The recent New Year’s earthquake in Japan destroyed wooden buildings and houses throughout the Japanese peninsula of Noto, but a small fishing village remained standing thanks to its traditional architecture. The only problem they had was that some tiles came loose, but none of the 100 structures in Akasaki, on the west coast of the peninsula.
The magnitude of the earthquake was 7.5the epicenter was located a few kilometers from this town.
The day after the earthquake in Japan
After the earthquake, Masaki Sato He drove all night from his home 300 km away in Tokyo to check out the 85-year-old house he has owned since 2017 and which operates as a summer hostel.
“The home is on a tvery narrow terrain and the building has many small rooms, with many columns” that strengthen it, he explained to AFP the 43-year-old man.
The construction of these houses in Japan
For withstand heavy rain, snow and sea winds of the Sea of Japan, Sato’s house and most of the others in Akasaki have few glass windows. Its exterior walls are made of solid sheets of wood placed horizontally. The structure is supported by thick posts that cross the roof.
Not even the tsunami waves caused by the earthquake reached the houses, built in slightly elevated terrain with respect to the concrete docks and breakwater breakwaters that protect them from the sea.
The earthquake and its aftershocks regarding people
The earthquake and its several aftershocks left 165 dead, 565 injured and 323 missingThe authorities indicated this Monday.
But No victims were recorded in this community.
The declaration of a citizen
In Sato’s house, the floor was covered in Broken ceramic china, fallen appliances, and a broken wooden sliding doorBut nothing more.
“I felt happy because the town was standing”said Sato.
“I think it’s thanks to the design of the houses,” addedsitting on the dusty but still solid countertop of his guesthouse.
The same was observed around the village, where “the design of the houses is more or less the same”said retired fisherman Seiya Shinagawa, a resident of the area. “Traditionally they have a shed on the coast that protects from the wind, with a narrow main house behind,” the 78-year-old added.
The fishing system used in this town in Japan
That system is a remnant of the days when each fisherman launched his boats into the sea directly from his sheds, Shinagawa indicated.
Since the years 1920, The fishermen of the community opted for adeep sea fishing, more lucrative and far from their homes. But when a fire broke out that destroyed much of the village in the late 1930s, people rebuilt the houses with a more solid, unified design.
Despite its resilient character, the village faces a common problem in Japan: the aging of its population. Most Akasaki residents is over 65 years old, including Akiyo Wakasa, 74 years old.
“My neighbor and his neighbor also live alone,” said the old woman. According to Wakasa, part of the problem is that “repairing houses costs money.”
“I’m not sure how many people here really think it’s worth it.” repair the house and continue living here when they have no one to leave it to,” he explained. For Sato, an employee at a computer firm, it is unbearable to see Akasaki’s slow decline.
What happens when the inhabitants die in the town
Area It is not recognized by the government as a cultural assetbut it is a place where people lead a simple and traditional life.
And when There is no one who lives in a house, they demolish it, which erodes the charm of the town, according to Sato. “Akasaki, which has preserved a unique and uniform house design (…) is losing its picturesque appearance.”
For rescue Akasaki’s special appearanceSato bought five of the houses and sheds, and plans to open cafes and restaurants there.
“This village is too precious to lose”he claimed.
Source: Ambito
