Thread: Strong quake prompts tsunami warning Japan

• Starry Resilience: Noto's Observatory Curator Inspires Hope Post-Earthquake

In the serene backdrop of Noto, Ishikawa Prefecture, an inspiring tale of resilience unfolds as Takuya Usami, a 37-year-old curator at the Mantenboshi stargazing observatory, turns to social media to keep the celestial spirit alive. Amidst the aftermath of the New Year's Day earthquake, which left the observatory damaged, Usami's daily photos of the starry skies symbolize hope for the facility's future.

Embracing the Digital Sky

Despite the observatory's closure, Usami has not let the earthquake dampen his spirits or the essence of what the Mantenboshi observatory represents. By sharing breathtaking snapshots of Noto's celestial wonders, he aims to connect with astronomy enthusiasts and the general public alike. This digital outreach initiative serves multiple purposes: keeping the observatory in the public eye, fostering a sense of community among stargazers worldwide, and preparing the groundwork for an anticipated reopening.

Healing Through the Heavens

The initiative is more than just a temporary pivot to digital; it's a testament to Usami's belief in the healing power of stargazing. Through his posts, he invites followers to look beyond the immediate challenges and find solace in the timeless beauty of the night sky. This effort is particularly poignant given the increased seismic activity in the Noto region since August 2020, underscoring the need for a place of calm and reflection, like the observatory, in the community.

Charting a Course to Reopening

The road to recovery and reopening the Mantenboshi observatory is steep, yet Usami's unwavering dedication offers a glimmer of hope. His initiative not only showcases the resilience of the human spirit but also underscores the observatory's role in the community and its potential to rise again as a beacon of science and wonder. As preparations for reopening continue, Usami's daily glimpses of the stars remind us that even in the darkest times, beauty and hope can be found overhead.

The story of Takuya Usami and the Mantenboshi stargazing observatory is a powerful reminder of how passion and perseverance can light the way forward, even in the aftermath of disaster. It demonstrates the unbreakable connection between humanity and the cosmos, and the enduring appeal of looking up to find our place in the universe. As Usami continues to share Noto's starry skies, he not only prepares for the day the observatory doors reopen but also inspires a global community to never lose sight of the stars.

__________

• Resilience in Tradition: Earthquake Delays Rice Cracker Production in Shika, Japan

In Shika, Ishikawa Prefecture, a family-owned workshop known for its traditional rice cracker production faced an unprecedented delay following a magnitude-7.6 earthquake on New Year's Day. Kunio Shirayama, 80, and his wife, Fusako, 81, have been producing 'Noto Shika Arare' rice crackers for over thirty years. This year, however, they encountered a significant setback as the disaster caused water outages, postponing their annual drying process by a month.

Impact of Natural Disasters on Local Businesses

Earthquakes not only cause physical and emotional tolls but also disrupt local economies and businesses. In the case of the Shirayamas, the delay in production due to the earthquake's impact on water supply highlights the vulnerability of small, traditional businesses to natural disasters. Despite the setback, the couple resumed production, hopeful that their beloved rice crackers would still meet quality standards for nationwide sale. Their product's appeal, stemming from its simple and homey flavor, has made it a popular choice across Japan, especially as a gift item in the 'furusato nozei' tax redirection program.

Challenges and Adaptation

Given the warmer temperatures, there was concern over potential mold growth, which could compromise the quality of the rice crackers. Typically, the drying process begins around January 6, with the final products ready for shipment in March. However, this year's crackers will continue drying throughout March, illustrating the challenges businesses face in adapting to unforeseen circumstances while maintaining product integrity.

Hope Amidst Adversity

The Shirayamas remain hopeful for a successful outcome despite the odds. Their story is a testament to the resilience and determination of local artisans in preserving traditional practices amid modern challenges. As communities rally to support affected businesses, the Shirayamas' experience serves as a reminder of the fragility and strength found within Japan's cultural heritage, underscoring the importance of supporting local industries in the wake of natural disasters.

The aftermath of the New Year's Day earthquake in Shika serves as a poignant reminder of the interconnectedness between nature, tradition, and the economy. As the Shirayamas and other local businesses navigate the path to recovery, their resilience offers a beacon of hope and a call to action for supporting community-based enterprises that are vital to preserving regional identities and traditions.

