Thread: Strong quake prompts tsunami warning Japan

Originally Posted by BLD

Gent. Your attempt at starting a shitfight is in bad taste
The poor japs can't seem to catch a break

Yes, but they have vending machines that sell puppies and kittens.

How zany is that?!

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Yes, but they have vending machines that sell puppies and kittens.

How zany is that?!

My US army brat mates who grew up in Japan have always said that all the weird quirky things in Japan is basically the result of taking the samurai sword away from a warrior race.

Originally Posted by Bonecollector

What I noticed, and indeed find even more horrendous, is the aftershocks these people have to go through. It must be awful experiencing that kind of power and damage, then, constantly for a month after, all of these aftershocks.

Throughout the day I see news reports of earthquakes.

This morning……

Quake Info: Weak Mag. 3.0 Earthquake - Japan Sea, Ishikawa, 83 km Northwest of Jōetsu, Niigata, Japan, on Wednesday, Jan 31, 2024, at 04:01 am (GMT +9)

I had some friends who lived in S. Miami when Andrew passed. They stayed in their homes during the storm and endured the (almost) complete destruction of their homes.

Months after, I was told the kids would shiver when a thunder/lightening/heavy rain storm was in the area.

• Well Water Helps Reopening of Shops in Quake-Hit Japanese City

Shops such as a beauty salon and a supermarket in a central Japan city heavily damaged by the Jan. 1 major earthquake are using well water to resume operations.

People related to such shops are striving to help citizens return to normal life as much as possible at a time when many locals are still relying on emergency water supplies at gymnasiums and elementary schools as water outages continue in the city of Nanao in Ishikawa Prefecture.

The Real Hair Cutting You beauty salon restarted its shampoo service, for evacuees, Jan. 4, three days after the 7.6-magnitude New Year's Day quake, because its building suffered no major damage and its staff workers were safe.

At the start, the shop used a plastic bottle whose cap had a hole for a shower, with well water boiled in an electric kettle poured into the bottle. Later, the beauty salon resumed its normal services including haircuts around Jan. 14, after it acquired a simple shower system with an electric pump.

Noboru Ito, the 65-year-old head of the shop, goes to collect water from a well at a fish store about 200 meters away several times a day. While the well water helps the beauty salon's operations, Ito said, "I'm reminded that tap water is great."

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• Consumers Back Quake-Hit Farmers by Buying Shiitake Mushrooms

Consumers are supporting farmers by buying shiitake mushrooms that survived the Jan. 1 earthquake in the Noto Peninsula in central Japan.

The farm where Seiji Ueno and his colleagues grow mushrooms in the town of Noto, Ishikawa Prefecture, was hit hard by the 7.6-magnitude quake.

Some mushrooms were destroyed amid subsequent disruptions to water and electricity supplies, while many others that survived were overgrown for sale, said Ueno, 45.

But Ueno and his colleagues sold overgrown mushrooms online as "Fukko Shiitake" (reconstruction shiitake). Orders poured in from across Japan, and they sold out on the first day.

Ueno said he was struck "speechless" when he went to the farm, which he took over from his father in 2016, just after the temblor. The vinyl greenhouse with a floor space of 180 square meters was a mess, with pillars and shelves collapsed and mushroom beds scattered across the ground, he said.

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• Mobile Laundries Bring Relief to Japan’s Quake-Hit Areas; Vital Service Helps to Ease Stress, Prevent Ill

Mobile laundries are helping survivors of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake wash their clothes, providing a vital service in areas where running water has still not been restored.

A truck arrived Sunday at a golf course in the Monzenmachitoge district of Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture. Operated by Washhouse Co., a laundromat business based in Miyazaki, the truck was dispatched at the request of the Wajima city government.

It is operating in cooperation with entities including the Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism Ministry and the Ishikawa prefectural government.

The vehicle is equipped with six washer-dryers, and one complete cycle takes about an hour.

Monzenmachitoge has not had running water since the earthquake struck on Jan. 1, forcing many residents to travel to Kanazawa and other areas every weekend to do their laundry. Such trips can take several hours one way, a significant burden for people affected by the disaster.

All the available slots for using the truck were filled immediately after it started operating at 10 a.m. on Sunday, according to the company.

“I haven’t been able to do my laundry since the earthquake, and I’m very grateful for this service,” one person said. “I’m going to move from a community center to a secondary shelter, so I’m glad to be able to do my laundry before I go.”

Affected people can use the washer-dryers free of charge through Feb. 25, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In Suzu, another Ishikawa city severely affected by the Noto quake, a mobile laundry began operation on Jan. 24 at an elementary school serving as an evacuation shelter.

Nine front-loading washer-dryers are housed inside a mobile container operated by Yamamoto Express Inc., a carrying company based in Yabu, Hyogo Prefecture.

“I was washing my clothes by hand using rainwater. I’m grateful to be able to do laundry in a machine,” said a 60-year-old part-time worker.

Yamamoto Express President Yosuke Yamamoto said: “We want [people affected by the quake] to feel less stressed, even if it’s just a little, and smile. We’re ready to provide as much support as we can, without setting a specific end date [for the service].”

Toyoko Sanjo, director of Suzu city’s health promotion center, said, “It’s important to keep [clothes] clean to prevent infection, so we’re very grateful for this help.”

The mobile container laundry can be used free of charge and will be in operation for the foreseeable future. Reservations are accepted from 7 a.m. and will stop when all the slots are filled for the day.

