Reconstruction Demand Aiding Biz Recovery 8 Months after Noto Quake

   Suzu, Ishikawa Pref., Sept. 1 (Jiji Press)--Eight months after the Jan. 1 Noto Peninsula earthquake in central Japan, an increasing number of businesses in the region have resumed operations, backed by growing reconstruction demand and return home, to temporary housing, by local residents who had been evacuated.
   Still, there is a long way to go before full-scale postdisaster reconstruction, with many businesses operating for shorter hours or at makeshift facilities.
   The proportion of businesses that have resumed operations stood at 61 pct as of mid-August, up from 40 pct in early June, according to a survey of 533 companies conducted by the Suzu Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the city of Suzu in Ishikawa Prefecture.
   Resumption of operations is progressing especially among civil engineering and construction companies, which play a pivotal role in postdisaster reconstruction, and services providers closely related to demand from residents, such as hair salons and medical facilities.
   According to a survey by Kono Shinkin Bank in the Ishikawa town of Noto, 86 pct of its 672 client businesses in two cities and two towns in the Okunoto region in the prefecture restarted operations as of the end of July.

(2024/09/01-09:09)

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