Section 1 Damage Overview

1.Status of Damage

  At 4:10 p.m. on January 1, 2024, a 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture, with a seismic intensity of 7 being observed in Wajima City and Shiga Town of Ishikawa Prefecture ^*1.
  Subsequently, at 4:12 p.m., a tsunami warning was issued for Niigata, Toyama and Ishikawa Prefectures, followed by a major tsunami warning for Noto in Ishikawa Prefecture at 4:22 p.m. and other tsunami warnings mainly along the Sea of Japan coast from Hokkaido to the Kyushu region. The inundation depth is estimated to have reached approximately 4 m in Suzu City, where the inundation was particularly extensive. In the Hokuriku coastal region, roads and water pipes suffered heavy damage due to the liquefaction phenomenon. The Noto Peninsula became isolated as access from the sea became difficult due to landslides and ground uplift on trunk roads, resulting in hindrance to large-scale support and consequent delays in the restoration of lifelines. Two hundred forty-five people were killed, more than 1,300 were injured, and more than 120,000 buildings were damaged due to this earthquake that caused massive damage, mainly in the Hokuriku region^*2.
  As the disaster occurred on New Year’s Day, there were no human casualties under school administration; however, 1,024 school facilities, 768 social education and other facilities, as well as 426 cultural properties (as of May 30, 2024) suffered damage (Fig. 3-1-1).

*1 The Japan Meteorological Agency named the 7.6-magnitude earthquake that struck at 4:10 p.m. on January 1, 2024, and the series of seismic activities since December 2020 as the “2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake.”
*2 Source: “Damage caused by the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake,” as of May 21, 2024 (2:00 p.m.), Government’s Major Disaster Management Headquarters (the number of victims as provided by the Fire and Disaster Management Agency)

2.Impact on School Education, etc.

  In Wajima City, Suzu City, and Noto Town of the Okunoto region, where the damage was particularly severe during the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, junior high school students who so wished were evacuated in groups to facilities in the prefecture to ensure that they had the opportunity to study.
  To be specific, a group of approximately 250 students from Wajima City was evacuated to Hakusan-Roku Shonen Shizen No Ie and Hakusan Shonen No Ie institutions in Hakusan City from January 17, 2024, where they were provided with accommodation and lunch. From January 22, they studied using the facilities and the surrounding school facilities. Third-year students stayed in the facilities till March 8, while first- and second-year students continued till March 22.
  Similarly, approximately 140 students from Suzu City and Noto Town were evacuated to Iozen Sports Center in Kanazawa City on January 21, where they were provided with accommodation and lunch. From January 22, they studied by making use of the said facility. Third-year students from Suzu City stayed in the facility till March 10, first- and second-year students continued till March 21, while students from Noto Town continued till March 8.
  In response to a request from the Ishikawa Prefectural Boards of Education to dispatch personnel to ensure learning and daily activities at the group evacuation centers, The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (hereinafter referred to as the “MEXT”) dispatched 290 teaching staff, including 10 personnel of MEXT with a teacher’s license and teaching experience, in cooperation with 55 prefectures and cities and the National Institute for School Teachers and Staff Development (NIST) to perform educational guidance and lifestyle guidance during nighttime. MEXT also supported the free lending of 1 device for 1 student for use during class, the free provision of textbooks, and transportation by school buses.

Section 2 MEXT’s Response to the Earthquake

1.MEXT’s Response to the Earthquake

  MEXT set up a MEXT Earthquake Information and Contact Office on January 1, 2024, the day the disaster occurred, and a Major Disaster Management Headquarters on January 2 to assess the damage information and dispatched Deputy Director-General and other personnel to the Government’s Local Disaster Response Headquarters. In addition, the Earthquake Research Committee (chaired by Professor Emeritus Naoshi Hirata, Earthquake Research Institute, the University of Tokyo) of the Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion headed by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, held an extraordinary meeting to comprehensively assess the mechanism of this earthquake and seismic activities in the future and released an assessment statement.
  Furthermore, on January 16, a “Project Team to Ensure the Educational Opportunity in the Affected Areas” was set up within MEXT to assess the needs and situation in the disaster areas to ensure the educational opportunity for children and students, which led to support tailored to the needs of the disaster victims.
  On January 25, Moriyama, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, visited school facilities and group evacuation centers in Nanao City and Hakusan City in Ishikawa Prefecture, while on March 9, he visited school facilities and cultural properties in the affected Wajima City. During his visit to Wajima City in March, the Minister decided, based on the on-site situation, that a project team (PT) would be set up within the Ministry to support the important intangible cultural property “Wajima-Nuri lacquerware,” which resulted in support for the restoration and recovery of Wajima-Nuri lacquerware. On April 21, the Minister visited schools in Suzu City and Noto Town that were used as shelters and where water and sewage systems were not yet restored and met with high school students staying in lodging facilities because their dormitories were damaged.

