【Oku Noto Repo (Middle Edition)】Noto (Wajima City) that you want to visit now

Before the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, ANA "Haneda = Noto" had two flights a day (morning and evening), but now it operates only morning flights round trip, so a two-night itinerary in Noto practically does not secure time for the third day. (Pictured: Volunteer groups distribute relief supplies after torrential rains.)

Another factor that keeps people from visiting Noto

In the first part of the Oku Noto report, I pointed out the influence of the remarks of Governor Hiroshi Ishikawa and the reporting attitude of the media in the Tokyo metropolitan area as factors that discourage individuals from visiting Noto. In addition, this time, I would like to point out the issues related to access to Noto by airplane.

Currently, ANA's flights between Haneda = Noto are limited to one flight per day, and access to Oku Noto from Komatsu Airport, which takes one hour to Kanazawa, and Kanazawa Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, is still fragile and takes 3 to 4 hours using the Satoyama Kaido. This inconvenience of access is thought to be a psychological barrier for volunteers and travelers, and is the cause of their discouragement from visiting Noto.

With the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen in 2015, access to Kanazawa has improved significantly, but Noto Airport continues to play an important role in reaching the Noto Peninsula. ANA considered increasing the number of flights in the winter schedule (from October 27), but in the end it was decided to continue with one flight per day.

In July, before the announcement of the winter schedule in August, the Asahi Shimbun reported that "ANA is making arrangements to return to the two-flight system with the winter schedule." Reported Other. For this reason, when it was decided to continue one flight per day, local officials must have been disappointed.

Noto Airport (Noto Satoyama Airport) opened in 2003 as a regionally managed airport exclusively for ANA. Ishikawa Prefecture currently has established a "boarding rate guarantee system" that compensates ANA up to 100 million yen for the annual boarding rate of less than 62% to support the maintenance of aircraft arrivals and departures, but ANA has the right to make decisions on operations.

After the earthquake, ANA has been actively providing support, such as free transportation of supporters and relief supplies to airports in Hokuriku by the end of fiscal 2023, as well as mileage donations and donations of 5 million yen. Currently for stakeholders and supporters Fare Discounts Offering:

However, for motivated volunteers and travelers who want to visit Noto from the Tokyo metropolitan area, it is more convenient to reinstate the two-flight operation system than to discount the existing low-cost routes. In addition, in the past, it was frequently announced that "Haneda = Noto" This Week's Tok Travel Miles " disappeared after the earthquake.

Faced with a management crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic, ANA maintained its management with support from the government in addition to its own efforts. In the fiscal year ending March 2023, the company recorded record profits, and further profit improvements are expected in the fiscal year ending March 2024.

■ Entered Noto for the first time in about 3 years

The ANA flight arrived at Noto Airport just after 10:00 a.m., a little later than scheduled. When I asked the staff about the heavy rain when I picked up the rental car, they said, "I'm worried because Wajima is bad."

The two-day itinerary in Oku Noto will visit Wajima City and Anamizu Town on the first day, and Noto Town and Suzu City on the second day. It's tough to visit four cities and towns in two days, but the places we visit this time are concentrated in urban areas. While I thought that I would be able to get around in a hurry, I was still tempted to ask for an improvement in the number of flights.

This will be the first time in about three years since I visited Noto Town for fishing in November 2021 during the Corona disaster. At that time, I vowed to return immediately, but in the end I could not visit. Even if you decide to come back at the end of your trip, it's hard to actually have the opportunity to come back.

■ Situation in Wajima urban area

First, we headed for Wajima City Hall. It's been about 12 years since I've visited Wajima. At that time, I was involved in PR for Noto, so I visited Wajima several times. At that time, when I walked through the streets of Wajima Morning Market, I was overwhelmed by the aggressive sales pitches of the mothers at the stalls, and before I knew it, my hands were full of souvenirs.

As I drove along the prefectural road from the airport, I noticed a lot of deflects in the road and a large number of red cones, and I constantly passed trucks of construction workers. Living in Tokyo, where my cousin is now fleeing a natural disaster, I saw a scene that I had never seen before.

On the way, I came across a place where a cliff had collapsed significantly, and I stopped the car involuntarily, but after that, I saw similar collapses one after another. A little further on, there was a campsite where volunteers stayed, and I saw this scene repeatedly.

Debris from an earthquake that broke a river

It takes about 30 minutes from the airport to arrive at Wajima City Hall. The city was covered in brown dust and the effects of the heavy rain were still visible. The Kawarada River in front of the city hall has burst, and the sand at the bottom of the river has been pushed up onto the open road, and it has dried up and is rising into the air.

