Noto- Lighting a Torch for the Future - Journeys in Japan

Hi, I'm Kyle Card, and today I'm in the northern region of the Noto Peninsula. It's an area that suffered horrible damage due to an earthquake that occurred here two years ago. The quake resulted in many deaths and left even more crushed by grief. But now, slowly but surely, they are starting to rise up from the disaster and move towards a new future. For our journey this time, we are going to visit two towns that suffered particularly heavy damage. Kyle Card will be visiting Wajima, a city renowned for its long tradition of lacquerware known as Wajima Nuri. He'll also travel to the city of Suzu on the far tip of the Noto Peninsula. It is a massive gate. On this edition of Journeys in Japan, Kyle meets with the people of Noto who are rebuilding their lives following the massive earthquake two years ago. I've just arrived in Wajima. Let's take a look around. Wajima lies in the northwest of the Noto Peninsula. In the old days, it thrived as a major port and as a hub for maritime trade along the Sea of Japan. The city has a population of about 20,000. The quake that hit the peninsula on January 1st, 2024 has left more than 200 people dead and caused extensive damage to at least 10,000 buildings. I'd like to visit what is considered one of the historical centers of the community, the morning market, to see how they fared after the disaster. There has been a morning market in Wajima for over a thousand years. Until the quake, it comprised about 200 market stalls set up along a street that stretches for 360 meters. This area once served as the site of the Wajima morning market, but as you can see, there are no longer any buildings, just empty lots. That's because shortly after the earthquake, a massive fire engulfed the area and the majority of the buildings were lost or so heavily damaged they had to be torn down. The stalls from the morning market have now found a temporary home in a corner of a shopping mall in the city. So this is the new location of the morning market, which is very interesting because we are currently inside a shopping mall, which is something I haven't come across before. It's a dried octopus, and it's completely flat, pressed flat dried octopus, wow. All right, here's some of that dried anago. Oh, looks like some pottery. Very cool. Wow. Although the market has managed to stay alive, only 38 of the stalls have reopened at this temporary location. However, the aim is for everyone to return to the original site on morning market street. So I've just experienced It's the morning market culture here in Wajima, but speaking of culture, there is a historical traditional art form called Wajima-nuri, and we're going to go check that out now. The city's famous Wajima-nuri lacquerware has been produced here for about 400 years. At once both beautiful and sturdy, this lacquerware is one of the pinnacles of Japanese traditional craftsmanship. That is beautiful. Wow, it's a gem. It's a giant globe, and judging by its luster, it's safe to say it's Wajima-nuri. Just looks like a gleaming black pearl. Seems like they've used gold leaf to showcase the concentration of civilization around the globe. It also has a three-dimensional quality to it. It's really beautiful. Oh, there's Japan. Konnichiwa. Yokoso irasshaimashita. Konnichiwa. This is a diagram of the night on the planet Earth taken from the satellite. In order to convey the current technology of Wajima-nuri to the public, a group of technologists called the Wajima-nuri Technology Conservation Society spent five years to create this Wajima-nuri globe. Five years? Yes. Wow. By the way, was this okay during the earthquake? The Wajima city and this museum were also damaged. But this globe is really well-made, and it's very fortunate that it's still intact. The people in the area really love this work. Some people say that this is a work that symbolizes Wajima's future recovery. I see. These days, there are more than 500 people involved in Wajima's lacquerware industry. Kyle has come to visit a workshop that traces its roots back to 1813. This is a lacquerware workshop. This is so cool. It's almost hypnotic. This is a temporary workshop. This was a factory until recently. But the building was badly damaged by the earthquake, so it was demolished. Now it looks like this. So it was destroyed during the quake. Yes. All the windows fell off, as well as the tools and materials. So a lot of things were lost. I think more than half of them were lost. Currently, there are nine artisans based here. Even though this is a temporary location, they all remain deeply focused on their work. It's very difficult to maintain the environment here. So I think the previous workshop was better. Also, this place is quite small. So I try to make use of various materials. Wajima Nuri uses a traditional division of labor system, with specialized artisans for each step of the process. Despite the constraints of this setting, the artisans all work in harmony, maintaining the same level of quality as ever. During an earthquake, we can't move, and we have to go fetch water. It's very difficult not to be able to work. If I don't finish my work, I feel depressed. But I still want to work. I love my job. Wajima Nuri is made with the help of specialized artisans for each step of the process. It's like a relay race. Among all the artisans here, no one survived the earthquake. That's the best part. If we work together, we can rise again. The hardships after the earthquake and the strong determination to carry these skills into the future deeply moved me. I'll be