[ZESDA Communication Special Issue] There is Still Much to Do—The Future We Walk With Noto and Shunran no Sato
NPO ZESDA visited the Oku-Noto region in Ishikawa Prefecture, evaluating the recovery of Hiramiyuki Farm (a blueberry farm) following the Noto Peninsula Earthquake and identifying ongoing challenges.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 6, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 6, 2026 at 11:30
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 21, 2026 at 01:17 (349h 47m after Collected)
Non-profit organization ZESDA (Representative Director: Daisuke Sakuraba, Location: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, hereinafter ZESDA) has been engaged in recovery and reconstruction support for the Oku-Noto region, including Shunran no Sato in Noto Town, Ishikawa Prefecture, which suffered devastating damage in the Noto Peninsula Earthquake. Recently, volunteer ZESDA staff visited the Oku-Noto region in Ishikawa Prefecture for an overnight trip on March 20-21 to hear about the current challenges and necessary support more than two years after the disaster. We are reporting the details as a special issue of ZESDA Communication.
On March 20, the Noto mountains spreading outside the airplane window just before landing at Noto Airport clearly showed scratch-like scars from landslides.
## Ground Fissures and Landslides... Scars Remain on the Blueberry Farm Even After Two Years
[Caption: Landslide approaching the blueberry farm]
About a 30-minute drive from the airport, Miyuki Hira, representative of "Hiramiyuki Farm," a blueberry farm in Yanagida, Noto Town, guided us through her disaster-stricken blueberry farm. The relationship between Miyuki Hira and ZESDA started with Recruit Co., Ltd.'s student fieldwork program conducted in 2020. Since then, we have collaborated continuously, supporting the planning and introduction of food trucks and running a crowdfunding campaign after the earthquake. Because the harvest season for the blueberry farm is summer, the trees stand in neat rows without leaves right now. The farm still bears vivid scars from the earthquake, such as ground fissures and cliff collapses. Due to the collapse of part of the field, saplings have been replanted in new areas as the farm undergoes redevelopment. Because of the earthquake, cliffs collapsed, changing the shape of the forest and altering wind patterns, which causes nets to blow away, thus increasing the burden of maintenance and management.
About 60% of the harvested blueberries are shipped fresh, and the remaining sub-standard products are processed into items like jam. We also toured the processing facility, tasting freshly made jam, prototype sweets, and sampling the new product, blueberry stem tea.
### History of Collaboration between Miyuki Hira and ZESDA
- Recruit Co., Ltd. selected Noto Town for a student fieldwork program.
- Noto Peninsula Earthquake: A devastated blueberry farm launches crowdfunding for recovery.
- [ZESDA Communication Vol.16 (Feb 2024 Issue)] Thank you for your support. "Hiramiyuki Farm" crowdfunding reached its goal! A new project for "Notokko," which grows shiitake mushrooms on fungal beds, has also started.
## As a Base for Attracting Visitors to Oku-Noto
On March 20, the Noto mountains spreading outside the airplane window just before landing at Noto Airport clearly showed scratch-like scars from landslides.
## Ground Fissures and Landslides... Scars Remain on the Blueberry Farm Even After Two Years
[Caption: Landslide approaching the blueberry farm]
About a 30-minute drive from the airport, Miyuki Hira, representative of "Hiramiyuki Farm," a blueberry farm in Yanagida, Noto Town, guided us through her disaster-stricken blueberry farm. The relationship between Miyuki Hira and ZESDA started with Recruit Co., Ltd.'s student fieldwork program conducted in 2020. Since then, we have collaborated continuously, supporting the planning and introduction of food trucks and running a crowdfunding campaign after the earthquake. Because the harvest season for the blueberry farm is summer, the trees stand in neat rows without leaves right now. The farm still bears vivid scars from the earthquake, such as ground fissures and cliff collapses. Due to the collapse of part of the field, saplings have been replanted in new areas as the farm undergoes redevelopment. Because of the earthquake, cliffs collapsed, changing the shape of the forest and altering wind patterns, which causes nets to blow away, thus increasing the burden of maintenance and management.
About 60% of the harvested blueberries are shipped fresh, and the remaining sub-standard products are processed into items like jam. We also toured the processing facility, tasting freshly made jam, prototype sweets, and sampling the new product, blueberry stem tea.
### History of Collaboration between Miyuki Hira and ZESDA
- Recruit Co., Ltd. selected Noto Town for a student fieldwork program.
- Noto Peninsula Earthquake: A devastated blueberry farm launches crowdfunding for recovery.
- [ZESDA Communication Vol.16 (Feb 2024 Issue)] Thank you for your support. "Hiramiyuki Farm" crowdfunding reached its goal! A new project for "Notokko," which grows shiitake mushrooms on fungal beds, has also started.
## As a Base for Attracting Visitors to Oku-Noto