On January 4, 2026, a memorial ceremony marking the second anniversary of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake—which struck Ishikawa Prefecture on January 1, 2024, causing widespread devastation—was held in Wajima. The prefecture-hosted event drew 337 attendees, including bereaved families of victims from the quake and subsequent torrential rains, who observed a moment of silence. Survivor Atsuhiko Hayashi shared his remorse over losing his mother.
Hayashi, 64, was caring for his 90-year-old mother, Kimiko, at their home in Anamizu when the quake struck. He had just finished eating zoni soup, a traditional New Year's dish, when the house collapsed, burying him under the ceiling. In the darkness, he refrained from calling out, fearing silence would confirm he could not save her. Rescued himself, he learned days later that she had died.
Kimiko had worked as a home-based hairdresser, styling nearly all local wedding attire, coming-of-age ceremonies, and Shichigosan festivals for children aged 3, 5, and 7. Beloved by residents as 'mother,' she became bedridden about seven years earlier due to dementia, but Hayashi cared for her at home 'until the very end.' Most of her belongings were lost, but a wedding wig was recovered from the rubble; he brushed off the soil and took it home.
"Mom always worked diligently," he reflected, regretting not placing her in a hospital or care facility but believing she was content staying home. Silently, he addresses her in his heart: "Mom."
