Local residents voiced mixed feelings on Monday, the three-month anniversary of the massive Noto Peninsula earthquake that hit central Japan on Jan. 1.
In Ishikawa Prefecture, which was hit hard by the disaster, some businesses have reopened with the help of officials dispatched from local governments elsewhere in the country. But many collapsed houses remain untouched, and the streets are quiet.
On Monday, the city of Wajima started accepting applications for the demolition of damaged houses. Among the day's visitors to the city office was Shiro Imadera, 70, who evacuated to Ishikawa's capital of Kanazawa after the earthquake.