The Sosogi District Self-Governing Association in Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture, has agreed with the NPO "Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake 1.17 Light of Hope" (HANDS) to install the Noto Light of Hope at the Madoiwa Pocket Park on Sosogi Coast in Wajima City. A lighting ceremony will be held on February 1, 2026 (Sunday), with the flame transported from the Light of Hope in Kobe.
The Light of Hope from Kobe Reaches Noto
The Kobe "1.17 Light of Hope" was created on January 17, 2000, five years after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, to commemorate the lives lost and to pass on the connections between people that were cultivated during that time. This gas lamp, combining seed flames from 10 cities and 10 towns affected in Hyogo Prefecture along with flames from across the nation, illuminates its surroundings day and night at the "Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Memorial and Recovery Monument" site in Higashi Yuenchi Park, Chuo Ward, Kobe City. Since then, it has been installed in Taiwan, Tohoku, and Niigata, connecting the sentiments of disaster-affected areas. This installation in Noto will be the 12th. The NPO "Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake 1.17 Light of Hope" (HANDS) has been dedicated to managing the annual "1.17 Gathering" held in Kobe and installing Lights of Hope in disaster-stricken areas.
As a Memorial Light and a Beacon for Living with Hope
The intention behind installing the Noto Light of Hope is as follows: "1. To serve as a memorial light for those who tragically lost their lives in the Noto Peninsula earthquake on January 1, 2024, and the heavy rains in Oku-Noto on September 21." "2. To serve as a beacon for living with hope and facing forward without giving up, for those who have lost loved ones in the earthquake and heavy rains, those who have lost their jobs or homes and are living in temporary housing, and those who had no choice but to leave Noto." To realize this sentiment, they chose Madoiwa on Sosogi Coast, a national natural monument and one of Noto's symbols, as the installation site for the gas lamp. Madoiwa was a scenic spot where the setting sun fit perfectly through its approximately 2-meter-diameter hole, but it collapsed during the earthquake. By installing the Noto Light of Hope in front of Madoiwa, which has long been an object of local faith, they hope to continue passing on hope.
The Gas Lamp Design Also Evokes Madoiwa - The Noto Light of Hope Is Born Through Various Collaborations
The Noto Light of Hope's design itself is inspired by Madoiwa. The design was volunteered by researchers from Professor Makoto Kitazawa's laboratory at Osaka Electro-Communication University. Mori Zoukei Center Co., Ltd. in Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, designed a robust gas lamp despite various constraints related to handling fire. On the day of the ceremony, university students who have volunteered in disaster-affected areas will bring the light from Kobe.
Lighting Ceremony Overview
Date and Time: Sunday, February 1, 2026, 3:00 PM - Ceremony begins; 3:30 PM - Expected lighting time ※ Rain or shine
Location: Madoiwa Pocket Park, Sosogi, Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture
Installers: NPO "Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake 1.17 Light of Hope" / Sosogi District Self-Governing Association
※ On the day, the gas lamp will be lit under the witness of Wajima City Mayor Shigeru Sakaguchi and Sosogi District Self-Governing Association Chairman Satoshi Tone.
※ The flame divided from the "Light of Hope" in Sannomiya, Kobe City, will be transported by university students coming from Kobe.
Donations are being accepted to support future recovery efforts (maintenance costs). We would greatly appreciate your consideration.
About Donations
Yokunou Shinkin Bank, Wajima Branch, Ordinary Account 1967628, Sosogi Self-Governing Association, Chairman Satoshi Tone