Insurance claims for 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake hit 74.4 billion by March

The General Insurance Association of Japan (GIAJ) has issued updated figures for insurance claims from the Noto Peninsula earthquake that occurred on Jan. 1.

https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com...ch-486757.aspx

________

Noto quake-hit areas show signs of recovery three months on

Areas hit hard by the magnitude 7.6 Noto Peninsula earthquake have begun to make some progress on reconstruction three months after the Jan. 1 disaster.
The famous morning market of the hard-hit Ishikawa Prefecture city of Wajima took place again as a pop-up event in the prefecture's capital of Kanazawa. The prefectural government, for its part, has released an outline of an upcoming reconstruction plan.

The temblor registered a seismic intensity of up to 7 on the Japanese earthquake intensity scale.

As of Friday, the death toll in Ishikawa stood at 244, including 15 who died of indirect causes related to the disaster. Over 8,000 people still live in shelters.

Prefectural data as of Friday showed that over 75,000 homes were damaged in the disaster. The number of evacuees decreased by about 3,000 from a month before to around 8,100, including 3,500 staying in secondary evacuation facilities such as hotels and ryokan (traditional Japanese inns).

A total of 894 emergency temporary housing units had been completed as of March 26.

Water supply disruptions have been gradually resolved in many disaster-affected areas. But running water remains unavailable in most of the hard-hit city of Suzu.

About 4,250 households in Suzu were without running water as of Friday. In Wajima, the number stood at 2,600.

One of the major positive developments was the March 16 opening of the 125-kilometer extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line between Kanazawa and Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture. A state-backed travel discount program to boost tourism in disaster-affected areas also started in March.

As for the Wajima morning market, which had remained shut since the disaster struck, the March 23 pop-up event attracted many shoppers and visitors.

The Ishikawa Prefectural Government on Thursday published an outline of the nine-year reconstruction plan through the fiscal year beginning April 2032, saying that it will aim to protect and enhance the charm of the Noto Peninsula region, not only taking steps to restore the area post-disaster. The prefecture also vowed to revitalize the region's traditional industries and local communities.

Noto quake, four months on

Thousands of people in central Japan still live in shelters after a massive earthquake exactly four months ago.

Click on "Watch on YouTube"

Originally Posted by S Landreth

Click on "Watch on YouTube"

Yup, sure thing.

• Four months after the Noto quake, 4,600 remain in evacuation centers

Four months after a powerful earthquake struck Ishikawa Prefecture's Noto Peninsula on January 1, more than 4,600 people remain in evacuation centers.

The magnitude 7.6 quake -- which measured 7 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 0 to seven -- caused 245 confirmed deaths, while three people remain missing.

A total of 78,568 buildings sustained damage. Over 10 percent of them -- or 8,142 -- were completely destroyed.

Efforts are being made to accelerate the construction of temporary housing in affected communities. As of the end of April, over 3,300 housing units -- more than half the number deemed necessary by the prefecture -- had been built.

Although the number of evacuees moving into temporary housing is rising, 4,606 are still sheltering in evacuation centers.

About 3,780 households -- many of them in the cities of Suzu and Wajima -- are still without water. The situation has prevented many evacuees from returning home.

Ishikawa Prefecture aims to repair the water infrastructure in most affected areas by the end of May.

It also plans to further accelerate the construction of temporary housing with the goal of accommodating all applicants by August.

Couldn't you pop over and help the pick up some rubbish?

I'm busy

Originally Posted by S Landreth

Efforts are being made to accelerate the construction of temporary housing in affected communities. As of the end of April, over 3,300 housing units -- more than half the number deemed necessary by the prefecture -- had been built.

Although the number of evacuees moving into temporary housing is rising, 4,606 are still sheltering in evacuation centers.

Originally Posted by malmomike77

Couldn't you pop over and help the pick up some rubbish?

I doubt there's any left. He's the only who's still obsessed with it.

• Over 2,700 residents move out of 6 municipalities hit by Noto quake

A total of 2,750 residents moved out of six municipalities in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, in the three months after the municipalities were hit hard by the Noto Peninsula earthquake on New Year’s Day, it was learned Wednesday.

Of the total, 848 people migrated from the city of Nanao, 770 from the city of Wajima, 378 from the city of Suzu, 295 from the town of Noto, 272 from the town of Shika and 187 from the town of Anamizu.

The net outflow of residents from the six municipalities, or an excess of outflows over inflows, came to 2,209 people, up about 3.7-fold from the same period last year.

