Noto Heavy Rain Victims Remembered 1 Year On

Wajima, Ishikawa Pref., Sept. 21 (Jiji Press)–People paid tribute on Sunday to the 19 victims of the torrential rain that hit the northern part of the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, a year ago. Altars were set up in the cities of Wajima and Suzu, and the town of Noto to receive flowers from mourners. Visiting the three municipalities, Ishikawa Governor Hiroshi Hase and others laid flowers on the altars and prayed for the souls of the victims, including three people who died due to indirect causes related to the disaster. Hase also offered a silent prayer in Wajima’s Futegawamachi district, where four people died, including Hanon Kiso, a then 14-year-old local junior high school third grader. “Work to rebuild the afflicted areas is ongoing, and full reconstruction is still a long way off,” Hase told reporters. “We will work with municipal authorities and other related organizations so that we can make progress day by day,” he added. Kyoko Kinoshita, a 64-year-old self-employed from the city, offered a prayer in front of the former site of the Kiso family’s house, which was swept away in the rain disaster. “Disasters, including earthquakes and floods, are cruel,” she said. At the time, a record one-hour rainfall of 121 millimeters was observed in Wajima. The rain disaster struck less than a year after a megaquake hit the Noto Peninsula on Jan. 1, 2024. Fallen trees and dirt resulting from the temblor were washed into a river, causing the flooding to expand. About 400 hectares of farmland were damaged by dirt and driftwood. More than 200 hectares of the total have yet to be restored, with planting remaining impossible this year. About 1,900 houses in the prefecture suffered damage, including 82 completely destroyed, forcing many affected people to continue living in temporary housing. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]