[Monthly Report] March 2024 | 2024.04.08
We would like to report on our activities in March 2024.
1. What we did this month
We inspected Masanori Koyama's work "Bottle Ship" which we had not been able to check in January - February due to bad road conditions, and Kozue Hibino's work "Suzu-zuka" which we had refrained from checking because it was used as an evacuation center. We provided temporary repair for "Bright House" a work by Kayako Nakashima and reinforced its structure by installing braces in the pillars. We expanded stay spaces in preparation for activities after April.
We coordinated the visit of the Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives), which has offered to support the reconstruction of Suzu City.
2. Activity report
■Cleaning and reinforcing Kayako Nakashima’s work “Bright House”
On 12 and 13 March, 2024, Kayako Nakashima, sculptor Umi Iwase, and Art Front Gallery staff cleaned up and reinforced the house of the Kayako Nakashima’s work under the guidance of architect Kazuo Watanabe, who had been involved in the "Niigata-Chuetsu Earthquake” support activities. To prevent the buildings from collapsing due to aftershocks or other causes,we put down concrete panels on the walls of the building, and placed fascias between columns. we lined the walls of the building with concrete and placed braces between the pillars.
Building reinforcement of Kayako Nakashima's work
■Inspection of "Bottle Ship" by Masanori Koyama and "Suzuzuka" by Kodue Hibino
On March 14, as the snow melted and road conditions improved, we inspected the works by Masanori Koyama. No major damage was found to the work itself, but a landslide caused a large crack at the site of the work, exposing the foundation supporting the work to the ground surface. In April, artist Masanori Koyama plans to provide temporary repair for the water channel that draws water to the work and other areas.
On March 27, the Hibino artwork was inspected. Since evacuees are still living at the site of the artwork, we did not enter the building, but inspected mainly its exterior. The entrance to the school yard was damaged.
"Bottle Ship" by Masanori Koyama
The entrance to the school yard was damaged
■Visit to Otani Evacuation Center
On March 9, Fram Kitagawa, representative of Yasser Project, visited the Suzu Theatre Museum and an evacuation center in the Otani area to discuss future activities with the residents.
■Coordination of Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives)
We coordinated a meeting between the delegation of Keizai Doyukai, including Mr. Kohei Takashima, Vice President, and Mr. Sadahiko Okano, Representative Director, and the Mayor of Suzu City to exchange views. We also coordinated an inspection tour of the city of Suzu for the delegation. They are seeking to support the reconstruction of Suzu City through a corporate version of Furusato tax payment.
■Publicity
On March 13, Fram Kitagawa appeared on NHK radio program "My Asa!” to report on the current status of the Oku-Noto Suzu Yassa Project.
On March 18, Fram Kitagawa gave a report on the current status of Oku-Noto Suzu Yassa Project at Fram Kitagawa’s seminar.
On March 18, Art Front Gallery staff reported on the current status of Oku-Noto Suzu Yassa Project on "Diversity News" by luckyFM Ibaraki.
■Grants
We have applied for and been selected for the "GBFund 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake" sponsored by the Japan Corporate Mecenat Foundation. As a result, donors to the Yassa Project can receive a certain amount of tax deductions.
We also applied for the second edition of "Emergency Grant for the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake (Contemporary Art and Traditional Crafts)" of Ogasawara Toshimasa Foundation and received an informal offer of the grant.
3. Actions of Artists
The followings are activities of the artists participating in Oku-Noto Triennale.
■Michiko Nakatani "sukuu,sukuu,sukuu2024".
Michiko Nakatani is exhibiting a part of the work "sukuu, sukuu, sukuu, " which was presented at "Oku-Noto Triennale 2020+," for "BankART Life 7 Urban Nesting 2024," which started on March 15 at Yokohama Minato Mirai. The proceeds from the sale of artwork will be donated to the City of Suzu as a Noto Peninsula earthquake relief fund. https://www.michikonakatani.com/
■"Curtain Project" by Tomoko Konoike
Tomoko Konoike is working on a project to create curtains to be installed in temporary housing facilities designed by architect Shigeru Ban. The curtains will be sewn using fabric and rags, and embroidered or appliquéd with designs from Konoike's works. She is looking for various people to participate in the project, such as sewers, fabric donors, and people who want to sew embroidery.
3. The Situation of Suzu
There are about 40 evacuation centers in the city, and about 1,000 people are still living in shelters. As the house survey progresses, more than 30% of the total number of houses, or approximately 5,000 (including uninhabited houses), have been determined to be totally destroyed. Construction of about 1,000 temporary housing units has begun, and about 200 units have already been completed and occupied.
Roads in Suzu City are being restored, although some are still closed. National and prefectural roads have been closed from a maximum of 31 locations on 9 routes (as of January 6) to 7 locations on 4 routes. The entire length of the Noto-Satoyama-kaido Highway from Kanazawa to Wajima was opened to traffic on March 15. On the other hand, the road from Wajima to Kanazawa is closed from the Noto-Satoyama Airport Interchange to the Tokuda-Otsu Interchange.
Temporary water pipes from the Horyu Water Filtration Plant have been installed, and water has been supplied to City Hall, the City General Hospital, Ueto Elementary School, Iida Elementary School, Midorigaoka Junior High School, and their surrounding areas since March 10. Most households continue to have water outages due to leaks in buildings, but the area will be expanded gradually as leakage surveys are conducted.
As for the sewerage system, emergency repairs are being made to manholes, main pipes, fittings, and other water supply facilities, but the Water Purification Center continues to be shut down, and it is difficult to foresee the restoration of the system.
As for meals, the Self-Defense Forces' soup kitchen, which had been operating since January 6, ended on March 23, and restaurants in the city have begun preparing and delivering boxed lunches.
The Council of Social Welfare started accepting volunteers on February 3, and as of the end of March, a total of approximately 6,000 volunteers had been accepted. An accommodation base for volunteers has been set up at the Hachigasaki Auto Campground, which can accommodate up to 50 people.
Suzu City Disaster Volunteer Center https://www.facebook.com/suzusyakyo/?ref=embed_page
Volunteer Camp Suzu https://www.facebook.com/volunteercampsuzu/
4. About activities in April
In the Otani area, which is inaccessible even within the city of Suzu, less than 50 people are still living in three evacuation centers. In addition, there are few volunteers and other activities, and cleanup and other tasks seem to have been delayed.
In April, we plan to go to the evacuation center in Otani on a regular basis to clean up debris. Although water and electricity have not yet been restored, we will increase the number of people working in the area as we have established a base of stay.