Voters in Noto hit by quake, rain call for support to rebuild

but some have lamented that "now is not the time for elections" given the region was also hit by record heavy rainfall last month.

But the LDP needs its rubber stamp on Ishiba!

That takes priority.

you think Japanese politicians care about you?! hahaha

“It's not as if anything will change with the election”

Maybe if you didn’t reelect the do-nothing LDP cabal who are demonstrably ignoring your plight, something might.

calling for government support for swift reconstruction, but some

Reconstruction needs to consider including the use of different materials and construction methods suitable for changing climate plus materials and methods better suited to withstand earthquakes and other catastrophes. The reconstruction needs to factor in the reality that materials and construction techniques of the last century might not be best for these rapidly changing times. To make the changes the construction and building industries need to replace the fossils that shun the notion of progress, as do government agencies overseeing building standards, along with the aging politicians stuck in the past.

Is there any way to go volunteer help there ? Or just show up ?

9 1/2 months later, no recovery baby delivered.

Don't waste tax payers money on pointless rebuilding on an area that will be de-populated in 20 years. The earthquake has just increased the pace at which people leave. Save money by relocating.... Be realistic not romantic.

Is there any way to go volunteer help there ? Or just show up ?

You should apply to the town hall. Outsiders just turning up and expecting to do things like going into people's houses to bring stuff out are highly likely to be viewed with suspicion. The Japanese expression for "burglary" is "empty nest" because unoccupied houses are seen as easy prey.

Earthquake volunteering often involves going inside buildings that have been damaged. Volunteering through official channels also means you get insured.

It should not be assumed that the "call for support to rebuild" is because the government is doing nothing in this region. That would be very far from the truth.

The most damaged area is the remote tip of the peninsula, which takes hours to reach even from Kanazawa. A major part of the charm of this area (to me) was the seaside hamlets of old houses with matching tiled roofs and dark wooden siding. Many of these buildings will have been lost in the quake. I hope something with the same appeal, the same Japanese aesthetics, is built to replace them, and would caution that they should not expect lots of tourists to make the large effort to go there if a mixed-up mess of modern buildings with no Japanese charm goes up in their place.

Japan used to be famous for reconstruction after a disaster, not so much any more.

I am a resident of Noto cho and have been living here since 2016. My wife and I bought a home here, it was built in the Meiji era. My home is located about 19 km from the epicenter in Suzu. Like many other homes built in the Meiji era, Noto was spared much of the devastation due to how and where they were built. Just like other residents who live in Noto, we are still live in our home, but other than cleaning it up and doing minor reforms to it that I can do on my own, our home is still in the same state as it was on January 1st, just after the Earthquake.

The absolute slowness of the reconstruction is really insanity. We can't rely on local carpenters because there is at least three-year waiting list. Most people in my area are on that waiting list.

Here is another problem, my wife and I found out local carpenters don't specialize in fixing homes from Earthquake damage. We attended an event in Wajima in August about reforming homes that have sustained Earthquake damage. A carpenter who hosted the event who was from the Nagoya area specializes in Earthquake disasters. He reformed homes in the Tohoku area and Kumamoto. He fixes older homes with 曳家工事（hiya Koujii). We told him about our home and he wanted to see it. He visited the next day and took a look at our home and made his calculations, and he could fix it faster and at a much more affordable price than what the local carpenters were telling us. Most local carpenters would say it is impossible to repair just by hearing how old our home was. Even the ones who did visit our home also said the same thing but most didn't even access the foundation, which I knew was ridiculous from the start. The ones who did quoted us a somewhat affordable price but we would have to be put on a waiting list that would take years before we can fix it. We are hoping we can get the hikiya Kouji done around December and from there we are going to reform the home. When we reform the inside after the hikiya kouji hopefully everything would be done by the middle of next year.

As Suzu and Wajima both of these cities are in a sad state many homes are still wrecked and debris are everywhere. Streets are still in disrepair. How slow the reconstruction is going is really embarrassing for the Japanese government. It too three times to get our 罹災証明書 (disaster certification done properly), it finally arrived on September 28th. That just shows you how slow this country is in the recovery. It really is going to take more than three years for there to be a recovery. Even though my wife is from Aomori and I'm from Germany, my wife and our daughter love Noto because of its peacefulness and natural beauty. The locals of Noto are in my opinion the most friendly people in Japan that's why we love it here and won't leave.

