It was a rough start to 2024 for Japan, with a magnitude 7.6 earthquake and an airplane collision at Haneda airport in the first week of January. On our first episode of the year, we report on the impact of the Noto Peninsula earthquake and what can be learned from rural disasters.

Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez.

 Jordan Allen: Articles

Karin Kaneko: Articles | X

Alex K.T. Martin: Articles | X

Read more: 

“Noto is kind, right down to its soil”: A community’s long road to recovery (Alex K.T. Martin, The Japan Times)

How Japan’s violent New Year’s quake felt in Toyama (Jordan Allen, The Japan Times)

In Ishikawa, shelter for people but not four-legged friends (Karin Kaneko, The Japan Times)

Nationwide donation effort for earthquake-hit Ishikawa gains steam (Karin Kaneko, The Japan Times)

Noto quake: “In times of crisis, all we have is each other” (Kathleen Benoza, The Japan Times)

Photo essay; Inside the Ishikawa earthquake disaster zone (Daniel Traylor, The Japan Times)

Noto community’s long road to recovery from the New Year’s quake (Dave Cortez, YouTube)

“Our minds are blank”: How ‘earthquake resilient’ Japan fails its ageing rural communities (Justin McCurry, The Guardian)

Get in touch: Send us feedback at [email protected]. Support the show by rating, reviewing and sharing the episode with a friend if you’ve enjoyed it. For a transcript of the show, visit japantimes.co.jp, and don’t forget to follow us on X!  

Photo:  Cars drive past a damaged road, in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture. | KIM KYUNG-HOON, REUTERS