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• Under 10,000 Now Staying in Ishikawa Prefecture Shelters, But Many Believed to Be Living in Cars, Damaged Homes

The number of evacuees staying in temporary shelters has dropped below 10,000 for the first time since the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, the Ishikawa prefectural government has announced.

This is down significantly from the peak of 34,173 as of Jan. 4, but many people are thought to be staying in damaged homes or in cars. The prefectural government is therefore keeping track of evacuees, as part of efforts to help residents affected by the quake.

As of 2 p.m. Monday, 9,939 people were staying at temporary shelters in affected cities and towns, according to the prefectural government.

Prefectural authorities set up a list to keep track of residents who have left temporary shelters. Among the 6,884 people on the list as of Sunday, 95 were living in cars and 2,651 were sheltering in their own homes, which may have been damaged.

People are believed to be staying in these places for such reasons as wanting to stay near their pets or worrying about their valuables. The prefectural government therefore seeks to swiftly implement measures to assist such people.

The total death toll in Ishikawa Prefecture rose to 238, the prefectural government announced Monday, as two more people were confirmed to have died in Suzu.

Power outages in four municipalities in the Oku-Noto area, and in Nanao and Shika, are expected to be mostly resolved by the end of this month, the prefecture said.

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• LDP Drafts Tax Exemption Bill for Noto Peninsula Earthquake Victims

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s Research Commission on the Tax System confirmed a draft of a special tax exemption bill in response to the Noto Peninsula Earthquake. The decision was made in a general meeting on Monday.

The bill would allow deductions for losses on household and business assets damaged by the earthquake to be included in last year’s income, subject to income tax. With the final tax return filing period beginning in mid-February, the government is aiming to pass the bill as soon as possible.

In addition, it would let sole proprietors deduct losses on business assets, such as machinery used for business purposes, as necessary expenses from last year’s taxable business income.

Under the special measure, the tax deductions would be made a year earlier than normal, thereby easing the burden on the victims more quickly.

Originally Posted by Bonecollector

My US army brat mates who grew up in Japan have always said that all the weird quirky things in Japan is basically the result of taking the samurai sword away from a warrior race.

It could be.

For example, Japan has canned food restaurants.

How zany is that?!

• Former Baseball Star Hideki Matsui Sends Encouraging Message to Noto Earthquake Victims; Matsui 55 Baseball Foundation Donates $10,000 for Relief Efforts

Former Major League slugger and Ishikawa Prefecture native Hideki Matsui, 49, released a message to victims of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake on Tuesday, saying, “I would like to create an opportunity to interact with them when I return [to the prefecture] and help them feel as positive as possible.”

Matsui starred with the Yomiuri Giants before joining the New York Yankees in 2003.

In his message, Matsui wrote of his feelings on the disaster, saying that his memory of the townscape has been transformed, and that “I am deeply saddened every time I see the extent of the damage in news reports.”

Matsui also noted that many people in the prefecture had cheered him on during his years as a baseball player, and that “now I must support the victims as they stand strong and move forward.” He added, “I pray that the day when the victims can return to their normal, peaceful lives will come as soon as possible.”

Matsui 55 Baseball Foundation, a non-profit organization of which Matsui is the president, announced Tuesday that it has donated $10,000 for Noto Peninsula Earthquake relief efforts. Matsui has also donated ¥10 million of his own money for the cause.

• Contribution to 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake | Global | Ricoh

The Ricoh Group offers its deepest condolences and sympathies to those affected by 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

In addition to the initial donation, Ricoh is making the following contributions to continue to support the disaster relief of this Earthquake.

1. Half a million Japanese yen donation from FreeWill, Ricoh's Japan-based employee-led endeavor for social contribution activities, to Peace Winds Japan, a non-governmental organization that supports people affected by humanitarian crises and livelihood crises.
2. Joint-development of Ricoh Group donation website with Japan Platform, a Specified Nonprofit Corporation in Japan, for employee donation. (Donation accepted between January 24 to February 29, 2024)

We sincerely hope for the safety and well-being of those affected by this unfortunate disaster, and the Ricoh Group is committed to contributing to the earliest possible restoration and recovery of the affected areas based on its founding principles, the “Spirit of Three Loves” of “Love your neighbor, Love your country, Love your work.”

Originally Posted by S Landreth

Throughout the day I see news reports of earthquakes.

This morning……

Quake Info: Weak Mag. 3.0 Earthquake - Japan Sea, Ishikawa, 83 km Northwest of Jōetsu, Niigata, Japan, on Wednesday, Jan 31, 2024, at 04:01 am (GMT +9)

I had some friends who lived in S. Miami when Andrew passed. They stayed in their homes during the storm and endured the (almost) complete destruction of their homes.

Months after, I was told the kids would shiver when a thunder/lightening/heavy rain storm was in the area.

I can definitely understand that, poor things.

• NHK: More than 30 victims of Noto quake died of cold exposure

NHK has learned more than 30 people died from exposure to the cold in Ishikawa Prefecture after the powerful New Year's Day earthquake. Many of them are believed to have been waiting for rescue.

In the prefecture, 238 deaths had been confirmed as of Tuesday. Fifteen of them are believed to have been caused by factors triggered by the quake.

NHK has gathered information from the National Police Agency on what caused 222 other people to die. Police have already conducted autopsies on them.

Ninety-two, or 41 percent, of the victims were crushed to death, and 49 others, or 22 percent of the total, died of suffocation or respiratory failure.

Thirty-two people, or 14 percent, died due to hypothermia, the loss of body heat.

In Wajima City, three people were burned to death. A street in the city center was engulfed by fire.

