The Heart Can’t Be Tidied Up: A Comedian’s Candid Look at Noto’s Ongoing Recovery

What a professional organizer — and a comedian — can do

A magnitude 7.6 earthquake with a maximum seismic intensity of 7 — claiming 549 lives in January 2024 — followed by record-breaking torrential rains in September that left 14 dead.

In early December 2025, the Noto Peninsula, struck by these two disasters, was visited by a group called the “Okatazuke Brothers”, formed by comedians with experience working part-time in bereavement cleanup. They made a second visit this March, expressing their intention to continue returning regularly.

As professional organizers — and as comedians — what was the reality of Noto they witnessed in the disaster-stricken region?

There just aren’t enough people or enough time

In early December 2024 — about 11 months after the earthquake and 3 months after the torrential rain disaster — the Okatazuke Brothers (Kensuke Shibata, Ryuji Ochiai, and Justice Tezuka) set foot in Noto for the first time. There, they witnessed a reality in the disaster-stricken area that could never be fully conveyed through news reports alone.

“Because we had to take multiple detours around collapsed roads, we didn’t arrive until late at night — and even the community center we were guided to as our lodging was itself damaged by the disaster,” Shibata recalled. “The bath was unusable, there were cracks all over the walls. That’s when I realized that a volunteer lodging doesn’t mean a normal place to stay. In other words, hardly any progress had been made.”

“The next morning, just getting to the work site was one shock after another,” said Ochiai. “Cars crushed under collapsed houses, bridges still left in ruins, household belongings swept away and abandoned — all of it was still there.”

The rawness of the scene, and the fact that lives had actually been lost in this place, delivered a deep emotional blow to Shibata.

“When I’d seen it on TV, I only thought, ‘That looks rough.’ But standing there in person made me ashamed of how naïve my thinking had been.”

For their first visit, they joined a local volunteer group for a one-night, two-day relief effort in Wajima City. In the morning, they shoveled mud from a private field — mud that had piled up due to flooding and landslides — and in the afternoon, they worked to clear mud from drainage ditches. But the waterlogged mud was so heavy, it was nearly impossible to move. Even with about 30 volunteers on-site that day, they were only able to finish a small portion of the work.

“I realized there just aren’t enough people or enough time,” Ochiai reflected.

Insufficient manpower: “It’s the younger generation we especially want to see come!”

The second visit to Noto was in late March 2025. Takizawa Shuichi from the comedy duo Machine Guns, Ochiai, and Tezuka Justice visited coastal areas of Wajima City and Suzu City.

“On the first day, we installed additional composting toilets, and on the second day, we carried out a Buddhist altar from a partially collapsed house and cleared mud from a Japanese garden. After we carried out the altar, a sutra was chanted to release the spirit before it was disposed of. Apparently, this is a new initiative even among volunteer efforts. I was really moved, thinking, ‘Even in disaster, these kinds of traditions are treated with such care,’” said Ochiai.

What they felt firsthand on site was the overwhelming shortage of manpower. Especially in areas where physical labor was needed, the presence of young volunteers was vital.

“The first time we went, people on site kept telling us, ‘We’re so happy young people came.’ Most of the volunteers were in their 40s and 50s or older, so even though we’re 39, it felt strange to be considered ‘young people,’” said Shibata.

On their second visit, about 35 university students from Tokyo joined in. Thanks to them, the atmosphere at the site was constantly bright, and the difference from the first time was striking.

“Just having young people around completely changes the vibe of the site. They worked energetically and would shout things like, ‘This meal’s awesome!’ during lunch breaks. Just seeing that lifted our spirits too. The locals looked really happy as well. And seeing those students volunteering made us believe that a brighter future will definitely come,” said Ochiai.

“They told us, ‘It’s not that recovery has progressed — we’ve just lost everything’”

However, as they continued their activities on site, a certain doubt began to surface. Was the recovery happening before their eyes truly for the sake of the victims?

“The places I saw on my first visit — rivers clogged with sediment, cars crushed under collapsed houses — were all gone. I think the volunteers worked hard to clean them up. But then someone who’d been active locally for a long time told me, ‘It’s not that recovery has progressed — we’ve just lost everything,’” said Ochiai.

What they also heard about was the issue of publicly funded demolition. It’s a system where local governments cover the costs to demolish and remove homes damaged by disasters, but on the ground, it seems buildings are being torn down one after another without truly considering the feelings of the residents.

“There are cases where old homes and places filled with memories get demolished against the residents’ wishes. Even if things are physically cleared away, if people’s hearts haven’t had time to heal, can we really call it recovery? It made me stop and think,” added Shibata.

