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Reflecting on Noto’s earthquake recovery: beyond reconstruction plans, the government neglected the essential “foundation of life.” A long-form analysis with empathy and lessons for future disasters.


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Introduction | What Was Overlooked Behind the Recovery Plans

On January 1, 2024, the Noto Peninsula earthquake struck, claiming lives and livelihoods.
Soon after, words like “recovery,” “reconstruction,” and “creative city planning” filled the media. Roads, airports, and industry revitalization were announced as major projects.

But if we listen closely to the voices of the people, another reality emerges:
The government failed to secure the essential “foundation of life” in the very first days.

This article explores Noto’s recovery not just as infrastructure, but as a lesson in human survival. I write this as a person with a severe acquired disability, reflecting on what it means to rebuild with dignity.


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Table of Contents

1. Overview of the Noto Earthquake and Its Impact


2. Big Recovery Plans and Their “Beautiful Visions”


3. What Is the Basic Foundation of Life?


4. The Neglected First Response — “Foreseeable Unforeseen”


5. Voices of Survivors — Water Shortage, Darkness, Lack of Care


6. Welfare Shelters and the Perspective of Disabled People


7. Goodwill vs. Standards — The Role of Government


8. When Reconstruction Plans Overtake People’s Lives


9. Systems Needed to Protect the Basics


10. Disaster and Recovery Seen from the Disabled Perspective


11. National Lessons — Preventing Repetition of Noto’s Failures


12. Empathy, Support, and What We Can Do


13. Conclusion — Recovery Means Protecting Today’s Survival




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1. The Earthquake and Its Impact

The Noto Peninsula earthquake recorded a seismic intensity of 7.

Over 600 people died or went missing, with many more counted as disaster-related deaths.

More than 6,000 temporary housing units were built.

Wajima’s morning market and traditional lacquerware workshops were devastated.


These numbers were widely reported. But behind the numbers lies the daily suffering of survivors.


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2. Big Recovery Plans and Their “Beautiful Visions”

Ishikawa Prefecture announced the “Creative Recovery Plan”:

Expanding major roads

Strengthening airports

Building digital infrastructure

Promoting renewable energy


These sound impressive. But for survivors, the question was not “what will happen in five years?” but “where can I get drinking water today?”

This gap between beautiful plans and basic survival became the greatest source of frustration.


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3. What Is the “Basic Foundation of Life”?

In disasters, the essentials are simple:

Water (drinking and daily use)

Food (stable supply, including allergy-conscious meals)

Sanitation (toilets, hygiene, infection control)

Light and heating (safety at night, cold weather protection)

Mobility (emergency transport, shopping, hospital visits)

Medical and care support (for the elderly, disabled, and chronically ill)


Without these, recovery plans are meaningless.


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4. The Neglected First Response — “Foreseeable Unforeseen”

We already knew from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake that the elderly and disabled face the most difficulties.

Yet in Noto:

People queued for hours to receive water.

Disabled people spent nights in shelters without caregivers.

Temporary housing was built in isolated areas, leaving people unable to access hospitals or shops.


This was not “unexpected.” It was a foreseeable problem that had not been prepared for.


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5. Voices of Survivors

“I had to wait three hours for water.”

“I was too scared to go to the toilet at night.”

“There was no accessible route for my wheelchair.”


These voices reveal the reality hidden behind statistics. They remind us that survival is not only about buildings, but about dignity.


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6. Welfare Shelters and the Disabled Perspective

In theory, Japan has “welfare evacuation shelters.” In practice, many in Noto were damaged or lacked staff.
As someone with a severe disability, I know that a small step or the lack of a night light can mean danger.

Goodwill is not enough. These protections must be standardized.


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7. Goodwill vs. Standards — The Role of Government

Volunteers bring goodwill. But goodwill alone cannot guarantee survival.

The government’s role is to standardize:

Checklists for accessible evacuation shelters

Required numbers of toilets and quiet spaces

Pre-arranged secondary shelters with care staff

Backup systems for home medical equipment (electricity, oxygen, dialysis)


These are not optional—they are infrastructure.


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8. When Reconstruction Plans Overtake People’s Lives

Grand projects give hope, but when basic needs are unmet, residents lose trust.
“Don’t talk about city planning. I just need to survive today.”

Ignoring this voice accelerates depopulation and undermines recovery itself.


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9. Systems Needed to Protect the Basics

What should be done?

1. Redundant water and power systems (mobile water supply, renewable microgrids)


2. Universal design shelters (wheelchair routes, lighting, quiet areas)


3. Permanent “secondary shelters” (with caregivers and medical staff)


4. Household disaster plans for home medical patients (backup power, fuel, medicine)


5. Walkable temporary housing design (5-minute access to clinics, shops, gathering spaces)




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10. Disaster and Recovery from the Disabled Perspective

For me, every step and every light makes a difference.
That is why “plans on paper” must be transformed into real, usable systems.

True recovery means a society where the elderly and disabled do not need to beg for help in silence.


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11. National Lessons

Noto is not “someone else’s problem.”
Japan faces the risk of the Nankai Trough and Tokyo Inland Earthquakes.

Lessons to remember:

Secure the foundation of life first

Build recovery plans on top of it

Government must guarantee standards, not rely on goodwill



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12. Empathy and What We Can Do

We cannot just criticize the government. Each of us can act:

Travel to Noto—tourism is recovery

Donate through hometown tax or funds

Share survivors’ voices so they are not forgotten


Empathy creates support. Support creates change.


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13. Conclusion | Recovery Means Protecting Today’s Survival

Recovery is not about glossy brochures or future visions.
It begins with securing today’s survival.

The government must admit its failures in Noto, correct them, and ensure that no one is left without water, care, or light in the next disaster.

Recovery is not only rebuilding towns—it is protecting lives.


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