More than 70 percent of the 204 victims whose age has been confirmed were in their 60s or older.

Prefectural officials have made public the causes of deaths with consent from victims' families. But these are listed under general categories, such as "collapsing of homes" and "landslides."

This is the first time that more details have been revealed.

• Noto Earthquake One Month On; Urgent Need for Accommodation for Restoration Workers

Thursday marks one month since the Noto Peninsula Earthquake struck. In preparation of full-scale restoration work, Ishikawa Prefecture has decided to establish accommodations for construction workers in Nanao and other areas that lead to the Okunoto area, the northernmost part of the prefecture.

Restoration work is expected to last several years, and the prefecture intends to make the work more efficient by quickly creating facilities where those involved can stay near the most hard-hit areas.

Workers from both inside and outside the prefecture are currently gathering in Wajima, Suzu, Noto, and Anamizu in the Okunoto area to restore roads, repair water pipes and build emergency temporary housing. Debris removal work on roads began in Suzu on Monday so large construction vehicles can pass through. The same work also started in Wajima on Wednesday.

However, available accommodation in these towns and cities are limited, as many of them were damaged and essential services have yet to be restored. Some of the workers have had to drive for nearly five hours from Kanazawa, about 100 kilometers away, to get to the site.

In the Okunoto area, where there is little flat land, emergency temporary housing is being built on the limited number of suitable sites. Since more workers are expected to enter the area as the construction work gets underway, the prefectural government is planning to establish lodging and storage facilities for the workers in Nanao, where the restoration of the running water supply is progressing, and in Nakanoto, where the water outage has been resolved.

Ishikawa Prefectural Gov. Hiroshi Hase told reporters on Tuesday after inspecting an affected site, “We need to get support from construction workers nationwide, and we need prefabricated [accommodation] facilities.” The specific size and location of the accommodation is under consideration.

The earthquake caused major damage to main roads, including National Highway Route 249, which circles the Noto Peninsula and is expected to take several years to be fully restored, and prefectural roads are also closed due to landslides.

According to the prefectural government, breakwaters and quays were damaged at 60 fishing ports in the prefecture, including 38 in the Okunoto area. Fishing ports in Wajima and Suzu were severely damaged, with sections of the seabed exposed above the water due to ground upheaval.

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• Noto quake survivors search for normalcy amid damage, water issues

It has been almost a month since a major earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula in central Japan on New Year's Day. More than 230 people have been confirmed dead and over 14,000 evacuees are still living in shelters.

Six elderly survivors spent hours travelling on Tuesday from Wajima City in Ishikawa Prefecture to Katsuyama City in neighboring Fukui Prefecture. They had to leave their evacuation center due to a lack of water. The shelter is among the 40,000 houses and businesses that still do not have a water supply.

A man said, "As long as I have a meal and can go to the restroom, I'll be all right."

Meanwhile, Wajima residents are working to protect their cultural heritage. A float used in the local spring festival was stored at a shrine in Wajima. But the storage building was damaged in the quake. Volunteers came together to get the float out safely.

Those outside the disaster zone are also lending a hand. A workshop in Tokyo is offering free repairs for plates and cups damaged in the quake. They are using a traditional technique known as kintsugi.

They use materials such as lacquer and gold powder to repair the pieces. The powder even comes from Ishikawa Prefecture. A restorer said, "I think it's important to keep these memories as much as possible, so they won't fade away."

The kintsugi restoration work could take up to three months. They are accepting requests from the disaster-hit areas, including Ishikawa.

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• Yokota civilian organizes and delivers aid for Japanese earthquake victims

A civilian employee at this airlift hub in western Tokyo teamed up with a friend to deliver blankets and other essentials to victims of a deadly earthquake that struck central Japan on New Year’s Day.

The death toll from the 7.6-magnitude temblor on the Noto Peninsula topped 200 as relief and recovery work continued throughout January.

Work on restoring water and power to some sections of the peninsula continued Wednesday, according to reports in Japanese media.

Not long after the quake, Chad Griffin, the 374th Security Forces Squadron reports and analysis section chief, came across a video posted online by friend Enson Inoue, an American mixed martial artist living in Saitama prefecture.

Inoue, who created the Hawaii-based nonprofit Enson Inoue Foundation to provide disaster relief and humanitarian aid, had visited the stricken area with relief supplies in early January and posted a video of his trip on social media, according to a Jan. 25 Air Force news release.

Griffin said he was motivated to do something for Noto quake victims after watching Inoue’s video.

“After seeing his first run I wanted to see if we could help make a difference,” Griffin told Stars and Stripes by email Wednesday.

“The Yokota Community has been incredible along with my command team in allowing to me to help with these collections.”

The quake brought down buildings, crumpled roads and caused floods and fires throughout the stricken area. More than 19,000 people were displaced and about 40,000 homes were left without heat and power in frigid conditions, according to Japanese media reports.

The Japanese government first declined foreign help but in mid-January accepted assistance from U.S. Forces Japan, which dispatched two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from Camp Zama to deliver a ton of relief supplies.

By then, Griffin and Inoue were already at work drumming up donations for their own relief effort.

• Electricity Restored in Most Areas Hit by Jan. 1 Noto Quake

Hokuriku Electric Power Co. said Wednesday that electricity has been "mostly restored" after a month of outages caused by the massive earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula in central Japan on Jan. 1.

Restoration efforts have been aided by a total of about 4,600 personnel dispatched from power companies across the country.

In Hokuriku Electric's service area, more than 40,000 houses were temporarily without power following the New Year's Day quake.

