Gaia Series 58 : The truth on the slow progress of recovery and reconstruction since Great East Japan Earthquake
This week’s episode explores Suzu and Wajima's recovery from a devastating earthquake, revealing the profound impact on local businesses and residents as they navigate the challenges of rebuilding.
· CNA · JoinThis week’s episode spotlights the struggles of Suzu and Wajima City after a devastating earthquake as its local businesses and residents navigate the long road to recovery.
In early June this year, the lifting of a six-month fishing ban in Suzu City, located at the northern tip of the Noto Peninsula, marked a bittersweet milestone in the town’s recovery from the magnitude-six earthquake that struck on New Year's Day. The earthquake caused a drastic alteration of the seabed, leading to changes that were immediately noticeable to the local ama, traditional Japanese free-diving fishers.
“The places where fish gather are changing,” observed Satomi Bansho, a lifelong resident of Suzu who has spent years free-diving in the clear coastal waters. “When we look at the coastal rocks, the bottom parts are white. This white portion used to be submerged in water.” This shift has not only affected the fishing grounds but also raised concerns about the long-term sustainability of the local fishing industry, which is crucial to the community's livelihood.
The challenges faced by Suzu are emblematic of the broader struggle across the Noto Peninsula, where over 110 businesses have closed since the earthquake, according to local records. Among those hit hardest is Suzu Kotsu, the city's only taxi company, which lost a vehicle to the tsunami that followed the quake. For Kenichi Shiraki, a driver with 23 years of experience at Suzu Kotsu, the closure of the company’s operations has been particularly painful. With many elderly residents relying on the taxi service to reach hospitals, Shiraki has taken it upon himself to drive them in his personal car. “It really hurts me,” he says, “I have to take them for nothing. It can't be helped. In the past, they've contributed significantly to the company's revenue. And they need to get to places.” Shiraki’s sense of duty reflects the deep bonds that tie the community together, even in the face of overwhelming adversity.
Further along the peninsula, in Wajima City, the popular Kometowato Bagels shop, which had attracted tourists with its scenic location and unique rice-flour bagels, now teeters on the edge of closure. The earthquake caused the cliffside next to the shop to collapse, threatening its future. Owner Yusuke Yamashita, who had invested 13 million yen in a custom flour maker and borrowed a total of 30 million yen to open the shop, is now faced with an uncertain future. “To have an earthquake right after opening, it threw everything off,” Yamashita confides.
His plight is not unique; only about half of the businesses in Wajima have managed to reopen, with 47 businesses, including planned closures, permanently shuttered. These closures have had a ripple effect across the community, weakening the local economy and further complicating recovery efforts.
The financial strain on businesses like Yamashita’s has been somewhat alleviated by local institutions like the Noto Kyoei Credit Union. Kiyoshi Dokaku, the branch manager at Wajima, was instrumental in approving the financing that allowed Kometowato Bagels to open. Yamashita recalls the crucial support he received: “I spoke with a number of banks. Many gave a firm no. But you [Dokaku] said clearly, 'Let's do it.' If you hadn't done that, we would never have opened.” Dokaku’s commitment to the community extends beyond just financial support; he has been actively involved in helping other local businesses navigate the complex process of applying for government subsidies meant to assist in rebuilding.
One of the significant obstacles to recovery has been the slow pace of demolition and clearance work, necessary to make way for reconstruction. In Suzu City, only 3 per cent of properties had been cleared as of May this year, a figure that underscores the enormous challenge facing the region. Kazehiko Yanagi, president of Yanagi Keikaku, has been involved in demolition work for over 40 years, but even he finds the current situation daunting.
“It took 40 minutes to remove the tiles,” Yanagi explains, describing the meticulous process of dismantling a damaged house. The debris must be carefully sorted before being taken to the city's waste collection facility, a time-consuming task that takes 10 days to clear a building, has slowed down progress significantly. Yanagi’s company, which typically handles two to three buildings per month, faces an uphill battle to meet the October 2025 deadline set for completing clearance work.
Amid the physical and economic devastation, the emotional toll on residents is palpable. Fumihiro Fujino, whose home was destroyed by the earthquake, watched as Yanagi’s crew uncovered his graduation certificates, one of the few mementos left from his past. “If this hadn't happened, I never would have come to get this,” Fujino reflects. For many like Fujino, the process of rebuilding is not just about restoring physical structures but also about reclaiming memories and a sense of normalcy.
The episode also highlights the bureaucratic challenges that have hindered recovery efforts. Despite the availability of occupational subsidies that cover three-quarters of the costs for businesses to rebuild, the application process is notoriously complex, requiring the submission of up to 20 different forms, including detailed quotes for construction work. Noto Kyoei Credit Union has received over 100 inquiries about the subsidies, but as of May, only two applications had been successfully filed. This bottleneck has been exacerbated by the fact that many local contractors are overwhelmed with work, delaying the provision of necessary quotes.
In a telling exchange, Dokaku discusses the difficulties with a prefectural official, suggesting that the government offer financial incentives to contractors to speed up the process. However, the official responds, “To be honest, it would be difficult to pay the charges for quotations… It could lead to endless costs for us.” This exchange highlights the disconnect between the urgency felt on the ground and the bureaucratic constraints that often slow down progress.
As the episode draws to a close, viewers are left with a powerful reminder of the ongoing struggles faced by the people of Suzu and Wajima. While the road to recovery is long and fraught with challenges, the resilience of individuals like Shiraki, Yamashita, and Yanagi offers hope that these communities will eventually rebuild, even if it means creating a new normal rather than returning to the way things were.
In the face of inevitable natural disasters, the stories from this episode underscore the importance of community, resilience, and the difficult questions of how to protect people and assets while ensuring a swift and effective recovery. As Suzu and Wajima continue to ask these questions, their experiences serve as a testament to the strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
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