Kanazawa, Ishikawa Pref., Sept. 21 (Jiji Press)–People in Ishikawa Prefecture observed a moment of silence Monday for the victims of torrential rains that struck the northern part of the Noto Peninsula in the central Japan prefecture two years ago. The disaster left 21 people dead. Flower-offering stands were set up at six locations in the prefecture, including in the cities of Wajima and Suzu. Ishikawa Governor Yukiyoshi Yamano laid flowers at a stand at the prefectural government building in the city of Kanazawa on Monday morning and prayed for the repose of the victims’ souls. “We will listen to the voices of people in the affected areas and work to achieve reconstruction as quickly as possible while staying as close as we can to their needs,” the governor said. In Wajima, where 14-year-old Hanon Kiso, then a third-year student at Wajima Junior High School, and others died in the disaster, residents laid flowers and observed a moment of silence at flower-offering stands set up at three locations. Shin Nakayama, 30, who lost his older sister in the rain disaster, said: “The past two years have gone by so quickly. I want to tell her that I’m still doing well, just as I always have.” Toshinobu Sakamoto, 72, of Wajima’s Machino district, recalled what happened at the time. “Just as we were trying to get back on our feet after the (January 2024 Noto Peninsula) earthquake, we were hit by the torrential rains, which came as a huge shock,” he said. “But when I saw volunteers working away covered in mud, I felt I couldn’t just keep my head down.” Speaking about recovery and reconstruction, Sakamoto said with determination, “We just have to keep going.” In Suzu, flower-offering stands were set up at an elementary school and a junior high school in the Otani district, which was particularly hard hit by the disaster. Tetsuya Kano, 56, who came to lay flowers in memory of a friend’s mother, said: “While recovery work is making progress, some places remain just as they were when the disaster struck. Things may not go completely back to the way they were, but I hope people will be able to resume their daily lives as soon as possible.” According to the prefectural government, 1,906 homes were damaged in the torrential rains two years ago, including 83 that were completely destroyed and 659 that were partially damaged. Sixteen people died directly as a result of the disaster, while five others were recognized as having died from disaster-related causes. The impact of the disaster continues, with 381 people from 165 households still living in temporary housing as of Sept. 1. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
