The Noto earthquake was a 7.5/7.6 earthquake (depending upon source) that occurred on Jan. 1, 2024, in the Ishikawa Prefecture near the northern coast of Japan's Noto Peninsula.
It reached the maximum seismic activity of 7 on the Japanese scale (shindo), “a numerical value reflecting the size or energy of the temblor at its source.”
Hundreds of aftershocks were recorded in the week after the quake. In addition, there were several cascading hazards, including landslides, fires, geological uplift, tsunamis and liquefication.
The earthquake’s intense uplift extended the coastline by up to 820 feet (250 meters), which is greater than the length of two American football fields. The quake prompted 16- to 47-inch tsunamis in towns along the coast. According to Japan’s land ministry, at least 296 acres (120 hectares) of land flooded from the tsunamis.
In the first month, there were almost 1,000 landslides related to the quake. While they affected fewer than 100 buildings, they blocked roads and rivers, isolated villages, delayed recovery, and increased the risk of future landslides. Multiple quakes (M4.8 to M6.0 in intensity) also hit the Noto region on June 3. While these new quakes came six months after the Noto earthquake, experts say the events are linked.
The Japan Times said, “The Noto Peninsula has, in fact, been experiencing an ongoing “seismic swarm” — many earthquakes within a relatively small area that don’t fit a ‘mainshock-aftershock’ pattern — since late 2020, with this generating earthquakes at 10 times the average regional rate.” In 2023, these quakes ranged in strength from M4.0 to M6.3. Rain, snow and climate change-induced sea level rise all played a role in this swarm.
Wajima, a city in Ishikawa Prefecture, was most affected by the earthquake. Many of the city’s 23,000 residents heeded tsunami evacuation orders and fled. However, the city still had most of the earthquake’s casualties. Dramatic images showed the devastation in Wajima.
(Photo: Japan’s Self-Defense Forces look for survivors after the earthquake, Jan. 3, 2024. Credit: Ministry of Defense via X)
Earthquakes are among the most devastating natural hazards. The common expression, “earthquakes don’t kill people, buildings do,” refers to the fact that building stability plays a critical role during an earthquake.
Japan introduced regulations to protect buildings from earthquakes in 1981 and is known for its disaster preparedness. Japan’s investments, mandates and engineering practices adapted to seismic risk have saved lives during past earthquakes. However, many buildings in the affected areas may not have been built to withstand a strong earthquake. For example, many of Wajima’s traditional wooden homes collapsed.
Lessons learned from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami off the northeastern coast of Honshu, Japan’s main island, were evident during this disaster. An analysis of smartphone location data during the Jan. 1, 2024 quake showed about half of users began to evacuate within six to seven minutes of the initial earthquake. During the 2011 quake, it took residents more than twice as long to evacuate. Preparedness activities like drills and increasing awareness of what to do during disasters can minimize the impact.
Key impact statistics
- As of Aug. 21, 2024, 281 direct and indirect deaths had been confirmed, many weeks after the earthquake. Almost 600 people were injured. Only two deaths were connected to the tsunamis, which speaks to Japan’s improved awareness of these hazards. Several deaths were caused by hypothermia because of the harsh winter conditions in the Noto region.
- In May, a five-member panel found that at least 30 deaths were the result of conditions indirectly related to the earthquake. Of these, “40% were attributed to emotional shock from the quake and fear of aftershocks, 29% to harsh living conditions at evacuation centers and 16% to delayed primary care due to the suspension of medical institutions.”
- Nearly 84,000 homes were reported damaged. The June 3 earthquake destroyed five homes damaged in the Jan. 1 earthquake.
- Debris from buildings that collapsed in the earthquake and other disaster waste was estimated at 2.44 million tons.
Ongoing recovery issues
- In May 2024, the Ishikawa Prefectural Government released its nine-year reconstruction plan, extending through fiscal year 2032. The Japan Times wrote, “The plan features efforts to create disaster-resistant communities and increase the so-called related population, or people continuously involved in a particular region without necessarily being permanent residents, in order to maintain the prefecture’s vitality amid its shrinking population.”
- The goal is to have displaced populations return home by 2028, but there are concerns that it could take longer or that people will not return. Population decline, especially in an area with an already aging population, is a significant concern.
- At the seven-month mark, more than 2,200 people remained in evacuation centers, down from 34,000 in the immediate aftermath.
- To deal with the housing crisis, local governments rented temporary housing. The Ishikawa Prefectural Government built 6,800 new housing units. They intend to demolish 22,500 homes by October 2025.
- In an inventive use of digital technology, Japan used transit cards following the earthquake to facilitate tracking of affected individuals and save survivors from constantly having to share basic information.
- At least 100 businesses closed after the earthquake due to slow population return.
- According to a government estimate, the cost of the earthquake will be between $7.4 billion (¥1.1 trillion) and $17.6 billion (¥2.6 trillion). According to the CRESTA Industry Loss Index, it was the only non-US catastrophic disaster to exceed $1 billion in the first quarter of 2024, according to the CRESTA Industry Loss Index.
