1 Year On: Students Roll Up Sleeves to Rebuild Quake-Hit Communities

Wajima, Ishikawa Pref., Dec. 30 (Jiji Press)--High school students in the city of Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, are actively involved in reconstruction efforts following the Noto Peninsula earthquake in early 2024.

"The children's efforts have greatly boosted their self-confidence and have motivated us, adults, as well," Satoshi Hirano, principal of Wajima Senior High School, said.

Even before the 7.6-magnitude quake, the school had been holding classes in which students presented ideas for promoting their local area.

Wajima, located near the tip of the peninsula, was one of the municipalities hit hardest by the disaster.

"If we blindly follow a top-down reconstruction plan, (the city) may become a place where you no longer will feel comfortable living," Hirano told the students shortly after the disaster. "So let's rebuild (the city) ourselves."

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]