Disaster Response Japan Project #62523

Emergency Response to Noto Peninsula Earthquake

by Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR Japan)

Project Report | Mar 3, 2025
Surviving the Severe Winter

By Chiaki Furukawa | Senior Managing Director

Sakurai of AAR delivering thermal underwear

Due to the cold wave that has been hitting Japan since early February, the areas affected by the Noto Peninsula earthquake have also been hit by heavy snowfall. AAR Japan (Association for Aid and Relief, Japan) is providing support by distributing warm clothes and winter clothing to users and staff of welfare facilities for the people with disabilities and foreign survivors to help them overcome the harsh winter conditions.

Heavy snow has been falling in Ishikawa Prefecture since early February, with snowfall two to four times more than that of a normal year. In the downtown area of Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture, where AAR's Noto Office is located, snow has accumulated to the point where car tires are buried, with local residents saying that this is the heaviest snowfall in recent years. Many people were seen helping to push cars out of the streets as they became stuck one after another.

A man who had been receiving support from AAR since the earthquake said, "The snow on the roof is falling and squeezing the windows of my house. The windowpanes are likely to break." AAR has responded by helping with snow removal.

Since October 2024, AAR has been distributing winter clothes to help people affected by the Noto Peninsula earthquake to overcome the severe winter. So far, AAR has distributed 221 pieces of winter clothing to 18 welfare facilities for the people with disabilities and employment support offices, 260 pieces to foreign survivors including technical intern trainees, 69 pieces to people living in evacuation centers, and 1,160 pieces to temporary housing residents in the city through the Nanao City Community Support Center.

AAR distributed sleeping bags and down jackets donated by be-s Co.,Ltd. and thermal underwear donated by UNIQLO CO.,LTD. through Japan Platform.

Ms. Tamura, the head of the welfare facility for people with disabilities, said, "These winter clothes are very warm. We used to have a hard time working outside, but these clothes help us. We are also grateful to receive sleeping bags that allows us to stretch out arms and legs. With these supplies we feel secured next time something happens."

A staff member at a facility that provides employment support to people with disabilities said, "After the earthquake, some people were evacuated here, but we were unable to provide them with sufficient bedding and warm clothes. We are grateful for the items provided this time because they can be used as emergency supplies and support evacuees."

In February, with the cooperation of the Noto Town Office, AAR made individual visits to foreign residents of the town to deliver thermal underwear. At that time, there were some foreign survivors who did not understand Japanese well and were having difficulty adjusting to the local community, and we also responded by connecting them to town office support and Japanese language classes in neighboring towns.

When distributing supplies, AAR also interviews the survivors about their living conditions and daily problems in order to provide necessary support and to prepare them for the next disaster. AAR is particularly attentive to the needs of foreign survivors, who often have difficulty in obtaining necessary information and receiving the support they are supposed to receive.

Although it is now March, the Noto area is still suffering from severe cold weather. AAR will continue its community-based support activities so that those affected by the earthquake can welcome spring with peace of mind. We would like to ask for your continued support for AAR's assistance to the survivors of the Noto earthquake.

Near the AAR Noto office

People at a facility receiving winter clothes

Wearing warm clothes for snow removal

Foreigners receiving thermal underwear

Links:

AAR English website

Permalink

Jan 10, 2025
The Future of Community Support

By Chiaki Furukawa | Senior Managing Director

Terraced rice fields in the Kanakura district

One year has passed since the Noto Peninsula earthquake. In Noto region, which suffered from "double disaster" with the earthquake in January 2024 and the heavy rainfall in September, people continue to work hard to rebuild the region. AAR Japan (Association for Aid and Relief, Japan) is providing mid- to long-term community support in villages in danger of extinction. Here is a report from the field in Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture.

Crisis of District Survival

“During the water cutoff, a government official asked me, ‘What do you need?’ I said, ‘I need 30 pumps to pump water from old wells,’ and he went silent. But AAR said, ‘We can't afford 30 pumps, but...’ they immediately brought us two. I can't tell you how much everyone was saved.

Mr.Inoike, the mayor of the Kanakura district in Machino-cho, Wajima City, looked back on the immediate aftermath of the earthquake. This district is in a mountainous basin and was selected as one of the “500 Most Beautiful Paths to Walk in Japan” for its beautiful scenery of terraced rice paddies. However, many of the rice paddies were overgrown with weeds in November and there was not what it used to be.