In March alone, 1,350 residents left the six municipalities, according to demographic data released by the Ishikawa prefectural government on Wednesday.

The six municipalities’ net population decline, including an excess of deaths over births, was 3,221 people, a loss of about 2.7 percent of their population.

• Local info magazine in quake-hit Noto region set for revival

A quarterly magazine that had informed readers about the unknown attractions of the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture for over 13 years is set for revival this month, after being halted following a powerful earthquake that struck four months ago.

Yukio Tsunezuka, the 70-year-old chief editor of the "Noto" magazine, who undertakes almost all of the editorial work alone, had no choice but to suspend its publication after the 7.6 magnitude quake ravaged municipalities on the peninsula on Jan. 1.

But Tsunezuka was encouraged by people around him to restart publishing and is now working on a new edition that will include the lessons from the temblor, which measured up to 7, the highest level on Japan's seismic intensity scale.

Tsunezuka, who is from Kanazawa, Ishikawa's capital, had closely watched the prefecture for some 30 years as he worked for a local newspaper publisher. Tsunezuka lived in the Ishikawa town of Anamizu when he was in his late 20s working as a reporter for the newspaper.

Drawn to the attractions of the Noto Peninsula, Tsunezuka organized such projects as the "Tour de Noto 400" cycling event, which tours around the peninsula. The cycling event has become very popular and been held for more than 30 years.

Upon leaving the newspaper publisher, Tsunezuka moved to the city of Wajima in the peninsula, his wife's hometown, and came up with the idea of issuing a magazine focusing on the life in the peninsula. He thought he would be able to create "a kind of magazine that has never been seen before," capitalizing on his experiences.

He issued the first edition of the Noto magazine in October 2010. After that, he continued visiting restaurants, ryokan Japanese-style inns and other locations on his own to publish further editions while carrying out almost all necessary work, including writing and sales, all by himself.

The New Year's Day quake struck just when he was about to print the latest edition. Tsunezuka evacuated to Kanazawa as his home, also used as his editorial office, was damaged by the earthquake.

Learning that shops due to be introduced in the edition had been forced to stop operations because of the disaster, Tsunezuka wondered who would read the magazine in the dire situation and therefore decided to suspend publication.

For a short while after the quake, Tsunezuka was unable to began to work on restarting publication.

Encouraged by people around him to continue issuing the magazine, especially in such times, however, Tsunezuka made up his mind to release a new edition featuring the Noto Peninsula earthquake. More than 100 people expressed support as he solicited donations to cover necessary costs.

"I felt immense pressure, but I'm thankful," Tsunezuka said.

In mid-January, Tsunezuka rented a space in the building of an acquaintance's company, where he began to compile the new 55th Noto edition.

"I'm not accustomed to covering an earthquake at all," Tsunezuka said. Due to the rapidly changing situation in areas afflicted by the disaster, he had to make a revision to the upcoming edition many times.

After careful consideration, Tsunezuka decided that the 55th edition will feature aerial photos and the staff's experiences to hand down the lessons from the earthquake to future generations.

Tsunezuka said: "A (major) quake will inevitably occur again. It's important to make problems known."

"I'll continue (issuing the magazine) as long as my brain and body keep working," he said.

• Kodomo Shokudo Helping Kids in Noto Quake-Hit Areas

Suzu, Ishikawa Pref., May 6 (Jiji Press)--"Kodomo shokudo" cafeterias that offer meals to needy children for free or at low prices continue operations in areas stricken by the Jan. 1 powerful earthquake in the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan.

But some kodomo shokudo operators in the Okunoto region in the peninsula, which was hit particularly hard by the 7.6-magnitude quake, face difficulties offering their services due to damage from the disaster and are therefore in need of help from other parts of the prefecture and elsewhere in the country.

In the Ishikawa city of Suzu in the peninsula, six entities from within and outside the prefecture jointly held a kodomo shokudo event on March 31, with menu items including children's favorites such as chocolate-coated bananas, cotton candy and a bowl of rice topped with ginger fried pork.

On the day, children and others from about 50 families visited the cafeteria, enjoying warm dishes and sweets in a festive mood.

Among them were Megumi Hase, 34, and her four children aged between 3 and 8 from the town of Noto, adjacent to Suzu.

• Japan trying to reduce danger of fire in next major earthquake

A best-selling book written by a Special Secretary for Governor’s Affairs with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government depicts the worst-case scenario for a major earthquake in Japan with the possibility of over a hundred thousand building catching fire.

