Overview
- Wajima marked the anniversary with a coming‑of‑age gathering of 133 attendees, as city data show 118 of the 253 would‑be 20‑year‑olds moved out after the earthquake.
- An MLIT expert panel confirmed that a piled foundation failure caused a seven‑story building in Wajima to topple, the first verified case in Japan, highlighting underrecognized seismic risks.
- Surveys found building tilt linked to pile damage in multiple areas, including 25 of 101 mid‑to‑low‑rise structures in central Wajima and 8 of 41 in Nanao’s Wakura Onsen, with older buildings more affected.
- Wajima is advancing group relocation using the national Disaster Prevention Group Relocation program, with Besshodani moving toward a shift to the city center and Inafune and Monzen’s Urakami‑Nakaya districts considering similar plans.
- Recovery efforts are rebuilding community life through student volunteer work—from mud removal and farm restoration to a revived rose‑garden concert—while scholars at a reconstruction forum press for dignity‑centered approaches.