Memorial Ceremony for the Victims of the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake and the 2024 Oku-Noto Heavy Rains

On January 1, 2025, Prime Minister Ishiba attended the Memorial Ceremony for the Victims of the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake and the 2024 Oku-Noto Heavy Rains, which was held in Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture.

The Prime Minister delivered a memorial address, offered a moment of silence, and offered flowers.

The Prime Minister said in his memorial address:

“I offer with great humility my commemorative address on behalf of the Government at the Memorial Ceremony for the Victims of the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake and the 2024 Oku-Noto Heavy Rains.

One year has passed since the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake hit when families were spending quality time together on the New Year’s Day, inflicting tremendous damage mainly on the Noto region, and approximately three months have passed since the Oku-Noto Heavy Rains, which struck the area in the middle of reconstruction efforts. When I think of the regrets of those who lost their lives in the two disasters and the deep sorrow of their bereaved family members who lost their loved ones, I am filled with profound regret and my heart aches in empathy and overflows with sorrow. Once again, I hereby would like to offer my deepest and sincerest commiserations and extend my most profound sympathies to all those affected by the disasters.

Immediately after assuming office, I visited the affected areas and saw the scars of the disasters with my own eyes. I had the opportunity to meet with the affected people, who were staying at evacuation shelters with great anxiety about their future. It is the duty of the state to reach out to those who have lost where to turn, have worries about their future, and are on the brink of despair. My visit made this conviction even stronger.

Thanks to enormous efforts made by local residents, dedication by relevant organizations and bodies and volunteers, and warm support offered by people across the country, recovery and reconstruction efforts have been progressing step by step to date. Initiatives to rebuild livelihoods have been under way, including the development of emergency temporary houses, the resumption of farming, the fishing of snow crabs, and the establishment of temporary workshops of Wajima-nuri lacquerware.

However, there remain a plethora of issues to address, such as securing permanent housing for the affected people, speeding up the disposal of disaster waste, fully restoring infrastructure, and revitalizing local industries.

Achieving recovery and reconstruction at the earliest possible time is the path to repay the souls of the victims. We will make government-wide efforts to take the feelings of each and every one of the affected people to heart, rebuild their lives and livelihoods, and realize creative reconstruction of the disaster-hit areas, so that we can recover lively townscape before the disasters and bring back smiles to the people.

Furthermore, we will make use of many valuable lessons gained from the series of disasters, seek to amend the Disaster Relief Act and the Basic Act on Disaster Management to enhance welfare support and public-private partnerships in the affected areas, while forging ahead with strengthening our disaster response system through the establishment of the Disaster Management Agency and improving living environments in evacuation shelters. I hereby firmly pledge to do everything in my power to establish a disaster-resilient nation that prioritizes human lives and human rights, transforming Japan, one of the most disaster-prone nations on earth, into the world’s foremost disaster-resilient nation.

I would like to conclude my address by offering earnest and heartfelt prayers that the souls of all those who passed away repose in eternal peace, and that all the bereaved families be embraced with peace and tranquility.”