A hot summer day in Shibuya: August 6, 2025

 

Japan has been in an extroadinary strong heat wave for the past few days. A record-high temperature of 41.8 degrees Celsius was recorded yesterday (on August 5) in Isesaki City, Gunma Prefecture.

Today, a temperature of 41.4 degrees was recorded in Shizuoka City. In Tokyo, temperatures reached 37 degrees, exceeding body temperature.

Fewer people were out than usual, and many were using parasols.

At Shibuya's famous scramble crossing, many people were opening their parasols in white, pink and many other colors.

The buildings of Shibuya Station are currently under reconstruction. I found many construction cranes in the redevelopment sites.

Redevelopment projects are also underway at stations including Shinjuku in Tokyo.

Humans are not the only ones affected by the heat. Near an Odakyu Line station in Setagaya City, pigeons were hunkering down in the shade, trying to withstand the heat.

August 6 marks the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bombing. A memorial ceremony was held in the area.

Last year, I visited the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima. Today, in Tokyo, I quietly put my hands together in prayer.

Nihonbashi: July 16, 2025

 

I walked in and around the Nihonbashi area today.

Nihonbashi was originally the name of a bridge, and was the starting point of five major roads (kaido) in the Edo period.

I also started here when I walked the kaido (Tokaido, Nakasendo, Koshu Kaido, Nikko Kaido, Oshu Kaido) since 2010. I started walking the Tokaido in September 2010, and have visited this area frequently since then.

 

Currently, redevelopment projects are underway in this area, and the scenery is changing rapidly.

In the southeast block of Nihonbashi, redevelopment is underway, centering on a 284-meter-high building. It is scheduled to be completed in 2026.

 

There are also several large-scale redevelopment projects underway near Tokyo Station on the west side of Nihonbashi.

 

The highways runs over Nihonbashi now. However, there are plans to move the expressways underground and remove the aboveground sections around 2040.

 

Kabutocho, on the east side of Nihonbashi, has been the center of Japan's securities business since the Meiji period. It is home to the Tokyo Stock Exchange and dozens of securities companies.

 

However, the number of securities company offices has decreased compared to the past due to the shift to online trading and the mergers of securities companies.

 

There are also many foreign tourists in the Nihonbashi area, and tourist buses for foreigners are noticeable.

Coincidentally, on this same day (July 16th), the Japan National Tourism Organization announced tourism statistics. The number of tourists visiting Japan from January to June 2025 is up 7.6% from the previous year, exceeding 20 million for the first time. This will be a pace of 40 million people per year.

 

Noto, Wajima : June 15, 2025

 

 

The Noto Peninsula region was severely hit by a large-scale earthquake in January 2024. A seismic intensity of 7 was recorded in Wajima City and other areas. More than 100,000 houses were damaged throughout Ishikawa Prefecture, of which 25,000 were completely or half destroyed. The death toll was more than 500 people throughout the Prefecture. 

Roads were cut off, and infrastructure such as electricity and water supply suffered severe damage.

In addition, a typhoon caused heavy rain damage in the region in September 2024.

A year and a half have passed since the earthquake, and each area of Noto is making efforts for the recovery. However, the damages of the disaster still remain.

 I today visited Wajima City, one of the disaster-hit areas. I had originally planned to do some volunteer works, but I only visited there this time as the arrangement was cancelled.

Wajima City is located in the northwest of the Noto Peninsula. It has a population of about 20,000. It took about three hours by express bus from Kanazawa to Wajima.

Wajima was famous for its morning market in the city center. More than 200 stores were lined up along the 360-meter-long Asaichi Street. They sold seafood, vegetables, souvenirs, and other items. It was crowded with tourists.

However, a fire broke out during the earthquake, and all the stores in the area were burned down.

 

The site is now a vacant land. Some of the stores have started operation in other places, and the morning market association is aiming to reopen the market in its original place. However, no specific plans have been decided yet. (See also the 5th photo from the top)

 

The earthquake caused the land in the Wajima area to rise, by several meters in some places. The foundation of the Iroha Bridge, close to Asaichi Street, has become uneven, making it impassable. (See the top photo) 

The banks of the Kawarada River, which runs through the city center, were also damaged in various places and are still not repaired.

