How Can Disaster Reconstruction Reflect Regional Characteristics?

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JAPAN Forward launched its "Ignite" series of essays in English to directly share Japanese students' voices with their global peers. Ishinomaki High School student Mitsuhito Hirose is one. As part of the US-Japan Council's TOMODACHI Initiative, Hirose and other participants traveled to the region devastated by the 2024 N oto Peninsula earthquake on March 14-15, 2026. From that experience, he considers how reconstruction efforts can be individualized and better help each region recover from disasters, including his home region, Tohoku.

The TOMODACHI Initiative is a private-public partnership between the US Embassy Tokyo and the US-Japan Council. Launched in the wake of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, it focuses on developing next-generation leaders in Japan and the United States. This particular Noto Peninsula project was organized by the TOMODACHI Regional Representative of the Chubu-Hokuriku Region, Shiori Sata. Funding was provided by Prudential and Amazon.

Hirose's essay is the seventh submission among participants in the TOMODACHI 2026 Noto Peninsula project and the 46th essay in the Ignite series. The author is from a disaster region himself, and the points he makes come from keen observation and a passion for recovery, so let's listen.

Forty-sixth in the Series, 'Ignite'

*Mitsuhito Hirose (Photo provided by the author)*

By Mitsuhito Hirose
Essay on the TOMODACHI Initiative Noto Peninsula Project

My name is Mitsuhito Hirose. In 2024, I participated in the TOMODACHI Summer SoftBank Leadership Program 2.0, and as a TOMODACHI Alumni, I have been given opportunities such as visiting Noto.

The reason I joined the program was to achieve my goal of revitalizing the Tohoku region. I wanted to visit Noto through this project because I wanted to understand what kind of reconstruction efforts were taking place there, and I went with the question in mind: "Does the method of reconstruction reflect regional characteristics?"

In this report, I will share what I saw and felt about the nature of reconstruction in Noto. I also consider whether there are differences in reconstruction based on regions or individuals. You may also read this while comparing it with disaster-affected areas such as those impacted by the Great East Japan Earthquake, smaller-scale recovery efforts in your own community, or even your personal process of recovery.

Why Noto?

We came to know the disaster-stricken area of Noto following the major earthquake that occurred on the Noto Peninsula in January 2024.

The city of Nanao, which we visited, was affected by both the earthquake and tsunami. Two years after the disaster, traces of the damage in Nanao were subtle ー cracks in the asphalt or displaced sidewalk tiles stacked at the edges. It was difficult to immediately grasp the inconvenience of daily life from appearances alone. Nevertheless, there was no doubt that this was a disaster-affected area.

The scars of the disaster were not only physical but also deeply embedded in less visible, social and cultural aspects.

*Kagaya Inn in Wakura Onsen, scheduled for demolition (©Mitsuhito Hirose)*

Nanao is a vibrant town known for its many festivals held throughout the year. It is also famous for Wakura Onsen, a well-known hot spring resort often associated with the name "Nanao." Historically, Nanao has been a port town and a commercial hub of the Noto region. Countless people have sustained their livelihoods there over generations. Through festivals, people have prayed for the continuation of these ways of life.

However, the Noto Peninsula earthquake forced the cancellation of festivals that locals looked forward to, and the town's proud hot springs were shut down due to damaged pipes and buildings.

The disaster left its mark not only on infrastructure but also on the culture rooted in Nanao.

In his own home in the Tohoku region, this shopping street in Ishinomaki City, Tachicho, offers an example needing a remedy since it became a ghost town following the Great East Japan Earthquake. (©Mitsuhito Hirose)

The Future of Nanao

Mr Moriyama, who is involved in community development in Nanao, says, "Noto will regain stronger aspects of a circular society like in the past. It will become a model case for sustainability."

We were not able to fully discuss issues such as potential declines in welfare functions that may accompany a circular society. However, I felt that such changes are a natural progression. It seems that Noto, having taken a new step forward, will become a place where a sustainable, environmentally conscious society is put into practice.

What We Can Do, and What We Want to Do

From this experience, one of the most immediate lessons I drew is that "nothing that lasts is easily maintained."

Whether looking at the history of a region or an individual's life, there are many events along the way. Yet, what continues to remain unchanged despite everything ー something genuine and enduring ー deeply moves me.

When I arrived in Nanao in March 2026, only two years after the disaster, the first thing I saw was a sign that read, "Welcome to Nanao." I was told that both this sign and the "Hanayome Noren" curtain have existed since before the earthquake.

*At Nanao Station in the Noto region, a sign that read "Welcome to Nanao" greeted us, just as it did before the earthquake. (©Mitsuhito Hirose)*

The difficulty of sustaining something over time makes everything in Noto shine even more. I was deeply moved by Noto, and I sincerely hope that its history will continue to grow longer and more radiant. The opportunity to contribute this piece felt like a chance to help make that possible.

To you, the reader: I believe that every action we take for Noto can make it stronger and more vibrant. As you read this report, I hope that you will carry with you even a single thought or feeling about Noto ー and not forget it.

About the Author

Mitsuhito Hirose was a third-year student at Ishinomaki High School in 2026, when he visited Noto and wrote this essay. Ishinomaki is in the Tohoku region of Japan, which itself was devastated by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.

Earlier, in 2024, he participated in the TOMODACHI Summer SoftBank Leadership Program 2.0, which took him and other participants to Berkeley, California, for three weeks. Hirose contributed this article to JAPAN Forward's Ignite series, with the following comment:

"I was deeply moved by Noto, and I hope this history will become even longer and more glorious. Contributing this article to "Ignite" was an opportunity to make that possible."