Noto, Wajima : June 15, 2025

 

 

The Noto Peninsula region was severely hit by a large-scale earthquake in January 2024. A seismic intensity of 7 was recorded in Wajima City and other areas. More than 100,000 houses were damaged throughout Ishikawa Prefecture, of which 25,000 were completely or half destroyed. The death toll was more than 500 people throughout the Prefecture. 

Roads were cut off, and infrastructure such as electricity and water supply suffered severe damage.

In addition, a typhoon caused heavy rain damage in the region in September 2024.

A year and a half have passed since the earthquake, and each area of Noto is making efforts for the recovery. However, the damages of the disaster still remain.

 I today visited Wajima City, one of the disaster-hit areas. I had originally planned to do some volunteer works, but I only visited there this time as the arrangement was cancelled.

Wajima City is located in the northwest of the Noto Peninsula. It has a population of about 20,000. It took about three hours by express bus from Kanazawa to Wajima.

Wajima was famous for its morning market in the city center. More than 200 stores were lined up along the 360-meter-long Asaichi Street. They sold seafood, vegetables, souvenirs, and other items. It was crowded with tourists.

However, a fire broke out during the earthquake, and all the stores in the area were burned down.

 

The site is now a vacant land. Some of the stores have started operation in other places, and the morning market association is aiming to reopen the market in its original place. However, no specific plans have been decided yet. (See also the 5th photo from the top)

 

The earthquake caused the land in the Wajima area to rise, by several meters in some places. The foundation of the Iroha Bridge, close to Asaichi Street, has become uneven, making it impassable. (See the top photo) 

The banks of the Kawarada River, which runs through the city center, were also damaged in various places and are still not repaired.

 

Wajima Port was temporarily unable to be used after the earthquake due to the rise of the ground. Cranes for dredging and other works are still standing there. (See also the 4th photo)

 

There are still many houses in the city that have tilted and are no longer habitable. (See also the 3rd photo)

 

I also saw demolition works of houses in various places.

 

Daily life seems to be gradually returning to normal. There were not many people in the town, but shops and restaurants were open, and I saw people doing yard work.

 

Cram schools have reopened. I found entrance exam information attached to the windows of a school.

 

I saw a church that had reopened using a container.

 

Temporary houses were still used in various places in the city. The houses were used not only by local people who had lost their homes, but also by those who were visiting Wajima for construction works. (See also the 7th photo)

 

Wajima is famous for its lacquerware, Wajima-nuri. Many Wajima-nuri workshops were lost in the earthquake. Temporary workshops have been set up in various places in the city.

 

Volunteers are essential for recovery. According to Ishikawa Prefecture, the number of volunteers who gathered in the disaster area has already reached 140,000. The support they provide is varied, including disposing earthquake waste, helping with farmland recovery, farm works, and providing soup kitchens.

 

I met many volunteers in the city. Temporary housing for volunteers and tents for storing materials were set up in the grounds and parking lot of Juzo Shrine, close to Asaichi Street.  On the day, volunteers came from Hiroshima Prefecture and elsewhere. (See also the 2nd photo)

 

A little further away, I met volunteers from Shizuoka Prefecture. They said they had planned an event that the local people could enjoy.

 

Wajima once had a railway line, but it was abolished in 2001. The railway station has now become a roadside station or Michi-no-eki, and serves as a departure and arrival point for long-distance buses.

 

The former platform remains as it was.

The roadside station sells Wajima's specialties and souvenirs. I bought some Wajima wakame seaweed.

 

On the way from Kanazawa to Wajima, I saw vestiges of the damage in various places. Near Noto Satoyama Airport, I saw traces of a landslide in the mountain along the road. (See the 5th photo)

Driftwood that had been washed down from the mountains still remained in the Kawarada River that flows into Wajima.

 

Along the road, I found many boards with slogans wishing for the reconstruction of Noto.

 

Kanazawa; June 14, 2025

 

I stopped in Kanazawa as a base for visiting the Noto Peninsula region, which was hit hard by the earthquake last year. Kanazawa is the prefectural capital of Ishikawa Prefecture. During the Edo period, the Maeda clan, Japan's largest feudal lord aside from the Tokugawa Shogunate, settled here, and culture flourished in the region.

 

It's been nearly 10 years since I last visited here in 2016. The cityscape has not changed much. However, I found some differences from my last visit. Foreign tourists were more noticeable. I also found slogans praying for the recovery of the Noto Peninsula from the earthquake posted in various places.