When asked about the reason for the collapse of the river, residents said that trees and branches that had flowed from upstream had clogged the bridge, causing the river water to overflow and flow into the city. This means that the remnants of the earthquake blocked the river, causing secondary damage due to the collapse.

■ A city that has not made progress in recovery from the earthquake was hit

When you walk around the city, you can see collapsed houses everywhere, and the situation immediately after the earthquake has been left as it was, but you can see that people still live in the houses next to them.

In addition, there are many buildings that have a "house survey certificate" affixed to the entrance to warn of the risk of collapse. Even in houses that look safe on the outside, the structure and interior of the building have been destroyed, and residents are often evacuated. Everything is unusual.

As I passed the intersection in front of Kawai Elementary School, I saw a collapsed building with seven floors. It was shocking to see it on video, but I was speechless at the real building lying in front of me. A group of construction workers walk past it, but they don't even pay attention to the collapsed building. Nine months have passed, and adults may have swallowed it as a fact, but how does it look in the eyes of elementary school students who still take classes in the temporary school building on the school grounds?

There have been strong calls for the removal of the building in which two neighbors were killed, but it is necessary to clarify the cause, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has been investigating the cause of the collapse. Wajima City will begin demolition work on October 7 in consultation with related organizations, and the demolition work is scheduled to be completed by the end of this fiscal year.

■ Looking for Noto where you can go now

Let's go back to Noto, where you can go now. Next, we visited the Wajima lacquerware experience facility "Wajima Kobo Nagaya". It is a facility where you can tour the workshop and experience manufacturing, but according to information a while ago, it seems that some business has resumed. When I visited, the facility was quiet and the toilets were used by volunteers and construction workers. Currently, it seems to play a role as a reconstruction base.

■ Wajima Marine Town "Sea Station Rokumeikan"

The next place we visited was Wajima Marine Town, a tourist exchange facility adjacent to Wajima Port. First of all, at the "Sea Station Rokumeikan", local specialties began to appear again in the store in August, but it was closed at the time of my visit. The next place we went to was the Wajima Kiriko Kaikan, an exhibition hall for traditional events, which was closed

Cracks were seen in the asphalt around the Wajima Kikori Kaikan. In addition, it is said that the kikori exhibited in the museum has fallen down. It has been closed since the earthquake, but when I asked Wajima City, they said, "It's not right now, but we are planning to restore the building."

■Wajima Morning Market Omusubi

At an intersection near the Wajima Marine Town area, I found a take-out rice ball shop called "Wajima Morning Market Musubi." Volunteer Organizations Gilburn Mr. Iwamoto, the representative, set up a disaster relief task force in Tonami City, Toyama Prefecture immediately after the earthquake, and has been continuously supporting Okunoto. He started operating this store in August with the aim of creating a livelihood for the community.

Hiroki, a young male staff member, is a second-year student at a university in Shibuya, and when he was involved in volunteering at a nursing home in Tokyo, he was invited to Noto by a person he met there. He applied for a six-month leave of absence and became friends with two university students he met in Wajima and engaged in support activities. The bond between him and Wajima, who will soon return to university, may deepen even more from here.

I bought rice bowls and iced coffee made with new rice from Noto, and then ate them at the white rice Senpada.

■ Tour the scenic spots

After that, we headed to Kamogaura, which is near the city center, to see the scenic spots. There is a rocky reef area formed by sea erosion that stretches 400 meters from east to west and 150 meters from north to south, but it was not possible to observe it because there was a sign at the entrance prohibiting entry.

Next, we decided to leave the city and head to the World Agricultural Heritage Site "White Rice Senpada", which is about a 20-minute drive away. If you go north on National Route 249, which runs along the Sotoura of the Noto Peninsula, the buildings and roads along the national highway have been destroyed, and the ground surface of the mountains that can be seen parallel to it has also collapsed.

Bizarre scenes appeared one after another, and my eyes seemed to go numb. I had to focus on maintaining my balance while driving.

■ World Heritage Site "White Rice Senpada"

The Shiramai Senpada, which I visited for the first time in about 12 years, cracked by the earthquake and has been repaired. However, due to the heavy rains, irrigation water gushed out from various parts of the rice paddies, and the water overflowed. Although the view from a distance is beautiful, traces of damage remain everywhere, and the people involved will continue to restore it.

White Rice Senpada Aikokai X Account Just the other day, a video of the threshing of this year's harvest was introduced, and a post was posted that read, "We have overcome earthquake and flood damage to become rice.

