Six Months After the Noto Peninsula Earthquake: A Photographer’s Journey Witnessing The Path to Recovery
What is the current state of reconstruction as seen by Naoto Kato, a cameraman who has been covering local volunteers for six months?
On January 1st, a major earthquake with a maximum intensity of 7 struck Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture. Six months have passed since then.
According to the latest damage data released by municipalities in Ishikawa Prefecture, as of the end of June, the death toll has risen to 229 people, with an additional 52 people certified as disaster-related deaths. It is projected that another 18 people will be certified as new disaster-related deaths, bringing the total death toll to 299. Additionally, it has been confirmed that 8,053 houses were completely destroyed and 16,746 houses were partially damaged, making it the third largest scale of damage since the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995 and the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.
In April, the vital “Noto Railway Nanao Line” for the life of Noto Peninsula resumed full operation. Furthermore, in June, large cargo ships began docking at Kanazawa Port, the largest port in the prefecture. This enabled the sea transport of cement, which was previously transported by land, marking a significant step towards recovery.
Six months after the earthquake, what is the current status of recovery efforts? In fact, a large number of civilian volunteers are at the forefront, working alongside local residents in the recovery process. Over 100,000 volunteers have entered the disaster area since January, supporting recovery efforts amidst inadequate infrastructure and insufficient materials. Photographer Naoto Kato, who has been interviewing these volunteers on the front lines over the past six months, reveals their stories.
The “Existence of Volunteers” as Seen by a Photographer for this Magazine
I entered the local area of Noto Peninsula for the first time on February 2nd. Initially, the transportation network was cut off, and rescue vehicles such as the Self-Defense Forces were given priority, making it difficult to access the site. The town of Suzu, which I visited, alongside Wajima, suffered extensive casualties and damage.
I closely followed the technical NPO organization ‘DRT-JAPAN,’ which also has expertise in operating heavy machinery. They have been conducting support activities on-site since January 2nd, the day after the earthquake. Kurosawa Tsukasa, who coordinates activities on-site, has a track record of supporting various disaster-stricken areas in the past. In this earthquake, he assumed a leadership role overseeing the allocation of tasks among other civilian volunteers.
One of the first things that struck me upon arriving at the site was how unchanged the situation was despite a month passing. It was clear that manpower was insufficient, as homes and cars remained strewn across the roads. Some manholes had been displaced nearly a meter due to liquefaction.
