Suzu Japan Earthquake Relief Fund

Nami Kroska is organizing this fundraiser.

Donation protected

8/5/2024

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for all of your support for Suzu!

I was able to meet Mr. Izumitani, Mayor of Suzu on August 5th! I gave the donation money (Gofundme) , total amount of ￥500,000 to him. He was so surprised and grateful to those who contributed their money to Suzu.

He promised me that he will use the money to help the people in Suzu.

Again, thank you so much for your support!!

"Never Give UP, Suzu!"

6/19/2024

Hello,

I have lowered my donation goal to $5,000. I need just a little more help! We are almost there. Please donate what you can. In August, I will bring the total amount I have collected to Suzu and give it to a worthy cause to help the people of Suzu. Thank you to all of you who have donated. It is very much appreciated.

”Never Give Up, Suzu！”

募金活動の目標金額を5000ドルに変更しました。この8月に皆さんからお寄せいただいた募金を珠洲に持っていき、珠洲の人達を助けるために、必ず役に立つ方法で（珠洲市長、珠洲神社、又は、珠洲復興協会に）お渡ししたいと思います。

出来る限りの金額で結構ですので募金のご協力をお願いできないでしょうか。

「負けとられん、珠洲！」

がんばりましょう！

Hi my name is Nami Kato Kroska. I am Japanese and currently work as a Japanese Lecturer at the University of North Texas. I have relatives living in Suzu in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan which was hit with a 7.6 magnitude earthquake on January 1st 2024--the second largest to ever hit Japan. Lives were lost. Homes and businesses were destroyed. Suzu is a small, costal city mostly made up of elderly people.

My relatives lived in a 400-year-old home, passed down generation to generation, but it was demolished by the earthquake and they were left homeless. They are over seventy years-old and are now living in their van. It's the middle of winter and very cold. I want to help, not only my relatives, but all people affected by the earthquake. I and the people of Suzu will appreciate any contribution you can make.

Once our financial goal has been met, I will personally, and at my own expense, fly to Suzu Japan and give the money to the Mayor of Suzu, Izumiya Masuhiro. He will then distribute the donations where it will do the most good for the people of Suzu. Thank you.

The photos below are taken last July. I went to see my relatives in Suzu. It was such a beautiful and peaceful place.

More YouTube Videos:

Noto Peninsula quake, one month on

NHKWORLD-Japan

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[TBS News DIG (Japanese)]

Update:

March 14th, 2024

First, I want to thank you to all for your generous donations! It means a lot to me, my relatives and the people of Suzu. We really appreciate it! Please keep supporting us and sharing this fundraiser with your family, friends and anyone that can help so I can bring the donation money to Suzu!

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It has been a while since I last updated the situation. My relative’s house is in Misaki-cho (small town) in Suzu city. After the earthquake and Tsunami, they lost their house and everything.

The good news is my relatives no longer live in their car. They have moved to their daughter’s house for the winter. Her house is in southern Suzu. It was damaged but is livable. My aunt said that her daughters house has electricity, but no water. They have to go to a designated spot to get water. Despite the difficulties, I am very glad to hear my uncle and aunt finally decided to move into their daughter’s house. I was very worried about their health. The winters in the Noto peninsula are severely cold because its location on a peninsula; an area surrounded on three side by the ocean.

According to the Asahi Newspaper on March 1, the reconstruction has been progressing slowly in Wajima city and Suzu city because of huge piles of rubble everywhere and landslides that still block many roads. As a result, water pipes have been not fixed so most of the buildings, housing, and other facilities have no water. The ratio of restoration in Suzu city is only 3%, while it is 41.8 in Wajima city. The main reason for this delay in Suzu is because of the geographic issues. It is Sandbank. Suzu located between the mountains and the ocean and there are many different size rivers blocking the way and complicating efforts.

For a long time after the earthquake people were completely isolated and the Japanese self-defense force stepped in to try and save the citizens’ lives.

[Japanese self-defense force help people in Suzu who live isolated area] (in Japanese)

Due to the massive earthquake, the ground at the beach area rose it up over 13 feet and stayed that way. Where there was once ocean water is now dry land. The most famous sightseeing spot, the “Mitsukejima” or known as: “Gunkan (Warship) island”, the symbol of Suzu, collapsed and its shape changed forever. ”Mitsukejima: has more than 1,000 years of history and Japanese cannot hide their shock. (please see the dramatic footage in the YouTube video). The northern Noto prefecture is no longer the same.