We looked at the empty white rice fields for about 30 minutes and ate rice bowls in the parking lot. "What's this, it's delicious," the rice bowl made with fresh rice tasted like the blessings of Noto's nature. The volunteers who supported Wajima not only supported the affected residents, but also acquired the power of hospitality to satisfy the taste buds of visitors.

■ Discomfort felt by the actions of Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries officials

Just before we left Shiramai Senpada, a group of staff wearing jackets from the Hokuriku Agricultural Policy Bureau, which belongs to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, arrived. Along with a total of about 20 staff members, there was a person who seemed to be Kasumigaseki's position.

The person looked around the white rice field for about five minutes and left the scene. The remaining staff members stood upright and bowed deeply as they watched the car off.

Later, on October 10, according to a media report, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Kosato was inspecting the white rice field. I checked the minister's schedule on the official website of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and it seems that in each place he visited, a special acceptance system was unfolded, which was even different from the position class in Kasumigaseki.

■ A 90-year-old man I met at a spring

On the way back to the city of Wajima, I saw a large landslide on the mountain beyond, so I parked the car. Torrential rains overwhelmed the mountainside, which had been weakened by the earthquake, causing landslides everywhere.

On the other side of the road leading to the shrine where I parked my car, there was a light wagon parked in the precincts, and an elderly man was working. There were a number of plastic bottles, and the water in them was transferred to the tank.

When I called out to him, he said that he had come to fetch water because of the water outage. There was a spring called "Famous Water God Pond" where people came to fetch water. He left his dangerous home in the village and is now living in a temporary house in the city, but he came to fetch water alone in a rough road.

He was surprised to hear that he was 90 years old, but he said, "I'm still in good health, so it's okay, but everyone is really in pain and in trouble." He said, "I didn't think there would be a disaster right now."

Alone on the outskirts of town, I listened to the old man for a while. I couldn't understand everything because it was a mixture of dialects, but I could clearly feel the difficult situation that my grandfather was in.

■ French bakery "Rapport du Pin" & Italian restaurant "Horizonte"

I returned to the city center of Wajima City and visited the French bakery "Rapport du Pin" by the sea, which I had learned about at Wajima Morning Market Musubi. The restaurant reopened on February 21 after the earthquake and has been energizing the city. The owner's French bread is popular in the local area.

I bought a bun of bean paste and a baguette, but I missed the bucket that day. The next day in Suzu, I was lucky that I was buying a baguette. Since there was no open restaurant and we couldn't find dinner, the baguette was used as a substitute for dinner, and it saved us. Even though time has passed, the texture of the surface and the chewiness of the dough inside are exquisite, and I still remember the taste.

The owner, who loves Noto, says, "No matter where we are, we are connected under the same sky, and I would be happy if you could put your heart close to Noto."

On the way back, the owner told me that an Italian restaurant I knew had reopened near the "Wajima Kobo Nagaya", so I should stop by. However, I was told that I might not have returned to the store yet because of the need that day, but I headed to the place I was told.

The Italian restaurant "Orizonte" was right next to the Wajima Kobo Nagaya. When I looked inside the store, it seemed that there were no people, so I was only allowed to take pictures.

The restaurant's Instagram says, "We make delicious pasta and pizza using local ingredients, so please feel free to come from children to the elderly," and online reviews say that this is the place to come if you come to Wajima.

■Distribution of relief supplies by volunteer groups

The volunteer support activities are also one of the local sights that should not be missed. In the square near the Italian restaurant, I encountered many Wajima residents receiving relief supplies. Distributing relief supplies in the plaza was led by mountaineer Ken Noguchi NPO Peek-Aid Was.

After the earthquake, I watched Mr. Noguchi work to support Noto with his X. I don't know him personally, but I have a connection with him and we are relatively close. I didn't dare to talk to Wajima, so I didn't talk to him.

At the site, I saw elderly people standing there with a lot of heavy supplies in their hands, making it difficult to carry them to their cars. "Where's the car?" he asked, helping about 10 people carry their luggage. When I load the supplies into the trunk of my car, I receive words such as "Thank you" and "Thank you."

At that time, when I told them that I was from Tokyo and said, "It must have been difficult," many residents agreed that they were afraid of the recent torrential rain and that it was difficult to remove mud from their homes and temporary housing, and that just as they were gradually getting used to their current lives, they were back to square one.

