Noto Peninsula Earthquake: Path to recovery of industries that support the region February 7th 21:22

More than a month has passed since the Noto Peninsula earthquake, but the damage to local industries such as tourism and fishing that supported the local economy has been so severe that some areas are yet to recover. Under such circumstances, we will search for clues as to how to proceed with recovery and reconstruction.

Scenic spots in Noto were also damaged.

Noto Kongo, a scenic spot in Shiga Town, Ishikawa Prefecture, is a 29-kilometer stretch of coastline on the west side of the Noto Peninsula that is popular for its scenic beauty, including steep cliffs and strangely shaped rocks created by nature. Last year, approximately 52,000 people visited the famous cave "Ganmon".

However, the recent earthquake caused cracks in the promenade and landslides in multiple locations, making it impossible to approach Ganmon, and there is no hope for recovery.

Additionally, two of the three pleasure boats that had landed at nearby Fukuura Port were swept away about 30 meters by the tsunami and ran aground on the sea wall. On February 7, more than a month after the earthquake, the ship was returned to its original location. Employees of the company that owns the pleasure boat secured it with belts and hoisted it up with a crane. I moved it to the port.

In the future, the ship's hull will be inspected for damage, but the generator needed to take the ship from land to sea has become submerged in seawater and is no longer usable, and the extent of the rise in the sea floor is unknown. There is no prospect of resuming operations for pleasure boats.

Increasing impact of accommodation cancellations in each prefecture

The impact on the tourism industry is widespread in each affected prefecture. In the Noto region, which was severely damaged, there are many hotels and inns with no prospect of resuming operations, and accommodations in each prefecture that are still open are experiencing a series of cancellations of reservations.

According to a summary by the Ishikawa Prefecture Travel Agency Association, as of January 26th, more than 41,300 reservations have been canceled at member accommodation facilities, and the total amount is nearly 850 million yen. It means that it is climbing. The reality is that some facilities have not responded to the survey, and the full extent of the damage is unknown.

In Toyama Prefecture, accommodations and banquets are being canceled one after another. According to a summary by the Toyama Prefecture Hotel, Ryokan, and Sanitation Industry Association, as of January 25, there are at least 34,000 people in total, with a total cost of approximately 520 million yen.

The amount collected in Fukui Prefecture, compiled through cities and towns within the prefecture, is large, and as of January 25th, it covers approximately 39,600 people, totaling more than 1.34 billion yen.

The Niigata Prefecture Ryokan Hotel Association estimates that as of February 1st, there are over 24,300 people and the amount of damage exceeds 334 million yen.

Although some facilities have seen an increase in the number of overnight stays for people providing recovery support in disaster-stricken areas, there are concerns that demand will cool down as tourists for sightseeing have stopped visiting.

In past large earthquakes

This trend has been seen in past major earthquakes such as the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Kumamoto Earthquake.

The Japan Research Institute is analyzing the impact of the earthquake on the number of overnight guests based on statistics from the Japan Tourism Agency. If we take the month before the earthquake as 100, we can see a drop in the number of guests in each month in which the earthquake occurred. At first glance, the pace of recovery appears to be rapid, as the statistics include people staying overnight to support recovery efforts in disaster-stricken areas, but the impact on the tourism industry can still be seen.

Based on past examples, the government is trying to encourage a recovery in travel demand by implementing the "Hokuriku Ouenwari" program, which subsidizes accommodation fees for tourists in the three Hokuriku prefectures and Niigata prefectures in the disaster-stricken areas.

Hokuriku Support Discount: Accommodation fees are half price. I want to support Hokuriku, but is it really okay to go?

*Click here for detailed information on “Hokuriku Support Discount”

On the other hand, attracting foreign visitors is likely to be an issue. Compared to Japanese guests, we can see that the number of overnight guests has been stagnant for a long time. Researcher Muneki Kitatsuji of the Japan Research Institute, who conducted the analysis, said, ``Foreign tourists are thought to be more affected by reputational damage,'' and said that in order to dispel concerns, it is important to travel overseas. It seems necessary to put more effort into disseminating information to tourists from Japan.