visiting a temple that has a close connection to Wajima Lockerware. This is Soji-ji Sowing Temple. Let's take a look inside. You can just feel the history. At the size of these halls, absolutely massive. But as you can see, there's still some damage left over from the quake. It hasn't been fully repaired yet. Soji-ji Sowing was established in 1321. Until the end of the 18th century, it flourished as one of the head temples of the Sōtō school of Zen Buddhism. In 2024, 16 buildings in the temple precincts were designated as National Important Cultural Properties in recognition of their historical value. This has given an important boost to the community's efforts to rebuild. This is overwhelming in its magnificence. There's a big altar in the back. The altar was made of wood. It's 20 centimeters in front. I think it's more than 10 tons. Of course, you can't bring it back. Did the Zen practitioners also suffer damage like this? This temple has a history of more than 700 years. It was hit by a fire three times. That's right. Even if it was hit by a fire, most of the buildings would have been destroyed. I think that's where everyone came together and managed to rebuild it. It's a building that we have to protect. We have to pass it on to the next generation. Can I ask you one thing? What is the relationship between Wajima-no-ri and here? There's a connection that can't be cut off. Most of the items used in the temple are made of Wajima-no-ri. Like apples. Wajima-no-ri is also made of apples. Besides the altar fittings, Wajima-no-ri lacquerware is also used as the monks' everyday tableware. Is this Urushi? Yes, it's Urushi. I just love the gleam on this. It's a beautiful onyx. Before entering the Meiji era, the monks of this temple had a certain period of time when they had to leave the temple. The monks of this temple came from the temples that were related to the monks of the Meiji era. They met Wajima-no-ri and thought it was wonderful. Wajima-no-ri became popular, so they returned to Japan in search of Wajima-no-ri. When they met Wajima-no-ri, they thought it was cool. Yes, just like Mr. Kaeru. When they touched it, they thought it was cool and wanted it. Soji-ji Soen was a meeting place for priests from all over Japan. And thanks to this, Wajima-no-ri spread across the country. Along with the lacquerware, the priests carried the spirit of Zen throughout Japan. As I watch the people of Wajima walk their path toward recovery, I felt a strong sense of hope for the future in the way they continue to rise and move forward. Next, I'll ride a bus from Wajima and head to Suzu City, which is located at the very tip of the Noto Peninsula. The city of Suzu also suffered considerable damage in the earthquake. Behind me is one of Suzu City's renowned scenic sights, Mitsukejima, which was unfortunately damaged by the earthquake, resulting in much of its surface and sides to crumble and fall into the ocean, leaving it in the state it is now. Regardless, it still remains as a majestic and powerful symbol. Next up, I'm going to explore some brand new beautiful scenery created by the disaster itself. This is so cool. It is said that Hodo, a great sage from India, underwent ascetic practices in this cave some 1300 years ago. In recent years, the cave has been renovated for safety and it reopened to the public in 2015. Oh, so that phenomenon won't happen again. Oh, I see. This is truly incredible to behold. I've never come across fossils just existing in nature like this before. Wow. The earth is amazing, that's all I can say. After witnessing the overwhelming natural scenery that showcases the power of the earth, next up, I'm going to visit a place where I can feel the warmth of living things and the power of life itself. Ah, there's a horse being elegantly trained in the corral behind me here. Let's go take a closer look. The horses look in their elements, out and about, peaceful, enjoying their time with each other and, of course, eating hay and other grasses. This park for retired thoroughbreds opened in 2023. It's a place where visitors can come to interact with the animals and even ride them. It was set up by Sumi Katsuhiko, a former trainer with numerous winners to his name. After he retired in 2021, he opened this ranch as a sanctuary for former racehorses. This photo shows a woman who came to visit the horse park last year. She still lives here and still living in temporary housing. Thank you. He touched me. He's so cute. The horses have an excellent ability to get along with people who are hurt or suffering. There are a lot of people from the quake. The horses themselves heal the people in the area. That's what this woman is trying to do. It's horse magic. That's right. There are about 20 years of horses left. I want to find a way where people can get along with each other without riding horses. I want to find a place where people can get along with each other. The great quake that devastated the Noto Peninsula left irreparable scars both physical and emotional. Even more heart-wrenching is its people being forced to decide what to take forward and what to leave behind. But in this process also lies renewal. To take what's been learned, to determine what's most important, evolve it, and carry that forward for the next generations. All the while focusing on the current moment, one step at a time. Even though the path ahead is long and difficult, grace undoubtedly lies at its end. To reach Wajima from Tokyo's Haneda Airport, flights take about an hour to Noto Satoyama Airport. From there, it's about 30 minutes by bus to Wajima, or 50 minutes to Suzu.