Structural collapse, Wajima city centre

NOW Institute Project

Noto Now

能登半島の復興へ

An architecture and urban recovery framework for the Noto Peninsula — rebuilding through craft heritage, community memory, and structural resilience.

About the Project ·

About Us

私たちについて

Noto Now is a project of the NOW Institute, developed in partnership with the City of Wajima, the USC School of Architecture, Rise-Kyoto, Nippon Design Center USA, and the University of Hiroshima.

The project guides the city's recovery through an urban framework that restores spatial hierarchies, honors the craft district, and introduces structural performance where the old fabric was most vulnerable.

Traditional joinery, Wajima townhouse
出来事 · Event 被害の記録 · January 1, 2024 · Noto Peninsula

Disasters · 災害

On January 1, 2024, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula.

2024年1月1日、能登半島でマグニチュード7.6の地震が発生した。

The earthquake caused approximately 489 deaths, over 1,400 injuries, and damage to more than 204,000 structures. The earthquake unleashed a cascade of secondary disasters — ground upheaval that left fishing ports high and dry, coastal extension of up to 250 meters, tsunamis along the Sea of Japan coast, nearly 1,000 landslides in the first month, and fires that destroyed Wajima's Asaichi morning market, a living institution for over 1,000 years.

7.6
Magnitude
84,000+
Structures damaged
200+
Buildings burned
240+
Lives lost
Structural collapse and debris
Earthquake
Fire damage across Wajima's morning market district
Fire
Landslides
Landslides
Empty streets
Flooding
Roads collapse
roads collapse

Heritage-Driven Recovery ·

Cultural Economic Engines

文化が生む経済

Noto is an undervalued destination known for world-class food, UNESCO-recognized Wajima-nuri lacquerware, and standout sights like the Shiroyone Senmaida rice terraces and the Kiriko Festival — a rich blend of nature, tradition, and artistry.

post-disaster urban strategies ·

Urban Strategies for Wajima

輪島のための都市戦略

River flows past a city with cherry blossoms
01

Flood Control

Develop upstream to mitigate flooding from the mountains and create urban farms as sponge parks. Additionally, the creation of a diversionary pond 'network' will support recreational floating villages and resorts.

Ruined building by a river with people walking
02

Earthquake & Fire Response

The plan overlays a 500m firebreak grid onto inner and outer evacuation rings, anchored north-east-south-west by four community/cultural programs that double as emergency shelters.

Woman prepares traditional tea in a serene setting
03

Cultural Route

Oku-Noto's cultural engines — Wajima-nuri, woodworking, Kiriko festivals, and culinary treasures like seafood and Wagyu beef — anchor a proposed cultural route. Starting at the new Wajima Train Station, it branches outward to maximize exposure to local rituals and artifacts.

new activation initiative ·

Architectural Speculations

建築の構想

Flood Control Villages
01

Flood Control Villages

Mitigate mudslides by tier and dampen successive stages of river flow to the sea by creating diversionary ponds and lakes to slow the speed of the water. Leverage these lakes as resort towns for the tourist economy.

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Field Documentation ·

Site Images

現場写真

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Suzu Riverbank
Suzu Riverbank
Suzu River
Suzu River
Suzu River and bridge
Suzu River & Bridge
Suzu River delta pavilion
River Delta Pavilion