Japan Disaster: Relief & Recovery

New Year’s Day marks two years since a 7.6 magnitude earthquake devastated Japan’s Noto Peninsula, killing hundreds of people and forcing nearly 30,000 others to evacuate their homes. Since then, several powerful storms–including ones that triggered devastating mudslides that killed 15 more people last September–have forced subsequent evacuations and set back recovery.

Peace Winds has been working to support survivors every step of the way. After our immediate, emergency relief operations ended, responders handed things over to a Peace Winds team of staff and volunteers that has been based in Suzu City leading long-term recovery efforts ever since.

Noto is slowly recovering. Some people are moving back into their rebuilt homes, others are moving into public housing, and demolition of destroyed buildings is nearly complete. To support this, Peace Winds is focused on rebuilding community ties. Staff held the official grand opening of a new Children’s Plaza on Christmas Day, and for the last several months, they have been busy hosting events for Noto’s children and children-at-heart.

Christmas came early in mid-December for a group of elementary and middle schoolers when a tech expert and Suzu native led an AI art and music course. The children heard Christmas stories from around the world, inspiring them as they learned how to create their own stories and winter scenes.

Because disasters are always an unfortunate reality in Japan, Peace Winds uses discussions on preparedness and recovery as a way to both facilitate connections and strengthen resilience in the face of future disasters. In Noto, this includes tea hours that double as disaster preparedness workshops; opportunities for survivors to process their experiences by talking with staff, volunteers, and each other; and roundtable discussions to strengthen Peace Winds’ preparedness and response coordination with other support organizations. 

Many of Noto’s residents are elderly, so physical and mental wellness are also a priority. Peace Winds offers health consultations, physical exercise events, and even wellness checks at seniors’ homes as a tool against feelings of isolation that often accompany disasters like these.

Noto is still on a years-long path to recovery, but we remain dedicated to meeting the needs wherever we are able. We are so grateful for the support of donors like you who have allowed us to see the community through every phase of the response over the past two years. Your donations will help us continue this work.