2.Support for Disaster Areas and Victims

(1) Support for Continuing Studies

1.Support for disaster recovery of school facilities, etc.

  At the request of the Ishikawa Prefectural Boards of Education, emergency risk assessment officers and other staff were dispatched from January 11 to January 22, 2024, to assess the immediate availability of the affected educational facilities, and emergency risk assessments were performed for 58 public schools.
  Regarding facilities where the building structure was severely damaged, the Architectural Institute of Japan was commissioned to conduct damage classification assessments by specialists to assess the necessity for reconstruction of a building, and on-site inspection was conducted for 91 facilities (58 schools and 33 social education facilities).
  Furthermore, to contribute to the quick restoration of damaged school facilities, a hotline (helpdesk) was set up by the municipal authorities to provide information on restoration systems, etc., for seamless support at each stage of full-scale restoration, including emergency measures for temporary use and construction of temporary school buildings. In addition, procedures were simplified, and more generous support than usual was provided for disaster recovery projects.

2.Environmental improvements for children

(a) Support for free lending of terminals and free provision of textbooks
Because personal computers provided under the 1 Device for 1 Student program were damaged due to the disaster and the communication environment at schools and evacuation centers for students in the affected areas was not always adequate, around 1,500 Wi-Fi routers, each with a learner terminal and a line subscription were secured with the cooperation of private operators and were lent free of charge according to the situation and needs of the municipality.
To create a learning environment as quickly as possible for students who were already provided textbooks that were rendered unusable due to the earthquake, a system was established immediately after the disaster to facilitate a smooth supply of textbooks, including the assessment of damaged textbooks and securing of stocks, in collaboration with textbook publishers and suppliers. In addition, regarding the free provision of textbooks lost or damaged due to the disaster or textbooks required at the school where students are transferred due to temporary evacuation, each prefectural board of education was informed to provide the textbooks again appropriately and promptly. If it is impossible to distribute textbooks to students due to the severance of school routes, etc., digital textbooks for learners can be provided instead of paper textbooks.
(b) School bus service
Regarding support for transportation of students to schools in the disaster areas, based on requests from affected municipalities, subsides were provided targeting at high school students in addition to elementary school and junior high school. In cases where a municipality provided transportation support such as the operation of school buses for students with difficulty commuting to school due to the disaster, subsidies were provided to assist students in remote areas.
(c) Presentation of methods for the continuity of learning, etc.
From the perspective of continuity of learning of affected students, the possible methods, measures, and considerations for continuity of learning according to the environment surrounding the students, such as the reopening of schools and the communication situation in the area, were compiled and disseminated. In addition, information on learning content provided free of charge by private operators, which can be utilized when continuing learning online, was consolidated and posted on a special page on the MEXT website.
(d) Flexible acceptance of affected students into public schools
A notice was issued to ensure the educational opportunities for students affected by the disaster advising to handle cases where the affected students wish to be accepted at schools other than their original school following evacuation as flexibly as possible and accept such students promptly. The boards of education across Japan were urged to take a flexible approach, and each of them was informed of the approach to school enrolment procedures for flexible acceptance.
Also, to enable boards of education in the disaster areas to provide information to parents in an easy-to-understand manner, leaflets on uninterrupted learning at secondary evacuation centers were distributed, published and disseminated on MEXT SNS to provide information on schools, etc.
(e) Support for the provision of learning and experiential activities
Assistance is provided for initiatives that offer opportunities for learning and experiential activities to children in the disaster areas, including initiatives by private organizations that work in collaboration with the affected municipalities (assistance provided to five organizations in FY 2023) to support students placed in an environment from their usual, such as living in shelters and group evacuation centers.
In addition, the national youth centers established by the National Institution for Youth Education conducted “Refresh Camps” etc. for children in the disaster areas to promote their physical and mental health and refresh them and provided approximately 700 children with opportunities for experiential activities (as of May 31, 2024).
(f) Reopening of club activities
Schools conduct club activities depending on the physical damage suffered and their use as a shelter. Some schools organize club activities in the neighborhood or by moving to a location outside the municipality in question. In the future, support will be provided by considering the status of such club activities, etc. Ishikawa Prefecture is one of the venues for the 2024 Nippon Junior High School Tournament. As a result of discussions among the organizers, including the Nippon Junior High School Physical Culture Association, relevant athletic organizations across Japan, Ishikawa Prefectural Boards of Education, and the boards of education of host cities and towns, it was decided that the Tournament will be held in Ishikawa Prefecture as planned.