 

The site of Kanazawa Castle is now a park. Some buildings have been restored. The park conveys the atmosphere of the Edo era. There were also many foreign groups, and the guide gave a detailed explanation. (See the top photo)

 

Stone walls, fences, gates, and gardens were also impressive.

 

Kenrokuen Garden, adjacent to the park, is famous as one of the three most representative gardens in Japan. There are old trees remaining and the pond is beautiful. (See also the 2nd photo)

 

In the area west of the Kanazawa Castle ruins, samurai residences of the Edo period remain. Irrigation channels run through the city, and water flows abundantly.

 

Omimachi Market, about 10 minute walk from JR Kanazawa Station, is a marketplace filled with seafood and vegetable shops. It was crowded with locals as well as foreign and domestic tourists.

 

Kanazawa is famous for its traditional crafts, such as textiles, dyeing, and arts and crafts, and there are many shops and museums. In addition, the city is also enthusiastic about cultivating and promoting modern art. The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, located near Kenrokuen, opened in 2004 with the concept of "an art museum like a park open to the town."

 

Sumo is popular in Ishikawa Prefecture. In the May tournament, Onosato, who is from the prefecture, won the championship and was promoted to Yokozuna. At the tourist information center at JR Kanazawa Station (the 3rd photo), there were photos of four wrestlers from Ishikawa Prefecture, including Onosato.

Toyama：June 13, 2025

 

I visited Toyama City in the Hokuriku region. After developing as a castle town in the Edo period, it has developed as the prefectural capital of Toyama Prefecture since the Meiji period.

 

I got off the Shinkansen at JR Toyama Station and moved to the transfer space in the ground floor. I found a tram platform inside the station building. From there, trams are connected to six directions. The transfers are very convenient. (See the top photo)

Japan now faces a decrease of population and many discussions are made on the issue. In such circumstances, Toyama City is drawing attention as an example of a “compact city”. To achieve the aim, the city has tried to develop public transportation such as trams, and has been encouraging people to live in the areas where public transportation is easily accessible.

Many LRT (light rail transit) vehicles are used for trams. They have features such as a low floor, quietness, and large windows. I actually rode it and it was comfortable. (See also the 2nd photo)

Toyama City is surrounded by mountains on three sides, the east, south, and west, and faces Toyama Bay to the north. Looking from the observation deck at the city hall, I could see mountains such as the Northern Alps behind the city. Unfortunately, today was cloudy and the views of the mountains were not so clear. (See also the 3rd photo)

The site of Toyama Castle is now a castle park, and a museum designed after the castle has been built. (Se also the 4th photo)

 

The New York Times selected Toyama as one of the 52 cities to visit in 2025. The first image shown in the introductory article was of the Glass Art Museum. The building, designed by architect Kengo Kuma, is used as a museum, library, and more.

 

The Jinzu River flows through Toyama City. The river once flowed through the center of the city and caused flood damages. Development work was carried out during the Meiji period, and it now flows in an area a little away from the center. 

Part of the former river is now a canal, and there is a park in the surrounding area that uses the canal.

Shinjuku - redevelopment and foreign tourists : May 29, 2025

I walked around Shinjuku area in a while. I found two major changes –- redevelopments of the area and increasing number of foreign tourists.

 

 

Many urban redevelopment projects – including a plan in Shinjuku -- are under way in Tokyo.

  The Odakyu Department Store building that stood above JR Shinjuku Station was demolished in 2022, and a new building is planned to be constructed by 2029. (See also the 2nd photo)

  

Redevelopment is also taking place around the station. Cranes are lining up all over the place. (See the top photo)

 

Some works are in progress inside the station. Some passageways and gates are closed and tentative ones are set. I found it difficult to find transfers in some places, and staff were directing directions.

 

The Alta building at the east exit of Shinjuku Station had a large display on the wall and was known as a cultural hub. This building was close in February 2025, and demolition work has begun. Redevelopment plans are under consideration. (The Alta building photo in 2021)

 

The number of foreign tourists to Japan is increasing. It reached a record high of 36.86 million people in 2024, and it is expected to exceed 40 million people in 2025.

  Foreign tourists were noticeable in Shinjuku as well.

 

The street in front of Toho Cinemas in Kabukicho was overflowing with foreign tourists. A guide was explaining things to group tourists, such as the Godzilla statue. (Se also the 3rd photo)

 

It seemed like there were more foreign tourists than Japanese people stopping at the east exit.

  The scenery in Shinjuku is changing every year.