MIYACHI Miyoko’s “Capital Defense” warns that the danger of earthquakes comes not only from violent shaking and tsunami, but also fires. The damage projection for a major earthquake directly beneath the capital, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, estimates that approximately 118,000 buildings could be affected by fires.

Major quakes in Kobe, Tohoku and the Noto Peninsula have shown the deadly effect of fires in areas of collapsed wooden buildings.

The national government and local governments constantly remind citizens to be prepared, but there is a fear that many people are not ready for a major quake. Tokyo is long overdue for a big earthquake and there is also a worry that Mt. Fuji could erupt as it is an active volcano. The last eruption was 300 years ago.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is trying to eliminate significantly dangerous urban areas, especially dangerously densely populated urban areas where there is a high risk of fires spreading.

In regions where wooden houses line the streets, the urban infrastructure is often inadequate and there are often difficulties for emergency vehicles in gaining access to disaster-hit areas.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is bringing in measures such as removing aging wooden houses and making road improvements to halt the spread of fires. “The challenges posed by densely populated wooden areas are also weaknesses of the capital,” Miyachi writes.

Unfortunately, earthquake prediction is not easy, and a major quake could strike anywhere in Japan at any time. Being prepared and being aware are essential for citizens to survive.

• Japanese Lacquerware Artisans Graduate After 2-month Delay; Graduation Held in Kanazawa as Wajima Institute Remains Closed

The Ishikawa Prefectural Wajima Institute of Lacquer Arts, based in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, held its graduation ceremony on Tuesday in Kanazawa, two months later than usual due to the Jan. 1 powerful quake that hit Wajima and its surroundings.

Wajima is home to one of the nation’s major centers for the traditional craft of lacquerware, and the institute trains aspiring artists and craftsmen. However, it suspended classes due to damage the institute sustained when the Noto Peninsula Earthquake struck. Those who attended Tuesday’s ceremony moved to different locations to work on their graduation projects.

“I had enjoyable and demanding days in Wajima solely studying lacquer work,” said Yuki Hino, as he delivered a speech on behalf of the 14 graduates at the ceremony. “What I learned at the institute will be a great guideline for my life.”

Hino, 34, studied at the institute’s course for maki-e, a decorative technique using powders of gold, silver and other colors. He grew up watching his father Takuya, 61, a maki-e artisan. After graduating from university in Tokyo, Hino started working at a TV station in Ishikawa Prefecture. However, his desire to learn maki-e led him to enroll in the training institute in 2019, just before he turned 30.

At the training institute, established in 1967, students can learn from instructors such as Kunihiro Komori, a 79-year-old living national treasure and director of the institute. They teach the techniques of woodworking, undercoating and overcoating, as well as maki-e and chinkin, another decorative technique.

Hino first studied the basics for two years, before moving on to the maki-e course, which lasts for three years. For his graduation project, he had been preparing designs and wooden boxes for more than a year. However, the earthquake hit the peninsula on New Year’s Day, when he was just about to start the maki-e work for the project.

His house-cum-workshop, which was located along the street on which the Wajima Morning Market was held, was destroyed in the fire that engulfed the neighborhood. Hino and his family took shelter at a relative’s house in the city of Kaga in the prefecture. Since classes were canceled at the institute, its 37 trainees have moved to their parents’ homes and elsewhere.

Hino and two other trainees from the maki-e course continued their graduation work at a university in Kanazawa, which the institute introduced them to. He completed his own work in early April: a lacquer box with its surface decorated with maki-e designs of bivalve shells from Noto.

Hino will start his career as an artist while helping his father, who is creating his work while currently taking shelter in Komatsu, Ishikawa Prefecture.

“I hope that the young generation like us will help boost the [lacquer] industry,” he said. “Someday I will return to Wajima to continue making lacquerware.”

• Eateries keep 'Noto-don' on the menu in Fukui despite quake

The Noto Peninsula earthquake threatened the survival of a popular rice bowl dish made of locally grown rice and local seafood and meat products.

However, restaurants in Noto cooperated in opening an eatery in Fukui in April to keep “Noto-don,” short for Noto “donburi” (rice bowl dish), on the menu.

In the various gourmet bowls, rice grown in Noto is topped with crab meat, pufferfish and beef that is pulled from the sea off the peninsula and from local farms.

