Press Conference by Prime Minister Kishida on His Visit to Ishikawa Prefecture to Confirm the Situation of the Area Affected by the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake

(On the thoughts he had as a result of today’s visit regarding the progress in recovery and reconstruction from the Noto Peninsula Earthquake that occurred eight months ago; and how the Government reacts and plans to respond in dealing with upcoming challenges to the increasing calls for the extension of the payment period under the program of the Employment Adjustment Subsidy, primarily from operators of hotels in the affected areas.)

Eight months have passed since the onset of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, and this is my fourth visit to the affected areas. This time I visited the Wajima Morning Market and observed the reconstruction efforts for Wajima Lacquerware. I also engaged in discussions focused on rebuilding livelihoods and had a firsthand look at a site affected by liquefaction. Reflecting on these past eight months, I took the lead in the Government-led efforts for recovery, such as flexible execution of a total of 664 billion yen in contingency funds over six rounds and a special allocation of 52 billion yen in special grant funds for Ishikawa Prefecture’s reconstruction fund, along with infrastructure expansion through delegation of authority and the dispatch of support staff. I recognize that these efforts resulted in significant progress in restoring infrastructure and lifelines, with over 90% of the required temporary housing units now completed. Moreover, to effectively address various challenges on the ground, we have established the “Noto Creative Reconstruction Task Force,” under the jurisdiction of multiple ministries. We have accelerated our efforts in conducting publicly-funded building demolition and providing support for the rebuilding of livelihoods, among other initiatives.

During my visit to the Wajima Morning Market, I was informed that the removal of debris in the area has generally been completed. Building on this achievement, we now seek to provide support for demolition and removal in a more systematic manner in the Monzen and Machino districts of Wajima City. Additionally, with the cooperation of demolition companies nationwide, we plan to accelerate publicly-funded demolition under a system with a total of 1,120 teams in place, aiming for the complete demolition of all 32,000 targeted buildings by October next year.

And regarding the morning market, I have heard that an event to mark its revival was held on September 14, drawing a large number of visitors. The Government intends to provide support on a continuous basis to ensure that such revival events can be held regularly in response to local requests.

In addition, regarding Wajima Lacquerware, we will accelerate the establishment of temporary workshops this autumn to accommodate all craftspeople wishing to move in. We have also received requests for support in opening sales channels, and the Government is committed to cooperation in this area as well. Starting this weekend, I will be visiting the United States to attend the United Nations General Assembly. I plan to take this opportunity to attend tourism-related and other events to promote the excellence of Wajima Lacquerware to the world.

Regarding agriculture, forestry and fisheries, we aim to restore livelihoods in the Okunoto region to pre-disaster levels this autumn and beyond. To achieve this, we will accelerate support measures, starting with the restoration of facilities, to ensure that snow crab fishing, the region’s leading fishing industry, can operate at pre-disaster levels as the season opens on November 6.

As for tourism, we are in discussions with Ishikawa Prefecture to promptly launch the “Reconstruction Support Discount,” a support program that offers a generous subsidy rate of 70% of the costs incurred by visitors to the Noto region, as soon as reconstruction progresses. Until this program is put in place, we will focus on the development of tourism content featuring the attractions of the Noto region and strengthen the promotion of its unique charm. Our goal is to restore the region as a sustainable tourist destination that attracts visitors from both domestic and international markets on a continuous basis.

Regarding the liquefaction countermeasures I observed this afternoon, and in response to the requests we have received, we plan to present the results of Government studies, including countermeasure proposals, by the end of October. This will enable Kahoku City and Uchinada Town to formulate their reconstruction plans within this year. We intend to provide support for repairing tilted houses without waiting for measures to be implemented in a systematic manner. Furthermore, as a result of today’s discussions, I reinforced my conviction that we must provide support to promptly initiate cadastral resurveys. As a first step, we plan to dispatch experts next month to conduct surveys related to land boundary determination.

As for your question regarding the “Employment Adjustment Subsidy,” I recognize this policy as a very important measure for maintaining employment in times of emergencies. Since the onset of the disaster, we have implemented special measures, including increasing the subsidy rate and extending payment days. Additionally, drawing on lessons from past disasters and other events, we have worked to relax eligibility requirements for the subsidy program by targeting the use of secondments for maintaining employment, as well as smaller-scale suspensions and other similar situations.

With regard to the request to extend the payment period, given the current labor shortage, we hope to support employers who make use of secondment with continued employment, with a view to encouraging employees to remain in the workforce, rather than taking prolonged periods of leave. The Government has focused on this point and has taken steps to enhance the system accordingly. Specifically, we have implemented measures such as providing matching support for seconded employees through the Industrial Employment Stabilization Center, subsidies for a portion of the wages paid by the sending companies; and support through the “Industrial Employment Stability Subsidy” and other methods. As we move forward, we must fully understand the actual circumstances of the disaster-affected areas and provide support that addresses the genuine needs of local business operators. Regarding the “Employment Adjustment Subsidy,” we will maintain close communication with local stakeholders to identify what improvements to be made. That’s all from me.