3.Dispatch of teacher and other personnel

  Since immediately after the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, MEXT has been providing support for the dispatch of teachers and other personnel required for educational and lifestyle guidance, the dispatch of additional school counselors required for mental health care, and the placement of additional school support staff and study guides, by meticulously assessing the actual damage, while working with the relevant ministries and agencies and the affected municipalities.
  The Ministry provided support for the dispatch of 290 teachers and other personnel, including 10 personnel of MEXT, to group evacuation centers for junior high school students in Suzu City, Wajima City, and Noto Town, with the cooperation of 55 prefectures and cities and the National Institute for School Teachers and Staff Development (NIST), and also dispatched around 120 additional school counselors (as of May 31, 2024) to various cities and towns from 22 prefectures. In addition, regarding the placement of additional teachers and other personnel in FY 2024, measures were taken as requested by the affected municipalities.

(2) Consideration for the Affected Students, etc.

1. Financial support

  MEXT urged each prefectural board of education to take a flexible approach when providing financial support for attendance at school, the High School Tuition Support Fund, the High School Supplemental Scholarship Fund, etc., to the affected students^*3 .   Also, to ensure that the affected students do not abandon higher education for financial reasons, the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) accepted applications for benefit-type and loan-type scholarships on an as-needed basis for students whose household finances suddenly changed due to the disaster. It paid disaster relief funds to students whose houses were partially destroyed. MEXT urged universities to inform students and their parents about financial support measures related to studies, including the above measures, and make appropriate arrangements^*4.

*3 “Ensuring the Educational Opportunity for Children and Students in Disaster-Affected Regions by the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake (Notice)” (By Director-General of the Department of Facilities Planning/Administration and Disaster Prevention at the Minister’s Secretariat, Director-General of the Education Policy Bureau, Director-General of the Elementary and Secondary Education Bureau, and Director-General of the Higher Education Bureau, dated January 7, 2024)
*4 “Dissemination of Support Measures for Students, etc. Having Difficulty in Studying due to Financial Reasons (Notice)” (By Director-General of the Education Policy Bureau and Director-General of the Higher Education Bureau, dated January 10, 2024); “Response of Specialized Training Colleges and Miscellaneous Schools to the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake (Notice)” (By Director-General of the Education Policy Bureau, dated January 11, 2024)

2. Accreditation of credits for recognition and job-hunting

  MEXT urged each prefectural board of education to deal flexibly with approval of course completion, etc., at schools where the children and students were enrolled for ensuring that the affected students are not disadvantaged regarding advance to higher education and job-hunting activities, and to consider holding supplementary classes according to the situation of students^*5.   MEXT also urged universities, etc., to take a flexible approach toward accreditation of credits to the affected students and provide further support to students seeking employment* . Furthermore, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare informed the public that a special helpdesk had been set up at the Ishikawa Prefecture new graduate support service Hello Work (Kanazawa City) to provide consultation to students affected by the earthquake, including those whose job-hunting activities were affected or whose employment offers had been canceled.

3. Approach toward the admission process

  The following measures were taken during the admission process for the 2024 academic year to ensure that students affected by the disaster had the opportunity to take the examinations.
  For admissions to junior high schools and high schools for the 2024 academic year, a notice was issued on January 4 to each prefectural board of education to take a flexible approach to ensure that the affected students had the opportunity to take the examinations, such as extending the application deadline, accepting applications after the deadline, simplifying the documents required for application, postponing the examination date, and conducting supplementary examinations, as needed, while considering the situation of the affected students^*7.
  Regarding the Common Test for University Admissions, the National Centre for University Entrance Examinations took special measures to allow applicants who could not take the main examination on January 13 and 14, 2024, due to the earthquake, to take the supplementary examination held on January 27 and 28. The centers for the supplementary examination were originally planned to be set up only in Tokyo and Kyoto, but additional centers were set up in Ishikawa Prefecture (Kanazawa University). In addition, regarding individual entrance examinations at each university , a notice was issued to all national, public and private universities to have each university pay maximum attention to examinees affected by the disaster and take flexible measures according to actual circumstances concerning the application procedure and ensuring that the students have the opportunity to take the examination^*8. A telephone helpline was set up at MEXT in case major problems arise when students apply or appear for individual entrance examinations at each university.