About 2,500 houses are still without electricity, as it is expected to take more time to fully restore electricity in the cities of Wajima and Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture, where roads were severely damaged by landslides.

Even in the hardest-hit cities, about 90 pct of houses had power as of Wednesday, Hokuriku Electric said.

• Over 14,000 people remain evacuated 1 month after central Japan quake

More than 14,000 people remained evacuated Thursday, one month after a magnitude-7.6 earthquake hit the Noto Peninsula in central Japan, as local governments rush to prepare temporary housing while logistics continued to be disrupted.

The victims of the quake, which killed 238 people, are struggling to rebuild their lives as they face difficulty securing fresh food due to supply chain disruptions affecting operations at grocery and convenience stores, with roads remaining cut off.

The New Year's Day temblor in Ishikawa prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast caused large-scale fires and destruction, also leaving 19 people unaccounted for.

Ishikawa Gov. Hiroshi Hase said the prefecture would promote rebuilding through a newly established reconstruction headquarters. The central government plans to provide up to 6 million yen ($41,000) each for elderly households.

"We must walk forward to allow those who died to continue living in our memories," Hase said during a news conference at the prefectural office.

The governor acknowledged that moving evacuees to hotels and other accommodations from evacuation centers has not gone smoothly and apologized, saying there have been mishaps in sharing information.

Fumio Ishibe, who evacuated to a community center after his home was damaged in Wajima, one of the hardest-hit cities in the prefecture, said, "It's been one month, but nothing has changed, not even the roads."

The 75-year-old said he was unable to sleep from the stress and that his body ached from sleeping on a thin mattress day after day.

"Those who evacuated are becoming quieter. We are all reaching our limits," he said.

With nearly 10,000 people continuing to take shelter in temporary evacuation centers such as gymnasiums, Ishikawa prefecture has secured use of 8,000 existing temporary housing units for evacuees, including in nearby prefectures.

In addition, 18 temporary housing units were built in Wajima, with 58 people from 18 households set to move in on Saturday, while 40 units are expected to be completed in Suzu next Tuesday.

Volunteer work has also been expanding in the area, with Suzu, which previously had not sought help from volunteers, asking those who have registered in advance to assist in removing debris starting Saturday.

Around 150 people per day are expected to volunteer in Suzu and other areas.

Meanwhile, disruptions in logistics are hindering the region's return to normalcy, as local shops face a shortage of items to sell. Many have also suffered damage to their premises and have employees personally affected by the disaster.

"We would like to eat more vegetables and fish for a balanced diet, but it's difficult to get hold of them," said Miki Okagaki, 44, who lives in Wajima with her family.

Although she is concerned about the health of her family, most dishes consist of packaged foods because she is unable to secure fresh produce, she said.

FamilyMart, the sole major convenience store chain that operates in the northern part of the peninsula, has yet to reopen 13 of its stores in Suzu and nearby areas, while two in Wajima operate just a few hours a day.

"We are facing constraints in our ability to provide a stable supply of goods and personnel due to (poor) road and weather conditions," a company official said, noting that the return to regular operational hours is likely to take time.
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• Fatigue Sets in for Japan Earthquake Survivors Facing Long Road to Recovery

Moments after a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck western Japan on New Year's Day, Yoshimi Tomita was trapped in the dark under the roof of her collapsed house, feeling the sharp edges of protruding nails.

"I was thinking, if I'm going to get crushed I hope it's fast," the 35-year-old said.

She was rescued 10 hours later without any major injuries, but that proved to be only the beginning of weeks of fatigue and stress, Tomita said on Wednesday, while sitting in a tent at an evacuation centre in hard-hit city Suzu, surrounded by cardboard boxes used as a makeshift bed.

A month after the earthquake, residents of the devastated Noto peninsula still have little choice but to press on without basic necessities like running water or beds.

Their undesirable housing options range from dealing with continuous aftershocks in shaken homes, moving to crowded evacuation centres that may not take their pets or spending nights in cars fighting the cold.

More than 230 people died in the earthquake, Japan's deadliest in eight years. It left 44,000 homes fully or partially destroyed while 40,000 still have no running water.

More than 13,000 residents are living in evacuation centres, according to the Ishikawa prefecture's government, which has begun a programme to build about 13,000 temporary homes over the next few months.

But in places like Wajima, one of the hardest-hit cities on the peninsula, fewer than 20 such homes have been built so far, with more than 4000 applicants waiting for accommodation, according to media reports.

Japan is doing "everything" it can to restore the affected areas and return people to their homes, deputy chief cabinet secretary Hideki Murai said on Thursday.

Meanwhile, locals are still overwhelmed with trying to procure basic necessities.

Tomita rescued two of her four cats after the quake, but the local evacuation centre in Suzu refused to let her stay with her pets, forcing her to sleep sitting up in a car for a month.

She moved into a pet-friendly evacuation centre that opened on Sunday and slept lying down for the first time in weeks that evening.

"If I hadn't made it to this centre, I feel I might have buckled" under the mental strain, Tomita said.

Eventually, she wants to move out of the evacuation centre for the freedom of her cats, who now must remain caged or on a leash. But with no word on whether temporary housing will become available to her, she says she has no other option but to stay.

That sentiment was echoed by residents on the other end of the peninsula.

Fumio Hirano, who currently lives in an evacuation centre in Shika, says he has struggled to sleep sharing a room with scores of others, and his days are filled with concerns about how he can stay warm and healthy.

"Right now, we can only think about how we're going to live today. Maybe in a month we can start thinking about 'tomorrow', and in three months we can start thinking about 'next week'," he said.

