One year after the Noto Peninsula earthquake… The true feelings of the disaster victims and their “determination for recovery

Halfway to Reconstruction

On the sidewalk of Route 249, which runs along the coastline of Wajima City, several hundred meters of blue pipes, each about 30 cm in diameter, were exposed. These water pipes were laid urgently after the earthquake to restore water and sewage services. However, because they were exposed, they were damaged again by the subsequent torrential rain and flooding.

Still, despite the tremendous damage caused by the earthquake and flooding, some of the disaster victims responded to our interview with smiles. Yoshimichi Namatame (81), owner of the izakaya “Ippai” in Wajima City, had his store and home completely destroyed by the earthquake. He reopened the izakaya on November 1.

I love the town of Wajima and have lived here for 50 years. When I lost my house and store in the earthquake, I immediately gave up. When I lost my house and shop in the earthquake, I immediately gave up, because I couldn’t live there anymore. The floodwaters came into the store to a height of about 170 cm. 4 refrigerators, baking tables and fryers, everything was overturned. It took four people two weeks to remove the accumulated mud. It was tough, but earthquakes and floods are natural disasters, and things happen the way they do.

What was the driving force behind the opening of the izakaya, even though it was hit twice? Mr. Ikutame continued, “I am an optimistic person by nature.

I am an optimistic person by nature, but I was also motivated by the fact that there were people around me who had suffered much worse. I know a family that was affected by the earthquake, and when the first tremor hit, the father told his children, ‘Go get the car! and sent them to get it. But when the kids came back to their house, the roof had fallen off after the second tremor. The parents were left behind in the house, but they couldn’t help. Eventually the tsunami was going to come, and the child ran away when his father told him to ‘run away. Later, their house caught fire and they lost their parents. There are many others who have suffered such tragedy. I can’t say anything. We are a species with a life of its own.”

In Noto, the disaster has caused a population exodus, and the birthrate is declining and the population is aging rapidly. More than 100 roads are still impassable, and hundreds of victims are forced to live in evacuation centers. Reconstruction is still in its infancy.