The earthquake destroyed two private houses in Kanakura area, and many houses were partially destroyed. Following the delivery of water by the Self-Defense Forces on January 4, AAR delivered vegetables, food, underwear, and other items by a land route on January 17. Asfterwards, we installed two washing machines and two pumps at a well in a district meeting place that had become an evacuation center and dispatched a "bathing car" converted from a truck for the elderly residents.

The damaged water pipes were finally restored in the summer after construction work was hampered by a lack of manpower, but soon after, the area was hit by the heavy rain. Mr.Inoike said, "Two private houses were buried under earth and sand, and water was cut off again until early November. We were saved by a well pump that was given to us at the time of the earthquake." Landslides occurred again on nearby roads, and the prefectural road, which is essential for daily life, is being considered for reconstruction through a different route.

Before the earthquake, there were 95 people living in 53 households, but now the number has been halved to 45 people in 25 households. There are 21 people in 16 households living in temporary housing outside the district, and 29 people in 12 households living far away, such as outside the prefecture. "We requested the city of Wajima to build temporary housing in Kanakura, but we were not successful." Mr. Inoike said.

There are no rivers in Kanakura area, and the entire community maintains 11 reservoirs, two of those were damaged by the earthquake and heavy rains, and two of those cannot be seen due to landslides. Due to the damage to the reservoirs and the decrease in the number of residents, many of the rice paddies will not be able to be cultivated for 2025. After a year of inactivity, the paddies are overgrown with weeds, and it is estimated that it would take three years to be restored. Many residents have evacuated to distant areas, making it difficult for them to exchange opinions on reconstruction.

Learning from the Great East Japan Earthquake

Since the earthquake, local residents have been trying to maintain their community by meeting regularly at a meeting place and publishing a quarterly "Kanakura Newspaper". AAR has dispatched a local reconstruction specialist and provided printing costs for the newspaper. AAR Ohara said that based on his experience in supporting the Great East Japan Earthquake, "I have seen many towns and villages where the tsunami and the nuclear accident have caused widespread evacuation. In those areas, many towns and villages become ghost towns with low return rates even after infrastructure has been restored. I feel that we need to provide support with an eye to the future so that communities and residents can maintain their ability to help each other immediately after a disaster."

Kanakura community is currently considering various options, including whether to request the construction of public disaster housing within the community. Mr.Inoike said, "We are grateful for AAR's support, not only in terms of relief supplies, but also in providing us with many experts and knowledge." AAR will continue to support the community in its efforts to rebuild the area. We appreciate your cooperation.

Well with pumps installed, provided by AAR

AAR staff (foreground) listening at a meeting

Links:

AAR English website

Permalink

Nov 20, 2024
Completion of Work Buildings at Welfare Facilities

By Chiaki Furukawa | Senior Managing Director

AAR President with facility residents

It is almost 11 months after the Noto Peninsula earthquake. AAR Japan (Association for Aid and Relief, Japan) continues to provide support to welfare facilities affected by the disaster. With AAR's support, a welfare service center in Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture, has rebuilt two damaged work buildings. A presentation ceremony was held on November 13, and about 30 users and others celebrated the completion of the buildings under autumn sky.

Yu no Oka is a facility for about 30 persons with mental and emotional disabilities in their teens to seventies, and AAR has rebuilt two buildings that were the main source of income for Yu no Oka, a shiitake mushroom drying hut and an aluminum can press building. The drying of shiitake mushrooms had previously been done in a farmer's barn, but the earthquake made it difficult to use the barn due to falling roof tiles and other problems. Aluminum can press was done in a space with plywood around a tent, but the ground cracked, creating gaps, and the 460-kilogram press fell over.

Both of the new work buildings are located on the site of Yu no Oka, with glass entrances for better lighting and better protection from the wind and rain. Mr. Honda, who received a certificate for the support from AAR President Horie, said, "AAR delivered relief supplies as early as January 3, two days after the earthquake. It was a great blow that the earthquake deprived us of a place to work, but they rebuilt our shiitake mushroom drying huts and aluminum can press building, which helped us to recover . We are truly grateful."

Horie said, "I'm glad that we were able to deliver the kindness of our many supporters in the form of a work buildings. We hope this will bring a little cheer to the people of Yu no Oka. We wish for the earliest possible recovery of all the people in Noto ."

In the Noto region, which experienced a "double disaster" with the earthquake in January and the heavy rain in September, hard efforts to rebuild their lives and communities are continuing. We ask for your continued support for AAR's assistance to the Noto disaster victims.

The newly completed aluminum can press building

Helmets for users were also donated

Links:

AAR English website

Permalink

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ... 16 ›

About Project Reports

Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.

If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.