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/ar...ad-to-recovery

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• Japan quake survivor finds pet-friendly shelter

It's been about a month since Yoshimi Tomita began to live in her car with her two cats.

That's when a devastating magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Japan's Noto peninsula, killing more than two hundred people and displacing tens of thousands more.

Tomita was trapped under a roof for ten hours.

When she was rescued, she emerged with her cats Reon and Raito to find herself among the displaced, and for local evacuation centers to turn them away.

"They told me that if they allowed cats people would say 'well what about my chameleon?' and they'd never hear the end of it, so that's when I knew they wouldn't let me bring my pets in."

With no home and no shelter, Tomita lived in her car with her cats.

After a month of searching, the trio finally found a center that would accept them.

They moved in on its opening day, and Tomita could finally sleep lying down.

Without the new center, she wonders if she would have ‘buckled under the mental strain.’

Ikumi Tsujimoto is an animal welfare manager from the NGO that co-runs the new evacuation center, and says the situation is not unique.

"Our surveys have shown that there are quite a large number of people living in their cars, leaving their pets in their damaged homes and then returning to care for them, or even staying together in their damaged homes with their pets."

Tomita is now one of around 13,000 residents living in evacuation centers, according to Ishikawa prefecture’s government.

They say a program to build about 13,000 temporary homes over the next few months is underway.

Eventually Tomita hopes to move for the freedom of her cats, who must remain caged or on a leash at the center.

But without a disaster victim certificate that would help her leave Ishikawa, and no word on whether temporary housing will become available to her, Tomita has no option but to remain at the center for now.

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• Cat-loving couple work to rescue pets from quake wreckage

In the areas devastated by the Noto Peninsula earthquake, cats cower in buildings marked with red “danger” tags and wander through the rubble of collapsed houses.

One local couple has taken it upon themselves to search for and protect these “disaster-stricken cats” that have nowhere to go.

Kohei Kirimoto, 31, a lacquer craftsman, and his wife, Mone, 27, were living at the Wajima Asaichi market. Their home and workshop collapsed during the quake and then burned completely in the subsequent fire.

The couple, who were making their New Year’s visit to a shrine at the time, were safe--but their three cats were missing.

The two have been going to the area around the morning market every day following the earthquake to search for their felines.

Twice a day, in the morning and in the evening, when cats are usually on the move, they call their cats’ names around the ruins of their home.

The couple’s story spread through word-of-mouth and social media. Soon, disaster victims looking for their own missing cats began to contact them.

Kirimoto was concerned that some elderly people were hesitant to leave shelters and move to secondary evacuation locations because they were waiting for their missing cats to return.

Using the Line app, he started sharing information on where cats had been seen, and taught those who wanted to search for their cats themselves how to set up traps.

By Jan. 27, 26 cats had been captured, and 14 of those had been successfully reunited with their owners.

Kirimoto is now also temporarily sheltering cats whose owners cannot be found or who cannot return to their owners due to the disaster.

A company provided a container house equipped with electricity from solar panels to support these cat rescue efforts. The house is set up near the evacuation site where Kirimoto is staying. About eight felines are kept there at any given time.

Kirimoto is sheltering a local cat, Chii-chan, who was an idol at the morning market. Some people have offered to take Chii-chan in once they can move out of the shelter.

Kirimoto has not been able to resume his business since his lacquer and work tools were burned in the fire.

“We have a lot of expenses, including the cost of feeding them,” Kirimoto said.

He said he wants the government to take care of these pets, even temporarily.

“But I can’t say anything because (government officials) are busy dealing with evacuees, restoring infrastructure and searching for missing persons.”

On Jan. 19, the remains of Gura, one of the couple’s missing three cats, were found in a police search.

“We are sad about Gura, but the other two may be alive," Kirimoto said. "We will continue to search as long as we can.”

• Mobile phone carriers extend quake relief

Japan’s key cell phone providers announced on January 29 that they have extended support measures for users affected by the Noto Peninsula earthquake through the end of February.

Measures extended through February

NTT Docomo
– Lifting restrictions on communication speed when the amount of available data communication is exceeded
– Free or reduced repair fees
– Reduction or exemption of basic charges for fixed-line communication services
KDDI
– Lifting restrictions on communication speed when the amount of available data communication is exceeded
– Reduction or exemption of procedures for damage, breakage, and loss
– Reduction or exemption of basic charges for fixed-line communication services
– Extension of payment deadlines for data communication and fixed-line services
SoftBank
– Lifting restrictions on communication speed when the amount of available data communication is exceeded
– Extension of payment deadlines for data communication charges and fixed-line services

Fees waived through March

Rakuten Mobile
– Usage fees waived from January to March
(The company has already extended payment deadlines for usage fees for December 2023.)

In addition, the companies will continue to offer other support in affected areas, including cell phone recharging services, free Wi-Fi spots, and satellite phone rentals. These are mainly available at evacuation centers.

If the most recent quake has given us anything, it has given us some great stories and examples of humanity which we can all take a lesson from.

Originally Posted by Bonecollector

If the most recent quake has given us anything, it has given us some great stories

And a shit load of pointless cut and paste spam from the forum weirdo.

Originally Posted by Bonecollector

If the most recent quake has given us anything, it has given us some great stories and examples of humanity which we can all take a lesson from.

great .. examples of humanity

and hope it will continue

• Silent Prayer Offered at 4:10 p.m.; Remembering Japan Quake Victims One Month After

People affected by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake offered a silent prayer at 4 : 10 p.m. — the same time as when the tremor occurred — on Thursday, one month after the quake hit Ishikawa Prefecture.

