A manhole lifted by the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake remains near Ukai Port in Ishikawa Prefecture in November.
Photographer: Erica Yokoyama/BloombergSinkholes and Quake-Hit Roads Expose Japan’s Infrastructure Emergency
Depopulation and shrinking tax revenues are making it harder for the country to maintain basic lifelines or rebuild after disasters.
Masahiro Ogata, a local welfare officer, drives 2 kilometers most days to get to a community center in Suzu city where he works and socializes, though it sits just 250 meters from his front door. The 66-year-old has been forced to take the lengthy detour after an earthquake on New Year’s Day in 2024 destroyed a key bridge.
“I never imagined this bridge would collapse,” said Ogata, who has lived in Suzu, which once prospered on fishing, pottery, and salt, for nearly 60 years. “The detour has no traffic lights, and the route is tough to navigate.”