In particular, many people complained that heavy rains were more difficult than earthquakes, and that there was nothing they could do about it. In addition, after the earthquake, many residents tried to move forward, but now they find it difficult.

I've heard heartbreaking comments from several people, such as "Noto is forgotten" and "we have to do something about it," but there is no solution to that, and the only answer I can give is, "It's a lot harder."

■ Disaster victims care about disaster victims and are constantly grateful to volunteers.

He goes on to explain how difficult it is for them, worrying about their families and neighbors, despite their own difficult situation, as they listen to the residents' stories.

"I'm still blessed" and "[My acquaintances] have a harder time, I feel sorry for them," he says, and even though he can't live in his own home, lives in temporary housing, and even experiences flooding, he cares more about others than himself.

When we asked the residents, "How has the support from the national and prefectural governments been so far?" we did not receive any specific information about their help.

On the other hand, all the residents say in unison, "The volunteers did XX" and "I am really grateful to the volunteers," and when the topic of volunteers is discussed, they show a cheerful face. It is clear that the presence of volunteers is a great support for the residents.

Disaster victims who do not talk about national and prefectural support

The victims hardly talk about the support provided by the national and prefectural governments, and it seems that they do not actually feel the support. Houses that have collapsed or have been deemed dangerous have been neglected, and there has been little progress in infrastructure construction, which has not reached the hearts of the victims.

Many people have been without electricity or running water for a long time, and have no choice but to move to shelters or temporary housing. The local communities that have been built up to this point are also collapsing. Some of the residents have been forced to leave Noto, and the remaining residents are also tormented by uncertainty about the future.

Clear shortage of supporters

Those involved in support in the disaster-stricken areas include volunteers who provide emotional support to residents, the Self-Defense Forces and rescue teams that conduct relief activities immediately after the disaster, construction workers and security guards engaged in infrastructure construction, local government officials, police officers, and officials from the Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

Perhaps because it was a Saturday, their activities were limited to a part of the city. It is clear that there are not enough of them. Residents may have become accustomed to this situation, but there are only a limited number of volunteers they can rely on, and there is a limit to how much they can rely on them.

Construction worker resources disproportionate to the scale of the disaster

In particular, there seems to be a significant shortage of construction workers dispatched at public expense. In a wide area of disaster, only one driver is operating the excavator on the riverbed, residential area, and road in a small area, and there are no other construction workers nearby.

In addition, it is not often seen security guards ensuring safety at construction sites. It is not clear whether it is due to limited resources for construction work or a shortage of human resources, but the shortage is evident even to the untrained eye of construction.

Incidentally, in order to compensate for the delay in the construction period, the rules of the Osaka Expo were revised this spring to allow work at night and on weekends, and workers are proceeding with the construction of overseas pavilions at a rapid pace.

■ Pass through Wajima city again

Before I knew it, the time had already passed 16 o'clock. I still felt that my stay in Wajima was not enough, but I decided that it was time to head to Anabuki. On the way, while passing through the city area that I was interested in, I decided to stop at "Roadside Station Wajima" at the old Wajima Station.

■ Roadside Station Wajima (Furatto Visit)

"Roadside Station Wajima" is a large facility built on the site of the former Wajima Station, and is a place where you can find fun when you visit, with a variety of businesses such as souvenir shops, tourist information centers, go-go curry, coffee shops, bars, and Okunoto buses. I bought Wajima's sake brewery, Hiyoshi Sake Brewery's "Junmai Sake Ore no Sake" and soy sauce miso maker Tanigawa Brewing "Sakura Soy Sauce Koiguchi".

■ Cafe

After leaving the roadside station Wajima and crossing the main street, I found an old-fashioned "café go". The store was already closed, but when I looked inside the store and checked the website, it seemed that I could spend a relaxing time in a calm space.

The menu includes tea and cakes, as well as sandwiches, spaghetti, curry, pilaf, and other Western dishes that everyone likes. Later, when I asked the owner, he said, "The building is a gassho-style store built as part of a project by the local forestry association to build a house using Noto trees."

■ Visit Noto and see what you can do now

I was happy to finally find Café Go, but there is a limit to how much I can visit Wajima's reopened stores in just 5 hours. I was keenly aware of the difficulty of traveling in the field. I would like to visit Wajima again.

In response to residents' voices that "Noto has been forgotten," those who are able to volunteer take steps and participate in support. In addition, for those who find it difficult to volunteer, interacting with residents and using local stores can convey the message that "Noto has not been forgotten."

In the next Oku Noto report (second part), I would like to tell you more about Anamizu Town, Noto Town, and Suzu City.