家族と親戚10人亡くす…能登半島地震から2年 元日に現場の跡地を訪れた遺族の想い「慰霊碑を建てたい」 (2026年1月14日)

Naoyuki Teramoto is a family member who lost 10 family members and relatives in a landslide caused by the Noto Peninsula earthquake. On New Year's Day, marking the two-year anniversary of the earthquake, Teramoto visited the site in Anamizu Town and laid flowers. Naoyuki Teramoto: "Have you all been watching from the sky all this time? Dad's here." Naoyuki Teramoto. On New Year's Day 2024, a massive landslide caused by the earthquake occurred in Yuigaoka, Anamizu Town, where his wife Hiromi's family home is located. Ten people were killed, including his wife Hiromi, who was visiting her hometown, her eldest son Ryusei, her second son Shunki, her third son Kyoya, and her eldest daughter Mione, as well as his wife's parents, his brother-in-law and his wife's wife, and their children. Teramoto had planned to head to Anamizu after finishing work in Kanazawa on New Year's Day to spend the New Year with his family, but this plan never came to fruition. Teramoto at the time: "What is this? Why did this have to happen to me? And it was all just one day apart. What is the line between life and death? Is it the earthquake's fault? Did the earthquake take everyone away?" Immediately after the earthquake, Teramoto moved from the house he shared with his wife and children and now lives with his sister at his parents' home in Kanazawa City. Teramoto: "I'm sleeping here, but everything is my legacy." Family photos and the watch his son wore. These were all left in the house where the family lived. Teramoto: "It was hanging up like this. Over there (at our previous house). It's winter vacation, so it's hanging up as usual. When I realized I'd never wear it again, emotions welled up and tears started flowing." What awaited Teramoto after the earthquake? Teramoto: "The entire schedule, from the wake to the funeral." Funeral procedures and government notifications. The reality is that there's no time to grieve. Teramoto-san: "It's sad, but I think I'd be happy if (my deceased family member) could go to heaven with friends by their side. I don't have time to be sad at all, and if I don't do this, it would be my job as the one left behind." He visited his wife and son's workplaces and his daughter's school, and went through the necessary procedures one by one. Teramoto-san: "By asking about how things were going at work, and the same thing at my son's workplace, and by hearing about how my daughter was doing at school, I think I was able to clear my mind a little." Teramoto-san said that he was unable to sort out his feelings on New Year's Day 2025, and was unable to offer flowers. Teramoto-san: "I offered flowers with the hope that they would rest in peace here, in this place." The completely destroyed house was demolished at public expense in September 2025. Teramoto-san: "The scenery and the area around our house, we used to go there often when we got married, so it's painful to think about those things. Talking about Anamizu and knowing that it's all gone brings tears to my eyes." Teramoto-san wants to leave a testament to his family and relatives here. Teramoto-san: "I really want to build a memorial. I've seen family members die there, so I don't want it to be lost. I don't want that place, the place where my wife's family home used to be, to be lost. That's why I want to leave something tangible behind." The earthquake took precious lives. Teramoto-san now lives each day without shying away from this harsh reality.