The ingredients come from the four municipalities (Wajima, Suzu, Anamizu and Noto) in Okunoto, the northernmost part of Ishikawa Prefecture.

Wajima-grown rice is served in a vermillion-colored Wajima lacquerware bowl. In one offering, Noto steak and sukiyaki beef are placed deftly on top.

“This is pretty sumptuous, right?” asks restaurant operator Fumie Hyuga, 65, with a smile.

The “Noto-gyu zeitaku-don” (Noto beef sumptuous rice bowl dish) has been a signature dish at Ki no Koe, a cafe that Hyuga ran in the Machinocho district of Wajima.

The eatery also served a rice bowl dish featuring Noto pork that offered the appeal of Noto food that went beyond seafood.

The cafe building, however, collapsed when the earthquake hit on New Year’s Day. Hyuga moved to Kanazawa in mid-January and then to Tokyo where her second daughter lived.

At the end of January, she moved into public housing owned by Tokyo and lived as evacuees with her husband and eldest son. Even then she kept thinking about Noto-don.

Noto-don was originally conceived when the number of tourists declined after a previous Noto Peninsula earthquake with a maximum seismic intensity of upper 6 struck in March 2007.

The restaurants formed a cooperative association of businesses involved in Noto-don, made a pamphlet introducing each restaurant and worked together as a team.

A total of 42 restaurants served the rice bowl dish before the earthquake hit on New Year’s Day.

“There was one restaurant that became so popular that it sold thousands of them a year,” says Keisuke Mizumoto, 46, secretary-general of the association.

When the earthquake occurred on Jan. 1, one restaurant burned down in a fire and gave up hope of rebuilding, while another started making boxed meals at the evacuation centers and has not reopened.

Now, only two restaurants are in business and a sense of crisis was spreading.

Seeing their predicament, an operator of MINIE, a food hall that opened in a redeveloped building in front of Fukui Station to coincide with the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Kanazawa to Tsuruga, contacted them.

The food hall is a two-minute walk from the west exit of the station and the area is bustling with tourists from the Kanto and Kansai regions thanks to the bullet train line extension.

After discussions, the officials of the cooperative association decided to rent a restaurant space to spread the appeal of Noto-don again.

If each restaurant took turns operating the eatery for a month, they can serve a variety of offerings. The first in line is Hyuga and three restaurants are to follow.

Since procuring the cooking utensils and paying for accommodation during the stay can add up, they are considering seeking support through crowdfunding.

“We simply have to do this to preserve the brand we worked hard to create,” says Hyuga, looking to the future.

Noto-gyu zeitaku-don is priced at 3,800 yen ($24.50), while “Noto-oki kaisen-don” (Off the coast of Noto seafood rice bowl dish) costs 3,000 yen and “Noto-buta haikara-don” (Noto pork stylish rice bowl dish) is 1,850 yen.

All prices include tax, and the rice bowl dish comes with a small side dish and soup.

• Applications for disaster-related deaths from Noto quake exceed 90

Bereaved family members of at least 93 people who died of causes believed to be linked to the Noto Peninsula earthquake have applied for “disaster-related death” certification, according to municipal officials in Ishikawa Prefecture.

The Ishikawa prefectural government and governments of cities and towns are expected to hold a meeting for the first time to review these cases as early as next week.

It is possible that the first certification could be issued by the end of the month.

Prefectural officials announced that there had been 15 people whose deaths were suspected to be related to the Noto Peninsula earthquake that occurred on Jan. 1 as of May 9.

But the number may rise significantly.

Disaster-related deaths refer to deaths not from direct causes such as house collapses and fires, but due to worsening health caused by disasters or illness brought on by the burden of living in evacuation shelters.

The Asahi Shimbun interviewed officials in 19 cities and towns in the prefecture about applications for disaster condolence money, which is provided to bereaved families of those who died in the earthquake.

There were 53 applications for disaster-related deaths in Wajima, 16 in Noto, 10 in Shika, seven in Nanao and seven in Anamizu.

The number of applications may increase in the future.

In Suzu, the hardest-hit area, officials said it had received about 70 applications for condolence money, including those for direct deaths. But the officials declined to disclose the number of applications for disaster-related deaths, calling it personal information.

The central government and others pay disaster condolence money of 5 million yen ($32,100) to a bereaved family if the deceased was the breadwinner. In other cases, the payment is 2.5 million yen.

