The Machino district in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, which was cut off for three days after the Noto Peninsula Earthquake on New Year’s Day, also faced temporary isolation due to landslides caused by heavy rainfall. Road access was restored on Monday morning, allowing a reporter to enter the community. Machino has a population of about 1,800 and is located 42 kilometers from the city center. The roads leading to the area were blocked one after another and became impassable from Saturday afternoon.
Upon entering the community, it was evident that the main road was flooded throughout and there were large amounts of earth, sand, and driftwood scattered around. Slopes measuring 10 meters high beside the road had collapsed, blocking half of it. These slopes had been reinforced with sandbags following their collapse during the earthquake on New Year’s Day but failed to withstand further damage.
Although electricity and water supply had been restored after the earthquake, heavy rainfall caused power outages once again while also cutting off water supply. Tragically, two women lost their lives in separate landslide incidents within the district.
At Motoya Supermarket near a river in Machino district, muddy water had entered up to a height of 1.8 meters inside the store. A significant amount of sediment and driftwood remained within as merchandise lay scattered about. Despite experiencing ceiling collapse during New Year’s Day earthquake tremors earlier this year, Motoya Supermarket continued operating without any breaks.
Kazutomo Motoya, manager of Motoya Supermarket expressed his thoughts on this unprecedented situation saying “This is the first time something like this has happened.” He further added that he is contemplating whether or not to rebuild at its current location with an air of practicality.
