Grandmother Haunted by Panicked Call Waits for Missing 14-year-old Girl, After Heavy Rain in Noto Peninsula

By Miki Takano and Makoto Akino / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers

1:00 JST, October 1, 2024

KANAZAWA — A 14-year-old junior high school student is still missing in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, after record rainfall flooded the river in the city and washed away houses a week ago.

The girl’s grandmother, who received a call from her granddaughter, Hanon Kiso, just before the line went dead, said the sound of Hanon’s voice asking for help has haunted her.

On Sunday, Hanon’s school uniform was found covered in mud in a bamboo grove about 700 meters downstream from where her house used to be. Her last name was stitched onto the upper-left side of her short-sleeved shirt.

Hanon’s grandparents teared up as they hugged the uniform.

“It looked good on her, so I’ll wash it well and take good care of it,” said Etsuko, the grandmother, 64.

Etsuko has worked hard to keep Hanon from feeling lonely, as her father, Takaya, 42, is often away on work. She made lunches every day for Hanon when she went to nursery school. She also made lunches when there were school events such as sports meets or school trips at her elementary school.

Etsuko would cut seaweed into the shape of dinosaurs and lay the shapes over rice or cut sausages into the shape of flowers. She was happy to see her granddaughter’s smile when Hanon would bring home her empty lunch box and say how much she loved the meal.

Hanon’s grandfather, Satoshi, 63, is a Wajima lacquerware craftsman. The Noto Peninsula Earthquake burnt down the Wajima Morning Market, where his shop was located.

After the earthquake, the market was revived as the so-called Wajima Asaichi Caravan, which traveled in and outside the prefecture, and Hanon tended her grandparents’ stall on weekends. “I’ll do anything I can to help,” she told Etsuko.

Hanon soon became a reliable salesgirl, and would say, “Did you give them change?” or “I’ll take care of these bowls.” Etsuko said she put great confidence in her granddaughter.

When it poured rain on Sept. 21, Etsuko was in Toyama with the Asaichi Caravan. Hanon was at home alone. Estuko heard that conditions in Wajima were serious due to the heavy rain, and she was worried.

At 9:56 a.m., Etsuko received a phone call from Hanon.

“Grandma! Grandma! Grandma!” The voice on the other end of the line sounded panicked. The call only lasted about a minute, but Etsuko was so shaken that she could not say anything back.

“I should have taken her to the market with me,” Etsuko lamented.

Around 470 people were dispatched on Sunday from the police, fire departments and Self-Defense Forces to search for Hanon, but they did not find her.

Etsuko described Hanon as a modest girl who would put others ahead of herself. When choosing sweets, she would say, “You can have the first pick, Grandma.”

“I wonder if she is letting others go first again, if she is telling us to find them first. But … please come back soon,” Etsuko said and began to tear up.

Satoshi stared at the muddy river and said, “I hope she is still alive somewhere. I won’t give up until I see her face.”

Takaya has dug through the mud that washed into the roads and onto the farms, searching for clues to his daughter’s whereabouts. He bowed to each of the leaders of the rescue team, gathered from around the country, and thanked them.

“She has not been found yet, but it is encouraging that they are continuing to search. I believe she will be found tomorrow,” Takaya said.