During their second round of volunteer work, the group encountered a reality they hadn’t anticipated — and it became an opportunity to reconsider the true meaning of disaster relief. That realization came through a meeting with a high school student volunteer from Rikuzentakata, a community affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake.

“She told us she used to live in temporary housing set up on her school grounds. And when those temporary homes were finally removed, and they could hold a regular sports day again, that’s when she felt like real recovery had arrived. Hearing that really struck me,” said Ochiai.

“It made me realize — recovery isn’t just about having a roof over your head again. It’s about daily life returning to normal. That’s what true recovery means,” added Shibata.

And there was one more thing. Meeting the high school volunteer made them reflect on what they could do as well.

“Even though she experienced such hardship in Tohoku, here she is trying to help others now. That was just so cool. It made us want to work harder as volunteers too. And it made us think — maybe, because we’re comedians, we have a unique way we can support people, something we alone can deliver,” said Ochiai.

“If people’s hearts don’t heal, you can’t call it true recovery” — the form of disaster relief that comedians can offer.

After meeting the high school volunteers, the two comedians began thinking seriously about what they could do. As the Okatazuke Brothers, they hope to continue offering support by helping retrieve belongings from half-collapsed houses, and providing consultations on tidying and disposal.

“We’re professionals when it comes to organizing and waste disposal. Once things settle a bit and local people are in a place to start thinking about what to do with their homes, we’d love to hold seminars and consultation sessions on how to sort items, how to dispose of waste, and how to resell unneeded things on Mercari or Yahoo! Auctions,” said Shibata.

“Shibata-kun actually used to handle over 1,000 Yahoo! Auction listings a year as a side job, so he’s great at connecting unwanted items to people who’ll reuse them. And for the record — I’ve got a license to transport industrial waste,” added Ochiai.

By tidying up rooms, disposing of what’s no longer needed, and finding ways to reuse valuable appliances and miscellaneous goods, they hope to give back to Noto in their own way — a kind of support that only the Okatazuke Brothers could offer.

And as for what they can do as comedians?

A major hint came from something they heard locally: “You can’t call it true recovery if people’s hearts haven’t healed,” and the shared sentiment that there just wasn’t enough entertainment.

“The local people are working hard every day, but little by little they start to lose sight of what they’re working for, and even lose a sense of purpose. But if there’s just one thing to look forward to, that alone can give people the strength to keep going. I realized that what we comedians can offer isn’t something immediate like the volunteer work we’re doing now, but the hope and joy that lies beyond it — something to live for, a spark to lift people’s spirits,” said Ochiai.

Currently, under the leadership of Takizawa from the comedy duo The Machine Guns, a recovery event is being planned in Noto.

“While there have been recovery events held so far, it seems that although many made it as far as Kanazawa City, very few actually came all the way to Noto. Considering the road conditions, it’s understandable — but for the elderly residents of Noto, it’s difficult to travel, so holding events locally carries real meaning,” says Shibata.

Going forward, they plan to continue participating in volunteer efforts regularly while also focusing on comedy. Right now, their biggest dream is to successfully hold a comedy live show in Noto.

“It’s a really simple thing, but after going to Noto and seeing people happy through volunteering, it brought back that feeling we had in our very first year as comedians — that pure desire to make people happy, to make them laugh,” laughs Ochiai.

They also feel it’s important to lower the hurdle for volunteer participation.

“Actually, it’s easier than people think to get involved in volunteering. In addition to government-led efforts, private volunteer groups help coordinate and connect people as well. Sure, the application process can be a little tedious, but once you’ve done it once, it gets much easier the next time,” says Ochiai.

“I think it’s important to make information more open too. If we can share what kind of activities are happening on-site and what kind of preparations are needed in a clear, easy-to-understand way, I’m sure we’ll see more people join in,” adds Shibata.

Inspired by the high school volunteers who asked themselves what they could do and took action, these two comedians also reflected again on what they could offer.

“We have the ability to bring laughter, and that has the power to lift people’s spirits. So we want to keep doing what we can,” says Ochiai.

Even if you can’t physically visit the affected areas, simply learning about the situation and showing interest is also a form of support.
Reaching someone’s heart — that’s where everything begins.

▼ About the Okatazuke Brothers: A group jointly founded by active comedians Kensuke Shibata and Ryuji Ochiai as part of The Machine Guns’ Takizawa’s “Gomi Project.” They handle everything from moving furniture and tidying up to cleaning out hoarder homes. Their motto is cheerful, fun, with smiles.