki said. Kobiki has worked with residents to identify unclaimed disaster-damaged houses and requested the city to demolish 15 buildings, including this one, claiming that 'prompt action is necessary.' As of Friday, there are 71 damaged unclaimed houses in Wajima, 30 in Nanao, eight in Noto, four in Anamizu and three in Shika. In Suzu, there are two such houses. A city official complained: 'Figuring out who inherits ownership of them will take time and impose a significant burden. We would like to get through these investigations quickly after completing the public-funded demolitions for which applications have been submitted, but …' In principle, a house's owner must apply to have it demolished. If the owner cannot be identified, adjacent landowners or local governments can utilize the system to file a claim, and a court-appointed manager can apply for public-funded demolition. To do so, however, the applicant must investigate registration and taxation data to show that the owner genuinely cannot be identified. In the four municipalities of Wajima, Suzu, Nanao and Anamizu, a total of 34 applications have been made under the specialized property administration system, but only two buildings have been demolished in Wajima and one in Suzu. Given this limited progress, an Environment Ministry official said, 'We will make sure everyone knows about the system and support the smooth implementation of public-funded demolition.' A 2023 survey by the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry found a record 9 million vacant houses nationwide due to factors such as depopulation and aging, with 3.85 million of these being abandoned and serving no residential or rental purpose. Ishikawa Prefecture has about 87,000 vacant houses, 41,000 of which are abandoned. The number of disaster-affected unclaimed houses will likely increase as municipal surveys progress. 'Disaster-affected municipalities are short-staffed, and surveys take a considerable amount of time,' said Matsuyama University Prof. Ikuo Kurasawa, an expert on vacant houses. 'The national and prefectural governments should strengthen human support, such as dispatching specialized staff.'
Yomiuri Shimbun
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Children's Dreams to Be on Display at Osaka Expo Photo Exhibition; Two of the Children Featured Survived Noto Earthquake
French photographer Vincent Tremeau will hold an exhibition called 'One Day, I Will' at the United Nations Pavilion at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo from July 2 to 10. The photos feature children, who are facing difficulties due to conflicts or disasters, dressed up as their future selves after achieving their dreams. Two of the children featured lived through the Noto Peninsula Earthquake: second grader So Matsutani, 7, and fourth grader Yuzuki Achi, 9, both from Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture. Matsutani's dream is to become a firefighter. When the earthquake hit, he was at his grandparents' house in Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture. 'The glass door and the fish tank near the front door broke, and the room was covered with glass, water and kerosene,' said Matsutani's mother Erika. The family was worried about a tsunami, so they ran to higher ground. Matsutani was barefoot. Landslides and bridge collapses left the area isolated. More than five days passed before they could return to their home in Wajima. Matsutani was inspired by the rescue efforts of firefighters he saw in the days following the earthquake. 'If I become a firefighter, I can protect the people left behind [in the disaster area],' he said. 'I wanna become a strong firefighter.' Achi wants to become a carpenter. 'They work hard all day long, building houses for people,' she said. 'It's so cool.' The sight of damaged houses being rebuilt seems to have left an impact on her. The photo of her dressed as a carpenter, with her favorite pink towel draped around her neck, will be seen by visitors from all over the world. 'It's a little embarrassing,' Achi said. 'But it's also kinda cool.' The exhibition will have 11 panels, featuring children from 10 countries, as well as a video. Tremeau, 40, has been taking photos focusing on the dreams and hopes of children who are facing humanitarian crises for more than 10 years. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the conflict is protracted, many children dream of becoming soldiers. Tremeau said the dreams of children are affected by a society that has been created by adults. He added that he hopes the photo exhibition will be an opportunity for children and adults to talk about their dreams.
