Earthquake-Affected Areas in Japan’s Noto Region See Continued Outflow in Child-Rearing, Working Population

WAJIMA, Ishikawa — The population continues to decline in areas affected by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake. More than 10% of the population, or about 7,300 people, has decreased from the pre-quake levels in the Oku-Noto region, which consists of the four municipalities of Wajima, Suzu, Noto and Anamizu in Ishikawa Prefecture, which suffered extensive damage. The number of those in their 40s and younger has dropped by nearly 20%, twice the rate of those 50 and older, due to poorer child-rearing environments and fewer job opportunities.