Key Points
- Recovery progress in the Noto Peninsula remains significantly slower than previous major disasters, with many residents still lacking basic utilities like running water.
- A “recovery gap” is widening between accessible urban areas and isolated coastal or mountainous villages that remain difficult to reach.
- Local residents express a profound fear of being “forgotten” as national media attention shifts away from the disaster zone.
- The psychological toll is mounting as survivors continue to live in damaged homes or cramped evacuation centers with no clear timeline for temporary housing.
Full Transcript (English)
Host (Jun Hori): It has been over three months since the Noto Peninsula earthquake struck on New Year’s Day. I have returned to the disaster zone to see what has changed. While some main roads have been cleared, the reality for many residents is that time has stood still. I am currently in a neighborhood in Wajima where the smell of scorched earth still lingers, and the sound of heavy machinery is still far too rare.
Host: Many people here are living in what is called “in-home evacuation,” staying in their damaged houses because they do not want to leave their land or because the official evacuation centers are overcrowded and lack privacy. I spoke with a local resident about the current situation and the feeling on the ground.
Guest (Local Resident): To be honest, it feels like we have been abandoned by the rest of the country. In the beginning, there were so many cameras and politicians. Now, the water is still not running in our district, and we are still using portable toilets in the cold. We see the news about the stock market hitting record highs in Tokyo, and it feels like we are living in a completely different country.
Host: The lack of running water remains the biggest hurdle to any sense of normalcy. Without it, local businesses cannot reopen, and the elderly struggle to maintain basic hygiene. The government states that the complex geography of the Noto Peninsula makes repairs difficult, but for those living here, the pace is simply unacceptable.
Guest (Local Volunteer): We need more than just emergency supplies now. We need a concrete vision for the future. People are starting to leave the peninsula because they don’t see a way to rebuild their lives here. If this continues, these historic communities will simply disappear through “secondary depletion.”
Host: This is what many are calling the “second disaster”—the loss of community and the erosion of hope. We must keep our eyes on Noto. We cannot let these voices be silenced by the passage of time or the shift in the news cycle. This is Jun Hori for 8bitNews.