A panel of doctors and lawyers among others reviews each application.

The prefectural government opened a secondary evacuation center at a large gymnasium in Kanazawa on Jan. 8 to prevent disaster-related deaths in the severe winter months. Officials have urged residents to evacuate to hotels and inns available in a wider area.

As of May 9, the prefectural government counted 245 deaths from the quake.

Of the 245, 15 were deemed disaster-related deaths by municipal governments themselves.

In the dual Kumamoto Earthquakes that occurred in April 2016, six disaster-related deaths were confirmed for the first time three months later.

In December the same year, the figure exceeded 100. The number stood at 221 as of September 2020.

The number of disaster-related deaths attributable to the Noto Peninsula earthquake could eventually exceed the Kumamoto figure.

• Rice planting at quake-hit Shiroyone Senmaida in central Japan

More than 50 people have taken part in rice planting at picturesque terraced paddies on the coast of the Noto Peninsula, central Japan, which was hit by a powerful earthquake on New Year's Day.

Shiroyone Senmaida consists of around 1,000 paddies along a slope overlooking the Sea of Japan in Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture. It has been designated as a national scenic spot.

The earthquake caused extensive damage to the rice fields, with about 80 percent of them left with cracks.

A civic group that manages rice farming there was engaged in repair work.

Amid a shortage of farmers due to aging of the local population, an ownership system has been introduced to conserve the paddies. Under the scheme, members pay fees to grow rice.

On Saturday, members gathered from across Japan for planting at some of the repaired paddies. They manually planted seedlings of rice grown mainly in the Noto region.

A man in his 30s from Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, said he will be happy if his participation as an owner helps rebuild the paddies.

Planting by owners will take place again on Sunday. Volunteer workers including local high school students will participate next weekend.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

I doubt there's any left. He's the only who's still obsessed with it.

Serious OCD.

You enjoying my thread, also?

Dream on. Opened it once to see what was happening. Do you really think anyone reads all your cut and pastes? I doubt even you do.

High-tech containers provide relief to quake-hit Noto areas

High-functioning containers equipped with toilets, showers, power generators and water purification systems are proving invaluable in areas affected by the Jan. 1 Noto Peninsula earthquake.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is advocating the use of these containers to enhance the disaster-relief capabilities of roadside stations, due to their versatility and ease of installation.

A container toilet installed at the roadside station in the town of Anamizu, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Jan. 12, features a microbial purification system and solar power generation.

“The town is on the way to Okunoto, which includes the city of Suzu, so it was urgent to improve the toilet situation,” said Yumi Nakada, head of the town's community development section.

The toilet facility was used over 7,000 times while it was there between Jan. 12 and Feb. 20. “It had large individual units and users gave it high marks,” Nakada said.

According to the ministry, 44 containers were dispatched to Ishikawa Prefecture from private sector sources and local governments in the two months following the earthquake. These containers have been repurposed as toilets, showers, and clinics, with some serving as laundromats and temporary housing.

The ministry, which aims to strengthen the disaster-prevention and relief capabilities of roadside stations, designated 39 stations that met its criteria to act as such facilities in 2021, with plans to increase this number to about 100.

However, the development of such stations is slow, because local governments need to ensure they meet rigorous requirements, including earthquake resistance, communication and water supply infrastructure, and sufficient parking lot space.

Containers are subject to different regulations depending on whether they are considered buildings or vehicles, and they must comply with relevant laws. To clarify these regulations, the land ministry issued guidelines for local governments in April, outlining best practices and key points to consider when deploying these containers.

The guidelines highlight examples of how containers can be used as restrooms, showers, and rest areas under normal circumstances. The container in Anamizu was originally used as an additional restroom at a roadside station in the city of Ukiha in Fukuoka Prefecture.

“Roadside stations are becoming increasingly important as disaster prevention centers, and the Noto Peninsula earthquake showed that high-functioning containers are very effective," a ministry official said. "We hope the guidelines will be helpful in understanding how to use them.”

Political Pulse / Holistic Teaching in ‘A Country of Extraordinary Resilience’

Giant mosaic artwork planned by young people in Suzu City and completed by the children of Iida Elementary School, seen on April 15, expresses the desire not to give up because of the earthquake.

When education is subjected to extreme situations, its true essence is revealed. The actions of teachers in disaster-stricken schools following the Jan. 1 Noto Peninsula Earthquake shed light on the role of teachers. Despite losing their own homes in the earthquake, teachers tirelessly worked for the sake of the children. In addition to teaching, teachers helped children overcome difficult situations by creating a school environment where they could feel safe and find happiness.