 

Wajima Port was temporarily unable to be used after the earthquake due to the rise of the ground. Cranes for dredging and other works are still standing there. (See also the 4th photo)

 

There are still many houses in the city that have tilted and are no longer habitable. (See also the 3rd photo)

 

I also saw demolition works of houses in various places.

 

Daily life seems to be gradually returning to normal. There were not many people in the town, but shops and restaurants were open, and I saw people doing yard work.

 

Cram schools have reopened. I found entrance exam information attached to the windows of a school.

 

I saw a church that had reopened using a container.

 

Temporary houses were still used in various places in the city. The houses were used not only by local people who had lost their homes, but also by those who were visiting Wajima for construction works. (See also the 7th photo)

 

Wajima is famous for its lacquerware, Wajima-nuri. Many Wajima-nuri workshops were lost in the earthquake. Temporary workshops have been set up in various places in the city.

 

Volunteers are essential for recovery. According to Ishikawa Prefecture, the number of volunteers who gathered in the disaster area has already reached 140,000. The support they provide is varied, including disposing earthquake waste, helping with farmland recovery, farm works, and providing soup kitchens.

 

I met many volunteers in the city. Temporary housing for volunteers and tents for storing materials were set up in the grounds and parking lot of Juzo Shrine, close to Asaichi Street.  On the day, volunteers came from Hiroshima Prefecture and elsewhere. (See also the 2nd photo)

 

A little further away, I met volunteers from Shizuoka Prefecture. They said they had planned an event that the local people could enjoy.

 

Wajima once had a railway line, but it was abolished in 2001. The railway station has now become a roadside station or Michi-no-eki, and serves as a departure and arrival point for long-distance buses.

 

The former platform remains as it was.

The roadside station sells Wajima's specialties and souvenirs. I bought some Wajima wakame seaweed.

 

On the way from Kanazawa to Wajima, I saw vestiges of the damage in various places. Near Noto Satoyama Airport, I saw traces of a landslide in the mountain along the road. (See the 5th photo)

Driftwood that had been washed down from the mountains still remained in the Kawarada River that flows into Wajima.

 

Along the road, I found many boards with slogans wishing for the reconstruction of Noto.

 

Kanazawa; June 14, 2025

 

I stopped in Kanazawa as a base for visiting the Noto Peninsula region, which was hit hard by the earthquake last year. Kanazawa is the prefectural capital of Ishikawa Prefecture. During the Edo period, the Maeda clan, Japan's largest feudal lord aside from the Tokugawa Shogunate, settled here, and culture flourished in the region.

 

It's been nearly 10 years since I last visited here in 2016. The cityscape has not changed much. However, I found some differences from my last visit. Foreign tourists were more noticeable. I also found slogans praying for the recovery of the Noto Peninsula from the earthquake posted in various places.

 

The site of Kanazawa Castle is now a park. Some buildings have been restored. The park conveys the atmosphere of the Edo era. There were also many foreign groups, and the guide gave a detailed explanation. (See the top photo)

 

Stone walls, fences, gates, and gardens were also impressive.

 

Kenrokuen Garden, adjacent to the park, is famous as one of the three most representative gardens in Japan. There are old trees remaining and the pond is beautiful. (See also the 2nd photo)

 

In the area west of the Kanazawa Castle ruins, samurai residences of the Edo period remain. Irrigation channels run through the city, and water flows abundantly.

 

Omimachi Market, about 10 minute walk from JR Kanazawa Station, is a marketplace filled with seafood and vegetable shops. It was crowded with locals as well as foreign and domestic tourists.

 

Kanazawa is famous for its traditional crafts, such as textiles, dyeing, and arts and crafts, and there are many shops and museums. In addition, the city is also enthusiastic about cultivating and promoting modern art. The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, located near Kenrokuen, opened in 2004 with the concept of "an art museum like a park open to the town."

 

Sumo is popular in Ishikawa Prefecture. In the May tournament, Onosato, who is from the prefecture, won the championship and was promoted to Yokozuna. At the tourist information center at JR Kanazawa Station (the 3rd photo), there were photos of four wrestlers from Ishikawa Prefecture, including Onosato.