One Year After the Noto Peninsula Earthquake [Wajima, Suzu] Fishermen’s Daily Lives Have Not Returned

Abalone Fishing Stopped

Natsuki Kadoki, 44, president of the Wajima Divers Fishing Preservation and Promotion Association, was one of those involved in the festival. When we asked him what happened to the divers’ income after the earthquake, he replied, “If they can’t fish, their income is zero.

According to Ms. Kadoki, there are approximately 130 local ama divers now. Most of them are in their 50s and 60s, and Kadoki is on the younger side. Abalone fishing takes place from July to September. This is the best time of year for most divers to earn money. She cheerfully said, “I hope to resume abalone fishing this year,” but she must be anxious inside.

Ms. Kadoki spent her childhood in Hegura Island. Her mother and grandmother were both divers, and she spent her days playing in the sea while attending elementary and junior high schools on the island. She learned how to dive from older children and became a diver as a matter of course. Now, while working as a diver, she continues to work to preserve the resources of the sea.

The past year has flown by so fast.

Sayuri Sakaguchi, 43, a diver, speaks with sincerity. She is also a board member of the association. Satomi Hashimoto, 44, also a diver, happens to be the wife of Takayuki Hashimoto, a fisherman who interviewed me at Wajima fishing port. Many families in Ama-cho are engaged in the fishing industry as married couples, and the impact of the disaster on their finances is immeasurable.

On January 15, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries announced that the earthquake had caused 365.8 billion yen in damage to agriculture, forestry, and fisheries in the Noto Peninsula and neighboring prefectures. This is the second largest damage after the Great East Japan Earthquake and nearly three times the amount of the Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake.

Hegura Island’s sea was fine without any upheaval. But there was a tsunami, and our facilities were damaged, so we could not do business. Even if we catch abalone, we can’t store them if the refrigerator of the fishery cooperative is damaged” (Mr. Kadoki).

Noto was struck by two disasters, the earthquake and torrential rains. People who live with the sea are still waiting for the day when they can dive and sail again as they did in the past.

From “FRIDAY” February 7, 2025 issue