The search continues for those who are still missing after the disaster.

Members of the Wajima morning market association stood in line on the day in front of the burnt market to pay silent tribute to the victims at 4 : 10 p.m. in Wajima.

“I pray that those who are still missing will be found soon,” said a 48-year-old woman who had run a shop in the market. “I want many people to come back when the market is restored.”

The snowfall stopped on Thursday in Suzu and residents prayed for the souls of earthquake victims. Tsunami struck the area after the quake and many houses were damaged or destroyed.

About 50 people are still taking shelter at Misaki Junior High School in the eastern part of the city, but more than 100 people had initially sheltered there after many buildings had collapsed or were deemed unsafe.

For the past month, evacuees have been living together, sharing relief supplies and setting rules for meals and lights-out times. About 20 evacuees closed their eyes with their hands together for prayer in the school gymnasium at 4 : 10 p.m. on Thursday.

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• Japan Govt to Increase Financial Aid to Noto Earthquake Victims; Help Aimed at Households with Elderly or Disabled Members

The government will create a new program in which financial assistance of up to ¥3 million will be provided to households with elderly or disabled members in six municipalities in the northern Noto Peninsula, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said at the Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday.

The program is aimed to help residents of the disaster-hit area, which has a large elderly population, rebuild their lives.

Kishida made the announcement at the first meeting of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake headquarters for restoration and recovery support.

Under the new program, the government will provide up to ¥2 million to each household whose house was at least half destroyed to help with the reconstruction and up to ¥1 million to help them purchase or repair household goods that were damaged or lost.

Under the current program to help disaster victims, a household whose house was completely destroyed can receive up to ¥3 million in financial assistance. However, with the new plan, those households affected by the Jan. 1 earthquake will be eligible to receive up to ¥6 million each.

For families raising children and young people, the government will help them pay the interest on home loans, among other support measures.

“We have to provide ample support to prevent a significant population outflow,” Kishida said.

To lessen the tax burden on disaster victims, Kishida said the government plans to submit a bill with a clause allowing preferential treatment to be given to those affected by the earthquake by allowing losses accumulated in the disaster to be deducted from their 2023 income.

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• Cabinet approves tax relief for survivors

Japan's Cabinet has approved a package of tax relief measures for residents facing losses from the magnitude-7.6 earthquake that devastated the Sea of Japan coast on New Year's Day.

The package includes income and residential tax deductions for house and property damage.

The government will allow the deductions to be claimed in tax filings for 2023, even though the quake occurred on the first day of this year.

The tax return filing period for 2023 starts in February.

Residents in employment who paid taxes last year under the withholding system can also file for a refund.

The Cabinet and ruling parties said they aim for early passage of the tax relief bills during the current session of the Diet that runs through June 23.

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• More Time Needed for Full Factory Resumption after Noto Quake

Factories in central Japan are beginning to reopen one month after the Noto Peninsula earthquake, while some need more time to return to full operations in areas hit especially hard by the disaster.

In addition, there are manufacturers that have to cut production due to the disruption of parts supplies from disaster-affected areas.

In the disaster-hit Ishikawa Prefecture, a hub for semiconductor and electronic parts makers, Japan Display Inc.'s plant in the town of Kawakita incurred damage to pipes. JDI says that the plant's production of thin liquid crystal display panels has resumed fully.


At Kaga Toshiba Electronics Corp.'s plant in the Ishikawa city of Nomi, a major Toshiba Corp. production base for semiconductors, the main lines including for power semiconductors are expected to go back online fully in early February.

Murata Manufacturing Co. has 13 plants in Ishikawa and the adjacent prefectures of Toyama and Fukui. Two of the three plants in suspension will resume their operations in early February and early March, respectively.

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• A month after Japan’s Noto earthquake, families pray and wait for return of loved ones

One month has passed since the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, which measured a maximum of 7 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale. In Ishikawa Prefecture, 240 people died, including 15 suspected disaster-related deaths, and more than 14,000 people are living in evacuation centers.

The figures of those mourning disaster victims can be seen from the morning in affected areas. The city of Nanao is making step-by-step progress toward recovery with a market reopening and applications for temporary housing starting to be accepted.

People were looking at ruins and joining hands in prayer amid the drizzle around Asaichi morning market street in central Wajima, which was hit by a massive fire.

Shortly after 9 a.m., Kazuhiko Soryo, 53, visited the area around the burned remains of his house. He has been going there every day from the evacuation center to keep a lookout for the community.

“Nothing has changed in the last month [since the earthquake],” Soryo said. “I’ve been living here for 53 years. I want to live here again, no matter what kind of house it is.”

About 50,800 square meters had been reduced to ashes and 300 buildings were damaged by fire, according to a survey by the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry’s National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management. The city’s tourism association said the Wajima morning market was a tourist spot that attracted more than 500,000 visitors a year before the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are no prospects for its reconstruction.

In Ishikawa Prefecture, 15 people remain unaccounted for and 11 are of them are residents of Wajima. Families are waiting for the return of their loved ones.

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• 1 month after quake, 40,000 people in Japan's Noto Peninsula still without water

Water infrastructure in Ishikawa Prefecture's Noto Peninsula suffered devastating damage in the Jan. 1 earthquake. A month after the quake, other lifelines such electricity and communications have been almost fully restored, yet about 40,000 households are still without water. This makes it the greatest obstacle to resuming life in the disaster zone. Why are the water stoppages lingering?

