Dr. Masayo Aihara (Hokuriku University)　

“The Noto Peninsula Earthquake Experienced by Foreign Technical Intern Trainees: The Actual Condition of the Disaster Revealed through Interviews”

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Taking the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake as an opportunity, we conducted a multifaceted investigation into the current situation of foreign disaster victims and the challenges of providing support. Interviews with Chinese students revealed that gathering information in their native language and communicating with family members via social media effectively helped them remain relatively calm. Meanwhile, Indonesian and Vietnamese technical intern trainees lacked knowledge of earthquakes and struggled to interact with local communities and utilize support systems. While support from nonprofit organizations and individual donors is important, the limitations of these systems were also revealed. The discomfort felt in evacuation centers and the difficulty in receiving information stemmed from the lack of recognition of foreigners as "part of the community." Based on the example of disaster support in Italy, fostering awareness among local residents as the drivers of "mutual assistance" is essential for future disaster prevention. Building everyday networks that take foreign workers into account will determine the quality of support during disasters and will be a key issue in the recovery efforts following the Noto Peninsula earthquake.