Following last year’s Noto Peninsula earthquake on Jan. 1, Ishikawa Gov. Hiroshi Hase urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel to the affected areas right after the disaster, which resulted in a delayed initial response from volunteers.
But although volunteers often face criticism on social media, with some accusing them of being a “burden” to victims, Kobe University Professor Emeritus Yoshiteru Murosaki, an expert in disaster management, argues that volunteers are essential from the very moment a disaster strikes.
Murosaki arrived at the hard-hit areas of the city of Nanao and others on Jan. 6, soon after the disaster struck, and delivered supplies like water and diapers to evacuation centers while conducting inspections.