Noto Peninsula Earthquake Marks 2nd Anniversary; Disaster Caused 698 Deaths across 3 Prefectures, 18,000 Still in Temporary Housing

The Yomiuri Shimbun

11:36 JST, January 1, 2026

KANAZAWA — Thursday marked the 2nd anniversary of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake. The number of deaths in the disaster, including those from indirect causes by the quake, has reached 698 in Ishikawa, Toyama and Niigata Prefectures.

About 18,000 people still live in temporary housing in Ishikawa Prefecture, while demolition of damaged buildings in affected areas has been mostly completed with the assistance of public funds. Construction of about 3,000 public housing units only begun recently.

A 68-year-old man used to live in in the area close to the Wajima Morning Market, but his house was burned down by the fire that engulfed the market after the tremor. Now residing in a temporary housing unit, he said, “I hope reconstruction of the quake-hit areas will make visible progress in 2026 and we can have hope for the future.”