According to Ishikawa Prefecture, as of Feb. 1, eight municipalities were still experiencing water cuts, including about 14,200 households in the city of Nanao and about 10,000 households in Wajima. Even those whose homes escaped collapse in the New Year's Day temblor face dire living conditions without being able to take a bath or flush their toilets, hindering people's return from evacuation centers.

The impact extends beyond daily life to medical services. "Surgical tools and endoscopic cameras require large amounts of water for cleaning. We've had no choice but to transfer about 60 dialysis patients to other facilities," said Kuniyuki Kawasaki, administrative director at Wajima Municipal Hospital.

Wajima's civil engineering division chief Hidenori Kaniyu told the Mainichi Shimbun as streets were being dug up with heavy machinery to inspect the pipes buried beneath, "We won't know where the water pipes are damaged until we run water through them."

Despite efforts of water department personnel from municipalities nationwide, why is it taking so much time to get the taps running again?

Water must be drawn from sources such as rivers and sent to pumping stations, and then on to purification plants to ensure it is drinkable. Next, it is stored in distribution reservoirs to be piped out to the community, finally reaching individual households.

There are three main pumping stations in Wajima. One of them was damaged by the earthquake but was fixed about a week later. Purification plants, including three main facilities, have completed repairs and are now operating almost as normal. Water can be "produced." The challenge lies in getting this to each household.

The largest distribution reservoir in the city, capable of storing 4,000 metric tons, is on a hill next to Wajima Municipal Junior High School. When reporters visited in mid-January, they found wide cracks in the road leading to the school grounds, exposing two broken pipes, each 40 centimeters in diameter. Despite being earthquake-resistant, they apparently snapped under the intense shaking.

There are about 60 distribution reservoirs scattered throughout the city, but roads severed by the disaster make access difficult, and assessing damage is challenging.

Furthermore, the water pipes connecting the distribution reservoirs to individual households were badly damaged by the earthquake. To repair them, every damaged section has to be located, excavated one by one, and replaced. Then, the pipes need to be tested by passing water through them before the excavated holes are refilled.

There are some 550 kilometers of water pipes in the city. Municipal waterworks head Hiroshi Togishi explained, "We haven't fully grasped the extent of the damage to the pipes. We have to inspect each one connecting to individual households."

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Yes, but they have vending machines that sell puppies and kittens.

How zany is that?!

If that was indeed true. Then it would be quite zany indeed, personally I couldn't locate a vending machine dispensing used schoolgirl knickers but did find one that was bizarrely stocked with xxxx beer . A beer no one in there right mind drinks. Let alone from a vending machine in Japan. I'm saying the puppies in the vending machine and the panties were a myth. Maybe something sky news dreamed up on a slow day. Fuck nose?

The video in the link shows how quickly some buildings went down.

• Dashcam footage shows tremors and tsunami of Japan quake

Newly obtained dashcam video shows the violent tremors and tsunami of the New Year's Day earthquake that killed 240 people and damaged tens of thousands of homes along the Sea of Japan coast.

A video from Suzu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, when the magnitude-7.6 earthquake hit, shows a building collapsing within around a second. It also shows the inside of a vehicle as the quake wrenches the steering wheel left and right.

The vehicle camera captured houses along the street going down in clouds of dust. And about 40 minutes later, after passengers had gotten out of the car, it was swept away by the tsunami. Waves of muddy brown water flooded the streets.

A month after the disaster, temporary housing is being built for survivors. Wajima was one of the hardest-hit cities. Eighteen houses will be available here starting Saturday. They are equipped with water tanks, to cover supply outages. Fifty-five people plan to move in. It is a start, but officials say more than 4,000 applicants are waiting for housing in the city.

One of the most urgent tasks is restoring water supplies and other basic necessities. A 75-year-old shop owner has kept his business running to help his community.

Officials in Ishikawa Prefecture have confirmed nearly 50,000 houses were partially damaged or destroyed in the disaster. But survivors must have the damage certified, if they are to get public assistance.

However, the Cabinet Office says while more than 40,000 applications have been filed, only about 9,000 certificates have been issued so far. It is blaming the delay on severed roads and damaged accommodation facilities, which make it difficult for local officials to physically assess the buildings.

An anti-disaster planning expert proposes using AI to expedite the process. Professor Fujiu Makoto worked up an estimate of the number of buildings destroyed in the center of Wajima and Suzu cities. He utilized the results of onsite inspections and AI analysis of aerial images.

Fujiu says his figures suggest that in both city centers, the disaster razed at least 30 percent of all buildings. He said local governments could use his calculation methods to provide the needy with damage certificates more quickly.

Originally Posted by BLD

If that was indeed true. Then it would be quite zany indeed, personally I couldn't locate a vending machine dispensing used schoolgirl knickers but did find one that was bizarrely stocked with xxxx beer . A beer no one in there right mind drinks. Let alone from a vending machine in Japan. I'm saying the puppies in the vending machine and the panties were a myth. Maybe something sky news dreamed up on a slow day. Fuck nose?

Look how zany they are!

Been waiting for the petulant schoolgirl above to post today before I updated the thread.

• Temporary Housing Complex Completed for Evacuees in Wajima; Units Contain Variety of Rooms and Amenities

Construction of 18 temporary housing units for evacuees has been completed in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, one month after a powerful quake devastated the city and its surrounding areas on New Year’s Day.

The units were unveiled to members of the media on Friday, the day before 55 evacuees from 18 households were scheduled to start moving in. The prefectural government authorized the construction, which is the first temporary housing complex completed since the Noto Peninsula Earthquake struck.

