Japan May Build ‘Rescue City’ in Noto Region to Train Disaster Experts

The Yomiuri Shimbun

18:02 JST, April 21, 2026

KANAZAWA — Ishikawa Prefecture’s Noto region could see the creation of “Rescue City,” a massive complex that would train experts to spearhead rescue and reconstruction efforts when a disaster strikes.

The project is being considered by a council of public and private sector representatives, including the Ishikawa prefectural government and Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives), according to sources.

Drawing on lessons from the Noto Peninsula Earthquake in 2024 and the heavy rain disasters that came after, which caused many buildings to collapse and closed off roads, the council hopes to create a base for conducting rescue drills and training volunteers to operate heavy machinery.

The council also includes representatives from the Wajima city government, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., Sumitomo Forestry Co., Kanazawa University and the University of Tokyo. It is currently exploring ways to provide effective reconstruction support for the Noto region.

Volunteers adept with heavy machinery played a major role after the Noto Earthquake, and more than 400 groups were active in the region at the height of the crisis, according to the Japan Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster. They removed fallen utility poles and sediment to reopen routes for emergency services, and repaired roads with gravel.

Rescue City would recreate scenes after a disaster, such as collapsed buildings and damaged roads. In drills, trainees may use excavators and chainsaws to break through walls and rescue people from collapsed wooden houses.

The council may tailor training programs to different skill levels, such as according to whether participants have prior experience in operating heavy machinery. The area around Noto Airport in Wajima is one site being considered for the facility.

The initiative draws inspiration from Disaster City, a disaster response training complex in Texas. On its vast expanse of land, the military and emergency services, as well as private firms, regularly engage in drills tailored to disaster and counter-terrorism scenarios.

Ishikawa Prefecture and other organizations aim to integrate Rescue City into the framework of the new disaster management agency, which is set to be established in November. They briefed the Cabinet Office on the plan in December last year.