Japan quake aftermath: Movie screenings, showers bring cheer as rebuilding process gains pace in Nanao

Evacuees at the Yadago District Community Centre, which serves as an evacuation shelter in Nanao, Ishikawa Prefecture. - ST PHOTO: WALTER SIM

NANAO, Ishikawa: Meeting for the first time a week after a deadly New Year’s Day earthquake upended their lives, two friends were all smiles as they held each other in a tight embrace.

Mrs Miyuki Kaji, 43, and Mrs Emi Hirose, 48, are mothers and eatery owners in the same community in Nanao city, where spirits are generally high as the cleanup and rebuilding effort gains pace after the magnitude-7.6 tremor.