This shows a holistic approach to education in which teachers not only help children learn knowledge and skills, but also cultivate the sensitivity and ethics that children possess, with the goal of developing the whole person. Many teachers in Japan have more or less adopted this approach, and the teachers I interviewed in the affected areas were among them.

One such teacher is Principal Motoko Aizumi of Iida Elementary School in Suzu City, Ishikawa Prefecture. Located on the tip of the Noto Peninsula, the area was hit by strong tremors measuring up to 6 on the Japanese intensity scale, causing the collapse of many houses, including her home.

The principal continued to manage the school while sleeping in her office. A shelter was set up at her school, where many residents took refuge. Realizing that the presence of the shelter could serve as a valuable learning opportunity, she encouraged the children to explore it. She wanted them to study how the shelter was operated, understand the feelings of volunteers and local residents involved in its management, and learn things they could only experience at that moment.

The fifth and sixth graders went first. Together with their teachers, they toured the shelter, making observations and comments like, “This must be the command center,” “I wonder what’s written on the blackboard,” and “They’re managing relief supplies here too.”

They were particularly surprised to see that most of the people in the shelter during the daytime were elderly. While their parents were involved in clearing the debris of collapsed buildings, the children wanted to do something for the elderly, so they organized activities such as massages, entertaining school broadcasts, and radio calisthenics to alleviate the evacuees’ boredom.

Inspired by the fifth and sixth graders’ actions, the third graders expressed their desire to contribute. After discussing it among themselves, they presented the results of their exploration activities from before the earthquake to the elderly people taking shelter and also enjoyed spinning tops together. The third graders’ homeroom teacher, who had just graduated from university, also had her home destroyed and could no longer live there. Commuting from a shelter set up at another elementary school, she bustled around to realize the children’s requests.

Many people, including medical professionals and local government officials, worked tirelessly without sparing a thought for themselves during the disaster, but I think the dedication of teachers was equally outstanding. The children’s uninterrupted learning is one of the results. Teachers keep a close eye on every aspect of the children’s lives. They have supported schools in fulfilling their role as centers of the local community.

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, such holistic education traditions have contributed to the resilience demonstrated by Japanese education in crisis situations.

Andreas Schleicher, director for education and skills at the OECD, visited Japan in March, two months after the earthquake. He visited the Noto Peninsula, inspected the disaster-affected schools, and listened to accounts of the situation from many principals and teachers. In an email he sent me after leaving Japan, Schleicher wrote: “Many wondered how Japan could maintain its strong educational performance in Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) during the years of the pandemic, when much of the world saw a sharp decline in student learning outcomes. The visit to the Noto Peninsula helped me understand this better. Japan is a country of natural disasters, but it is also a country of extraordinary resilience.”

However, Schleicher is concerned that such holistic education in Japan is losing some of its magic and charm. He cites the commercialization of education as one of the reasons. In the education market, children are seen as consumers of learning content, and teachers are viewed as service providers. This is a global trend, and Japan is no exception. “This trend is beginning to take hold in Japan, and it tears apart a tradition where school was the center of the community,” he says.

I believe that the media bears some responsibility for the wavering of holistic education. For example, there have been news reports of scandals involving teachers who commit indecent acts, and other reports emphasizing negative aspects such as overwork and unfair treatment. While such issues need to be addressed and cannot be ignored, the ratio of positive news inevitably decreases. To prevent the media from one-sidedly spreading negative images of teachers, The Yomiuri Shimbun conducted a campaign last year to consciously introduce positive topics for a year.

Aizumi says, “As a result of learning from the shelter and the people, the children’s sense of solidarity has visibly strengthened and each child’s motivation to learn has increased.” Although she privately wished for her students to remain in Suzu as a driving force for the city’s reconstruction, she refrained from including words to that effect at the graduation ceremony, not wanting to limit her students’ future.

Four months after the Noto Earthquake, the tension that prevailed in the disaster’s immediate aftermath has eased. It is a time when fatigue is keenly felt. Therefore, she has decided to operate the school at a slower pace than usual, such as by postponing school events.

For “integrated studies,” which aims to help students develop the competencies defined by the school’s goals by working on projects related to real-life issues, the theme naturally chosen for this year was “disaster prevention.” Aizumi believes that rich exploratory learning enables children develop the skills they need in today’s world.