藤原

thank you for your report and good luck with your family going forward.

With the many opportunities all of Japan have for destruction, devastation, even loss of life one may think/hope this would be a primary focus of the government.

The German Noto resident's comments here paint a very bleak picture of Noto's many (elderly) residents. It is a very sad state of affairs as many livlihoods have been lost, onsen, fishing,

Had this tragic event occured in central Tokyo, bet the repairs would have been completed on December 31, 2023.

藤原

That one post has told more of the real story than all of the reporting put together. An absolute tragedy, first the natural disaster then the man made one. Hearing that it took three tries to put your disaster certification together is just sad, not surprising, but still after al these years here hope that today maybe the day they get their act together.

You’d think that in times of need people could pick up the pace, try and streamline the process and make things as easy as possible for those living the pain. It seems the J bureaucracy is just inherently broken. The lost generation has hit thirty years now, so they know nothing other than mediocrity , fakery and feet dragging. In fact to a whole generation now, ( 30 years is all it takes ) this is all they know, and it permeates every aspect of society and the culture.

The fact that the pro from Nagoya, or someone like him , hasn’t been brought in to run the show is also a sign of the yet another ball drop. Good luck to you man, I’m just down the road in Fukui so look me up if you want a beer. Know one guy in construction who has moved up to Noto so may even be able to introduce you for a fifth opinion! All the best champ.

Voters are calling for government support for swift reconstruction, but some have lamented that "now is not the time for elections" 

Unfortunately they are pleading to a government that cares more about covering up their scandals and when their next slush fund payments will arrive.

Caring for the people of disaster hit areas is not on their priority list. Helping the people of Noto will not financially benefit the LDP. And that is always what's number one on their list.

Let's hope for Noto's sake that there are some great volunteer groups looking to help out.

Comments are enlightening.

Root cause is very simple : high demography loss. No country can rebuild fast if population is made mostly of grandpas and grandmas, with hardly no youth and so a very limited number of specialists compare to needs for reconstruction.

Where are the special building reconstruction teams since Japan endures regularly such disaster ? There are none.

Japan used to be famous for reconstruction after a disaster, not so much any more.

They still are in places with a future. Noto is sadly not one of these places.

An amazing post by JT contributor 藤原 Fujiwara! It is incredible to get a first-hand report from ground level!

Response from LDP government to damaged area of Noto peninsula since new year's day is especially too late and still insufficient.

Even enough drink water or foods for evacuees or sufferers are still lack despite over 9 months passed.

Building demolition that neighboring Taiwan can finish a few days, present Japan spends over 9 months until start it.

Government delayed recovery, abandoned many landslides or rubbles. More increasing damages and deaths when heavy rain and flood last month are misgovern-made disaster.

Sufferers and evacuees are exhausted by disaster and politics, lost even energy of anger, feeling of helpless, resignation or hopelessness just spread.

At Noto peninsula where quake and flood hit, sufferers or evacuees are still in serious difficulties that threaten their health or even the lives.

But, voting places and poll hours at damaged area are drastically reduced on the pretext of disaster. 

Low voter turn out is convenient for recent LDP government.

Considering a lot of Fukushima’s citizens are still in their what was supposed to be temporary homes, take the hint Noto peoples. They are going to drag their feet if at all to help rebuild

While vast amounts of money are pumped into Tokyo making it more and more overpopulated and crowded than ever,less is provided for regional areas.

Yes, the Japanese government is painfully slow and inefficient.

Now, ancient history by modern news standards the damage done in Kobe by the 1995 earthquake is still apparent.

Empty houses, decreased business, population outflow etc are all results of a major disaster which lasts for decades.

People are being forced to move to other areas and that means the Kanto area.

However, raising children in such a poor environment as Tokyo is not beneficial for them.

Shortsighted politicians are literally the death of Japan.

Lets hope PM Ishiba might turn things around slightly…