4. Consideration for the mental health of students

  MEXT urged universities to deal appropriately with mental health, such as identifying students suffering from emotional stress due to the disaster and responding meticulously in coordination with local medical institutions, etc., according to the situation^*9.

*5 “Ensuring the Educational Opportunity for Children and Students in Disaster-Affected Regions by the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake (Notice)” (By Director-General of the Department of Facilities Planning/Administration and Disaster Prevention at the Minister’s Secretariat, Director-General of the Education Policy Bureau, Director-General of the Elementary and Secondary Education Bureau, and Director-General of the Higher Education Bureau, dated January 7, 2024); “Response of Specialized Training Colleges and Miscellaneous Schools to the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake (Notice)” (By Director-General of the Education Policy Bureau, dated January 11, 2024)
*6 “Consideration for Students Affected by the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake (Notice)” (By Director-General of the Higher Education Bureau, dated January 10, 2024)
*7 “Ensuring Safety of Students in Disaster-Affected Regions by the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake (Notice)” (By Director-General of the Department of Facilities Planning/Administration and Disaster Prevention at the Minister’s Secretariat, Director-General of the Education Policy Bureau, Director-General of the Elementary and Secondary Education Bureau, and Director-General of the Higher Education Bureau, dated January 4, 2024)
*8 “Approach Toward University Admission Process for the 2024 Academic Year in the Wake of the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake (Notice)” (By Director-General of the Higher Education Bureau, dated January 5, 2024)
*9 “Consideration for Students Affected by the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake (Notice)” (By Director-General of the Higher Education Bureau, dated January 10, 2024); “Response of Specialized Training Colleges and Miscellaneous Schools to the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake (Notice)” (By Director-General of the Education Policy Bureau, dated January 11, 2024)

(3) Support for research institutions, etc.

  MEXT is implementing measures such as extending the application deadline for its competitive funding system for researchers, etc., affected by the disaster. Among biological samples that the BioResource Research Center provided, those rendered unusable due to the earthquake are again free of charge by RIKEN to universities and research institutions located in areas directly hit by the earthquake.

(4) Sports-related support

  Since health hazards of the disaster victims due to lack of exercise and the psychological impact on them due to increased stress, etc., as a result of evacuation are causes of concern, the Japan Sports Agency provides support from the perspective of exercise and sports to ensure that the disaster victims remain healthy.
  The Japan Sports Agency disseminates information on exercises for children and information on how to eliminate lack of exercise and prevent health problems by publishing on its website to facilitate the utilization of that information by disaster victims and by local governments, sports-related organizations, and private companies, etc. providing support to the victims.

(5) Dealing with damage to cultural properties, etc.

  There were 426 reports (as of May 31, 2024) of damage to cultural properties, including the collapse of the stone wall of Kanazawa Castle (Historic Site) and the collapse of many buildings in the Kuroshima District (Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings), including the Former Kadomi Family Residence
  (Important Cultural Property). Intangible cultural properties also suffered massive damage including the damage to factories of “Wajima-Nuri lacquerware” designated as an Important Intangible Cultural Property.
  To assess the damage to these cultural properties, the Agency for Cultural Affairs dispatched Cultural Property Inspectors to Ishikawa, Toyama, and Niigata Prefectures from January 12, 2024.
  On January 9, 2024, a meeting of the Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Management Committee was held, following which the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage launched the cultural property doctor dispatch project and the cultural heritage salvage project to accelerate efforts for quick repairs and restoration of cultural properties in disaster areas.
  In addition, donations were solicited to support the restoration and recovery of the damaged cultural properties through the “Cultural Property Supporters” program launched in March 2024 to encourage donations.
  Furthermore, on January 16, 2024, a helpdesk was set up at the Agency for Cultural Affairs, where corporations and individuals could consult on support and assistance for restoration in the event of damage to cultural facilities and collections. The helpdesk responded to 14 inquiries (as of May 31, 2024) related to the use of the system, donations, etc.

(6) Volunteer activities by students, etc.

  Regarding students who wished to participate in volunteer activities following the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, a notice was issued to all national, public and private universities, specialized training colleges and miscellaneous schools urging them to give consideration to studies of such students, ensure their safety, and provide them with the information^*10.
  In addition, local universities and other institutions took initiatives such as dispatching student volunteers to support evacuated junior high school and high school students in response to a request from the prefectural board of education.