In addition to a kitchen and a dining space, 14 of the 18 units have two bedrooms, while the remaining four have a living room and four bedrooms. They have wood-based interiors and are equipped with triple-pane windows to protect from the cold. Each unit also has a restroom, a bath and an air-conditioner.

The prefectural government aims to start building about 3,000 units by the end of March in all affected municipalities in the prefecture, including 548 units scheduled to be constructed in Wajima. It aims to finish building about 1,300 of the 3,000 before April begins.

“I think this complex will enable the evacuees living here to have peace of mind,” said Wajima Mayor Shigeru Sakaguchi following an inspection.

As more residents have evacuated to places outside the affected areas, he added, “We’ll work hard so that they can come back to their hometown as soon as possible.”

Quake evacuees begin moving into temporary housing in Ishikawa

Evacuees from areas hit by the Jan. 1 earthquake, which killed over 200 people in central Japan, began moving into the first batch of temporary homes completed in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Saturday.

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• Jan. 1 Quake Caused Many Problems to Shika N-Plant

The 7.6-magnitude earthquake in central Japan about a month ago caused a series of problems, such as oil leaks from a transformer and power transmission line damage, to the Shika nuclear power plant in Ishikawa Prefecture.

Tremors from the Jan. 1 earthquake partially exceeded assumptions by Hokuriku Electric Power Co., the operator of the nuclear plant in the town of Shika, where the temblor measured 7, the highest level on Japan's seismic intensity scale.

Also, it has been pointed out that active faults may have moved jointly in a wide area, causing the giant earthquake, which mainly struck the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa.

Both the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors at the Shika plant have been idled since March 2011, with a total of 1,657 nuclear fuel assemblies in spent fuel storage pools being cooled using external power sources.

The No. 2 reactor is now being screened by the Nuclear Regulation Authority as Hokuriku Electric is aiming to bring it back online. But the inspection is expected to take much longer, following the string of problems brought on by the quake.

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• Mainichi drone footage (in this link) shows areas hit by Jan. 1 Japan quake, tsunami, fire a month later

A Mainichi Shimbun drone recently captured video of areas of the Noto Peninsula left nearly untouched since they were devastated by the Jan. 1 earthquake and the following tsunami and fires.

On the morning of Jan. 28, a light rain fell on the area around the Asaichi-dori shopping street, a tourist spot in the center of the city of Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, destroyed by fire after the quake. Droplets of water fell like tears from the flowers offered to the victims. The strong smell of burning remained. There were very few people, but workers dispatched by various local governments and media personnel came and went from time to time. A woman was seen walking among the burnt ruins. She said that she had gone to see her parents' house, which had been empty, after it burned down. She wept then, saying that a friend living nearby was still missing.

The rain stopped shortly after 9 a.m. A video shot by the drone showed a number of sites where only the foundations of buildings remained. The Wajima Municipal Government announced on Jan. 17 that 10 bodies had been found in the Asaichi-dori area.

Meanwhile, the tsunami that struck immediately after the temblor caused extensive damage in the prefectural town of Noto and city of Suzu. According to a survey by the Japan Meteorological Agency, the tsunami reached 4.7 meters high in the Shiromaru district in Noto. During a visit to the area by this reporter on the morning of Jan. 30, houses and other structures that bear witness to the damage caused by the quake and tsunami were seen left untouched nearly a month later, as if time on the coast had stopped.

Some residents were seen cleaning up and searching for necessary items in the coastal areas of both municipalities, but the areas were quiet.

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• Many damaged sections of Ishikawa Pref. highways still closed; Personnel, Equipment Brought in by Sea, Land

Sixty-two sections of national and prefectural highways in Ishikawa Prefecture that were severely damaged by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake remain closed as of Friday. A little over 30% of the sections closed by the quake have been reopened within the first month, according to Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry officials.

The officials said that emergency restoration work alone will require more than three months for some sections of National Highway Route 249, a major artery that runs along the coast of the Noto Peninsula.

The ministry is hurrying to restore infrastructure in the prefecture by securing routes to bring in supplies and equipment by land and sea.

According to the ministry, on Jan. 5, when the approximate extent of damage to the roads became known, a total of 93 sections were closed, including 25 sections of Route 249, one section of Route 359 in the city of Kanazawa and 67 sections of prefectural highways.

As of Friday, nine sections of Route 249, the same section of Route 359, and 52 sections of prefectural highways remained closed to traffic, which means that only about 30% of the sections have been restored.

Although there are still many sections that remain cut off to traffic, the areas that are passable are expanding due to progress in restoration works.

Route 249 was hit hard by the earthquake as several tunnels along the coastline collapsed and landslides covered the road in several places. It is expected to take three months or more to remove the debris blocking the roads and tunnels.

In light of this situation, parties concerned, including the transport ministry, have worked to restore trunk roads in inland areas where damage has been relatively light, and have worked to make several prefectural highways that connect to Route 249 open to traffic. They have also created routes to affected areas from the sea. Personnel and equipment have been sent to affected areas from such routes, and are working to restore essential services, including running water, as quickly as possible.

In addition, there are some areas where emergency restoration alone is not sufficient to ensure safe travel, so it has been decided to begin construction of new roads. Transport minister Tetsuo Saito has indicated that full restoration of the road network is expected to take several years.

As for the Noetsu Expressway that runs through the peninsula, 10 sections were closed due to the earthquake, but now only one section remains closed, and it is expected to fully reopen by mid-March.

Those wacky nips even have blue traffic lights.

Madcap!