Wajima Residents Pray for Peaceful Year at Quake-Damaged Shrine; Memorial Service Marks 1 Year Since Disaster

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:49 JST, January 1, 2025

WAJIMA, Ishikawa — Residents in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, visited a local shrine damaged by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake to pray for a peaceful year on Wednesday, which marked the first anniversary of the disaster.

Plastic sheets still cover sections of the walls of Juzo Shrine’s main building due to the damage it sustained when the powerful quake struck the peninsula on New Year’s Day last year. A temporary altar and a tent have been set up on the premises to receive visitors who want to pray to its deities.

The shrine held a memorial service on Wednesday for the victims of not just the earthquake, but also the flooding that hit the peninsula in September.

One of Wednesday’s visitors was a 76-year-old man currently living in temporary housing as his house was destroyed by the earthquake.

“We were hit by the quake last year, but I am thankful for getting through the whole year with my life,” he said.