*10 “Volunteer Activities by Students, etc. Following the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake (Notice)” (By Director-General of the Education Policy Bureau, dated January 22, 2024)

(7) Support for disaster response and rebuilding of livelihoods through on-site surveys, information gathering and sharing

  Following the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED) dispatched personnel to the Government’s Local Disaster Response Headquarters from January 1, 2024, as the Information Support Team (ISUT), and provided support to disaster risk management agencies by gathering and sharing various disaster information using the Shared Information Platform for Disaster Management (SIP 4D) developed by NIED.
  Information on roads, electricity, water supply and other infrastructure, information on damage to buildings, etc., and information on shelters, etc., gathered via SIP 4 D was shared with disaster risk management agencies, including government agencies and designated public corporations, and was disseminated to the public through NIED’s specially launched website “bosaiXview: The 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake.” In addition, the observation data and analysis results from the observation network for earthquakes owned and operated by NIED are provided to disaster risk management agencies and utilized for assessment by the Earthquake Research Committee for announcements of Earthquake Early Warnings (EEWs) and seismic intensity by the Japan Meteorological Agency, and for surveys and research by universities and research institutions.
  MEXT provides funding through Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (Grants-in-Aid for Special Purposes) for critical and highly important research topics, such as emergency surveys on suddenly occurring disasters. In FY 2022 and FY 2023, funding was provided for comprehensive surveys on seismic activities occurring in the Noto region and disasters by universities and research institutions. However, with an expanded area of seismic activities in the wake of the earthquake on January 1, 2024, funding was immediately provided for additional surveys, which are underway to elucidate the characteristics of tsunamis and their impact on local economies. Furthermore, the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), collaborating with relevant organizations, including the University of Tokyo, conducted several quick response survey cruises. As for the long-term evaluation of the sea area active fault on the Sea of Japan side, including the Noto region, first, the location and shape of the fault and the scale of earthquakes occurring there will be evaluated, and the evaluation results will be published as soon as possible, to enable local governments to take swift measures for disaster management.

(8) Dissemination of information on the outlook for future seismic activities

  The Earthquake Research Committee of the Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion held six meetings between January and May 2024 to discuss the mechanism of the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake and the future outlook. The Committee published its assessment of the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake as follows.
  - A 7.6-magnitude earthquake occurred at 4:10 p.m. on January 1 at a depth of about 15 km in the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture. The earthquake showed a reverse fault type mechanism with a pressure axis in the northwest-southeast direction and occurred within the earth’s crust^*11.
  - In the epicenter area of the 7.6-magnitude earthquake on January 1, seismic activity has decreased compared to when the earthquake occurred. However, as of May, more than four months after the earthquake, seismic activity remains high compared to before the 7.6-magnitude earthquake^*12.
  - In the four months following the 7.6-magnitude earthquake on January 1, crustal deformations that are thought to be post-seismic were observed, such as horizontal deformations of more than 1 cm in a wide area centered on the Noto Peninsula, covering Toyama, Niigata and Nagano prefectures, including a horizontal deformation of about 3 cm to the northwest at the observation point in Noto and subsidence of about 6 cm in the northern part of the Noto Peninsula at the observation point in Wajima^*12.
  In light of the seismic activities and crustal deformations to date, the series of seismic activities since December 2020 is expected to continue for the foreseeable future, and there is a possibility of earthquakes with strong tremors and tsunamis occurring in and around the area of activity after the 7.6-magnitude earthquake^*12.

*11 Source: Assessment of the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake (Published January 2, 2024, January 15, 2024, and February 9, 2024)
*12 Source: Assessment of Seismic Activities in April 2024 (Published May 13, 2024)

3. Future Actions by MEXT in Light of the Response to the Recent Disaster

  In response to the earthquake, MEXT provided comprehensive support tailored to the requests of the affected municipalities, including the early reopening of schools in the disaster areas and academic and mental support for children living in shelters. However, it is important to continue providing support tailored to the disaster areas’ needs, as some hard-hit schools are renting rooms at other schools, even after the start of the new academic year in April 2024. In addition, referring to the support provided for the dispatch of teachers and other personnel at the request of the affected municipalities and voluntary efforts by other prefectures and NPOs, and reflecting on the response to the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, which has continued as of May 2024, MEXT is promptly considering as to what form of measures would be desirable for readiness against future large-scale disasters and for continued support from the occurrence of a disaster to the reopening of schools.

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