Severe impact on the fishing industry, which is responsible for the “rich seafood”

Local tourism demand is supported by local food and souvenirs. In the case of Hokuriku, "rich seafood" is one of the major attractions that attracts tourists. At this time of year, yellowtail and red snow crab are in season, but the damage to the fishing industry that provides such ``rich seafood'' has been severe.

In Ishikawa Prefecture, many fishing boats have suffered damage such as capsizing or sinking, and of the 69 fishing ports in the prefecture, 60, or more than 80% of the total, mainly on the Noto Peninsula, have suffered damage such as seabed upheaval and quay wall damage. Damage has been confirmed.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, at least 18 fishing ports are no longer able to unload fish. On the 4th of this month, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Sakamoto visited the fishing port in Wajima City and confirmed the damage situation.

The national government plans to begin an emergency investigation by experts as early as February in order to consider recovery methods based on the actual state of damage, and will work with the prefecture toward recovery while confirming the investigation results and the intentions of fishermen. We are planning to formulate a plan.

In Toyama Prefecture, fishing gear such as fixed nets and crab fishing baskets were damaged or washed away. According to the Prefectural Fisheries Federation, the amount of damage as of the end of January was nearly 300 million yen.

As a result of this, the catch of red snow crab in the prefecture, which is in season, has fallen to 5.2 tons from the beginning of this year to January 20, which is less than 30% of the same period last year. In addition, fixed nets for firefly squid, which will be allowed to fish from March, have been damaged, and restoration efforts are currently underway.

Traditional industries and local businesses are also affected.

The impact is spreading to a wide range of businesses that have supported the region beyond the fishing industry. Yoichiro Kamaboko Store, a long-established kamaboko store in Himi City, Toyama Prefecture, which has been in business for about 90 years, suffered severe damage in the earthquake and has decided to close its doors.

The second generation president, Kazunari Nakamura (83), has been making kamaboko for over 60 years. He is particular about handicrafts, and in addition to local elementary school students, he also accepts foreign tourists and students on school trips to try painting, and has become an important base for local tourism.

However, due to the recent earthquake, the building that had been his home and store was ``partially destroyed'' with cracks appearing in the floor and the glass at the entrance broken, and it was deemed ``dangerous'' to enter.

Mr. Nakamura wanted to continue making kamaboko for the local community, but rebuilding was financially difficult, and considering his age, he decided to close the shop. Mr. Nakamura said, ``If I was 10 years younger, I would have thought about rebuilding, but I gave up because I'm older now. I wanted to keep making kamaboko until I die.''

Ishikawa Prefecture's traditional industry, Wajima-nuri, was also severely damaged. "Wajima lacquerware" is a traditional industry that has been designated as an important intangible cultural property of the country, and many craftsmen are involved in over 120 processes.The Wajima Lacquerware Commercial and Industrial Cooperative Association, which is made up of lacquerware shops and craftsmen, Most of the more than 100 member businesses were affected by the disaster. A number of workshops and shops have been burnt down or completely destroyed, and even now there is no prospect of reopening most of the workshops and lacquerware shops.

Even under these circumstances, Chairman Naoyuki Nichinan of the union said in a meeting with Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Saito, who visited the site on the 27th of last month, ``We cannot end Wajima-nuri in our generation. I want to connect with them,'' he said.

Minister Saito also told reporters after a series of inspections, ``Traditional industries and tourism are industries that are essential to the local economy.In particular, I would like traditional industries to be rebuilt so that they can make a leap forward into the world.'' In addition to the measures already in place, the government intends to consider necessary support.

As part of its support for traditional industries, including Wajima lacquerware, the government has come up with a support plan that will subsidize the costs necessary to secure tools and raw materials up to a maximum of 10 million yen, as well as an option to fully subsidize the cost of building a temporary workshop. I'm putting it in.

How to understand diverse support needs

This earthquake dealt a serious blow to the various industries that support the region. While the government's active support for recovery and reconstruction is essential, there are areas where recovery has not yet been made, and there are areas that have begun to make progress toward recovery, so the content of support needed varies by region and I feel that even within the same region, it varies depending on the phase.

I felt that the challenge of recovery is how closely we can understand the needs of each disaster-affected area, from immediate measures to stimulate tourism demand to long-term support aimed at rebuilding local industry. (Economy Department Desk Hiroki Iwama)

*Broadcast on February 7th at 5pm