- As of May 31, 2024, the General Insurance Association of Japan (GIAJ) reported that the total claims paid had risen to more than $571 million (¥ 91 billion). According to GIAJ, the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake is the seventh-largest insured loss from a Japanese earthquake.
Health
Ensuring the continuity of health care in disaster-affected areas is a critical need, given the damage to facilities and the challenges with access because of damage to some roads.
Following the earthquake, more than 10 facilities that provide care for older adults had ceased operations, exacerbating the strain on local healthcare services. There is a shortage of staff in these facilities as resignations increase due to staff managing their own recovery and familial responsibilities.
Housing
With significant damage to the earthquake-affected area’s housing stock, disaster survivors reside with friends or family and in shelters. While ensuring survivors have access to safe shelter is critical in the immediate aftermath, the faster people can secure permanent housing options, the more it helps accelerate a full recovery.
Mental health and psychosocial support
Survivors of deadly earthquakes are forced to deal with lasting trauma, and the need for mental health and psychosocial support services increases.
According to Mark Lieber, who authored a 2017 study, “In the psychiatric literature, earthquakes have consistently been shown to be associated with mental health problems such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in the months and years immediately following the disaster.”
As summarized by Evidence Aid, the authors of a 2021 study that looked at post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among children and adolescents after earthquakes and floods suggested that rapid screening tests and continuous observation are needed for children and adolescents after disasters and that psychological support should be provided to them, especially girls.
CDP has a Global Recovery Fund that provides an opportunity for funders to meet the ongoing and ever-expanding challenges presented by global crises. While CDP is not currently raising funds for the Noto earthquake, numerous other disasters need support.
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Philanthropic contributions
If you have questions about donating to the CDP Global Recovery Fund, need help with your disaster-giving strategy or want to share how you’re responding to this disaster, please contact development.
(Photo: The 4th Company, 14th Infantry Regiment, 10th Division conducted a search for a missing person in Otani-cho, Suzu City, Japan. Credit: Ground Self-Defense Force Kanazawa Garrison via X)
Recovery updates
If you are a responding NGO, please send updates on how you are working on recovery from this disaster to Tanya Gulliver-Garcia.
We welcome the republication of our content. Please credit the Center for Disaster Philanthropy.
Philanthropic and government support
Japan is a wealthy country with the capacity to manage the emergency response and extensive experience responding to earthquake events.
According to an Associated Press report, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida immediately deployed about 4,600 members of the Japanese Self-Defense Force (SDF) to provide earthquake survivors with water and food and set up bathing facilities at evacuation centers.
As of June 23, the response by the SDF had reached 175 days and involved more than 1.13 million military members. This response exceeded all other quake responses, including the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami (the military did support decontamination work at the Fukushima nuclear plant for an extended period).
On April 23, 2024, the government announced an additional $89 billion (¥138.9 billion) to support disaster-affected areas with temporary housing; restoration of public facilities; support for agriculture, fishery and forestry workers; and welfare and elderly care services. The latest announcement brought the government’s spending to more than $2.57 billion (¥400 billion).
In an example of one government division helping another, Miyagi Prefecture will support Ishikawa Prefecture with its “Higashi-Matsushima method” used in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011. Miyagi sent staff with expertise in disaster waste disposal to the disaster-affected area.
More ways to help
Provide cash assistance: As with most disasters, disaster experts recommend cash support, which enables on-the-ground agencies to direct funds to the greatest area of need, support economic recovery and ensure donation management does not detract from disaster recovery needs. Many people lost everything in the earthquake. Direct cash assistance allows families to purchase items and services locally that address their multiple needs. It gives each family flexibility and choice, ensuring that support is relevant and timely. Cash assistance can also help move families faster toward rebuilding their lives.
Ask the experts: If you are considering supporting an organization that is positioned to work in an affected area, do some research. CDP and InterAction can provide resources and guidance about organizations working in affected communities. The Council on Foundations provides Country Notes for countries to help foundations understand giving requirements, laws and regulations in various countries: Nonprofit Law in Japan.
Prioritize investments in local organizations: Japan has a strong civil society network, especially neighborhood associations. These local leaders and organizations will play a vital role in setting the course for long-term equitable recovery in Noto following the disaster. These organizations are mostly voluntary and can benefit from financial support.
Resources
Earthquakes
Striking without warning, earthquakes often are among the most devastating disasters. Caused by the movement of plates along fault lines on the earth’s surface, earthquakes often leave a monumental path of instant death and destruction.
Disaster Phases
Disasters affect millions of people and cause billions of dollars in damage globally each year. To help understand and manage disasters, practitioners, academics and government agencies frame disasters in phases.
Resilience
The Latin root of “resilience” means to bounce back, but every field has its own definition and most individuals within each discipline will define it differently. Learn more.