Although the number of young and inexperienced teachers is increasing, there are still many good, experienced teachers, like her. With good teachers, children may also have a happy school life. A good relationship between children and teachers is the most important factor in determining children’s well-being in school.

The holistic approach of education in Japan is highly evaluated internationally. The problem is that it is not well accepted in Japan anymore. Perhaps we should raise the social and economic status of educators and make teaching an even more respected profession than it is today.

The Central Council for Education, an advisory body to the education, culture, sports, science and technology minister, has made a rough draft of the proposal that the Teachers’ Salary Special Measures Law enacted in 1971 be amended to raise the “teaching adjustment amount,” which is paid uniformly as overtime pay. I am very much in favor of the proposal, and I hope it will result in a very generous salary increase.

If we are willing to make a substantial investment in our own children’s education, surely we can find the money to do so. The quality of education never exceeds the quality of teachers. The more money we spend on teachers, the better our education, and our future, will be.

30 Deaths Recognized as Indirectly Caused by Noto Quake

A panel including doctors and lawyers recognized Tuesday that 30 deaths were indirectly caused by the Jan. 1 Noto Peninsula earthquake in central Japan, in addition to the 245 people who died in the disaster.

The five-member panel, commissioned by the Ishikawa prefectural government, held its first meeting on the day as the families of more than 100 deceased people have filed for such recognition.

Condolence money of 5 million yen, or 2.5 million yen in the case of non-income earners, will be provided to the families of those found to have died from indirect causes.

At the day's meeting, the panel screened 35 deaths--nine in the city of Wajima, 19 in the city of Suzu, and seven in the town of Noto. While finding 30 deaths to be related to the earthquake, the panel decided to continue examining the remaining five cases.

Applications for condolence money have been made for 53 deceased people in Wajima, 16 in Noto, 14 in the city of Nanao, 10 in the town of Shika and seven in the town of Anamizu. Suzu, which saw many deaths, has not released the number of applications it has received.

Court rejects lawsuit to block restart of west Japan nuclear reactor

A court rejected Wednesday a lawsuit seeking to block the restart of a nuclear reactor in western Japan due to safety concerns, dismissing the plaintiffs' claim that evacuation plans in the event of a natural disaster are inadequate.

The decision by the Matsue branch of the Hiroshima High Court came ahead of the planned restart by Chugoku Electric Power Co. in December of the Shimane nuclear plant's No. 2 reactor, which is currently undergoing a safety inspection.

"There are no specific risks of a major accident that may lead to a leak of an abnormal level of radiation beyond the premises of the plant," said Presiding Judge Yoshiki Matsutani.

The No. 2 unit is a boiling water reactor identical to those at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station, which was crippled in the wake of a massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.

The unit is slated to become the second of its type to resume operation, following the planned restart in September of the No. 2 reactor at Tohoku Electric Power Co.'s Onagawa plant in Miyagi Prefecture.

Some of the plaintiffs came out of the court at around 10 a.m. and held banners saying "The judiciary abandoned the residents" and "Our voices did not reach (them)."

The plaintiffs from Shimane and Tottori prefectures had claimed that the utility's safety measures to deal with natural disasters, such as a major earthquake or a volcanic eruption at Mt. Sanbe, are inadequate.

They also argued that the evacuation plans drawn up by the government and municipalities fail to take into account factors such as collapsed homes or disruption to road networks in the event of a disaster, as seen in the Noto Peninsula earthquake on New Year's Day.

Following the ruling, Chugoku Electric Power released a statement describing the decision as "reasonable" and vowing that the utility will continue to prioritize and ensure safety.

The utility had argued that the reactor is safe, saying there would be no immediate issues in the event of a quake that is more powerful than that envisaged in its contingency plan and the possibility of a major eruption at the volcano is low.

The power company had planned to restart the reactor in August this year but pushed the date back to December due to delays in implementing its safety measures. The reactor had been cleared to restart after passing an inspection by the Nuclear Regulation Authority in September 2021.

The Shimane nuclear plant is the only one in Japan located in a prefectural capital. About 450,000 people across six municipalities in the two prefectures live within a 30-kilometer radius of the plant, a zone that must be covered by central and local government evacuation plans for natural disasters.

The high court decision came after the Matsue District Court in 2010 ruled against the plaintiffs.