Editorial: 29 years after Kobe quake, experience useful in recovery from Noto temblor

As many people hit by the Jan. 1 Noto Peninsula earthquake continue to live under difficult circumstances in shelters, Japan on Jan. 17 marked the 29th anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake that claimed over 6,400 lives.

The government's Central Disaster Management Council has compiled lessons and countermeasures in connection with the 1995 earthquake disaster. Points of reflection included that fires in dense urban areas with a concentration of old houses caused a large amount of damage; there were delays in the initial response system as information could not be gathered quickly; and damage to roads and other hindrances disrupted the transportation of injured people and supplies.

Although there are differences between the Hanshin and Noto quakes -- urban areas and depopulated areas -- common challenges emerged again.

In isolated areas of Ishikawa Prefecture's Okunoto region, near the quake's epicenter, phones were mostly inoperable and internet connections, which had served as important infrastructure in the wake of the Great Hanshin Earthquake, went down. The central and local governments failed to make as much progress as they had hoped in assessing the damage.

Just as fires broke out in Kobe's Nagata Ward and other areas following the 1995 quake, many buildings in heavily built-up areas in the Ishikawa Precfecture city of Wajima, known for its morning market, or Asaichi, were destroyed by fire. In this year's disaster, too, many fire hydrants were unusable.

Since the Hanshin earthquake, measures to make buildings earthquake-proof and to prevent fires in built-up areas have been promoted. However, it is hard to say that these efforts have been sufficient.

According to a government report compiled in fiscal 2020, in mainly major urban areas alone, including Tokyo and Osaka, there were over 100 dangerously dense locations. There is a need to accelerate countermeasures.

In the Great Hanshin Earthquake, about 1.4 million volunteers assisted at the disaster-hit areas in a little over a year after the disaster occurred, and they worked hard in supporting the lives of the people there. The year of the quake was dubbed the "first year of the volunteer era."

In Noto, emergency vehicles and people evacuating in cars crowded passable roads, creating major traffic congestion. Reflecting on such circumstances, local bodies have asked regular volunteers to refrain from coming to the area. However, it is clear that private sector efforts will be necessary for reconstruction and recovery. We would like to gather our wisdom to conduct detailed efforts suiting depopulated areas.

Support from those who have been through past earthquake disasters is also important. From Hyogo Prefecture, educators from an earthquake disaster and school support team have entered Ishikawa Prefecture and are working there. While assisting with the operation of evacuation centers, the team is helping to reopen schools. We hope that the team will be of assistance in closely supporting young people hit by the disaster.

There is a need to make use of the experiences people have accumulated as we approach support for those affected by the disaster and revitalization of the quake-hit areas.