Noto Peninsula Earthquake

Express Bus Services in Ishikawa Prefecture Linking Kanazawa to Noto Region Resumes Partially

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:53 JST, January 25, 2024

KANAZAWA — Express bus services between Kanazawa and the Noto region in Ishikawa Prefecture, which had been suspended due to the major Jan. 1 earthquake, resumed some routes on Thursday.

Buses will run for free for about a month to support evacuees returning home temporarily.

The three resumed routes operated by the Hokuriku Rail Road Group connect JR Kanazawa Station with Wajima, Suzu and Noto, all of which pass through Anamizu. Buses will make two round trips per day on the Wajima route, while the other two routes will have one round trip per day.

Due to road damage caused by the earthquake, the company had suspended many of its buses to the Noto area, but as restoration has progressed, some routes have resumed on a temporary schedule.

Some of those affected by the disaster were seen boarding a bus at the west exit of Kanazawa Station on Thursday morning.

One woman from coastal Noto said her car was swept away by a tsunami. She evacuated to a hotel in Kanazawa in an acquaintance’s car with few of her belongings. “I want to go back to my home and bring what I need,” she said.

Another woman in her 70s from Wajima is currently living in a Kanazawa hotel. “I am grateful because I wanted to get my house cleaned up as soon as possible. I will be able to see my eldest daughter who’s remained in our hometown,” she said, and headed for Wajima.