Naoyuki Teramoto spent most of the first week of 2024 standing near a disaster site in Anamizu, Ishikawa Prefecture, clinging to hope as tragic news kept trickling in.

The New Year’s Day earthquake caused the side of a mountain to collapse, burying four houses in earth and sand. One of them was the home of Teramoto’s parents-in-law.

It had been a tradition for Teramoto, 52, his wife, Hiromi, 53, and their four children—oldest son Ryusei, second son Shunki, third son Kyoya, and daughter Mione—to spend the year-end holidays at the house in Anamizu.

Hiromi’s younger brother, his wife and their elementary-school-age son were also invited this time around.

But Teramoto, a resident of the prefectural capital of Kanazawa, could not join the 10 family members because of work.

Immediately after the Jan. 1 quake hit, he lost contact with his family but thought it was “probably due to poor reception.”

However, on Jan. 3, he saw news footage on the internet of his wife’s parents’ home collapsed in the debris.

“My mind just went blank,” he said.

The Anamizu town government office informed him that the landslide had buried houses within a radius of 100 meters, and that search-and-rescue efforts had started on Jan. 2.

Soon, his wife’s parents and his second son, Shunki, 21, pulled from the rubble. Teramoto had to identify the bodies.

Shunki had aspired to be a chef and was training at a Japanese restaurant in Tokyo. He made “osechi” traditional New Year’s dishes and brought them to his grandparents’ home.

“He had so many dreams. Why did he have to go through this?” the father said, sobbing.

At the time, Teramoto did not know what had happened to the other family members.

To take his mind off of the disaster, he recalled a family trip to the Tokyo Disney Resort in Chiba Prefecture in August. His mother had died of cancer, and the family planned the visit to cheer him up.

Everybody in the family loved Mickey Mouse, he said. It was their first visit to the resort in about 10 years.

“We had such a good time,” he said, looking at the family pictures he took on his smartphone. “I can’t believe this is happening to us now.”

Teramoto still held out a glimmer of hope.

“Maybe they are in a shelter. Maybe one of them has escaped to somewhere. I hope they were out walking or shopping and are safe.”

SEARCHING FOR CHILDHOOD FRIEND

At a community event held on Jan. 7 in Kanazawa to mark Coming-of-Age Day, Asuka Honda, 20, looked for the name of her childhood friend in the attendance book.

“It’s not here,” she said.

There were no signs showing that Kyoya Teramoto had checked in.

Honda knew that Kyoya’s name was on the list of missing persons published by the local government.

But, like Kyoya’s father, she held out hope that her classmate in elementary and junior high school would be found alive.

The Honda and Teramoto families were close, and they sometimes traveled together.

Honda said Kyoya “has a mischievous side” but is “a kind and gentle friend who loves his mother.”

“I just want him to be OK,” she said.

As of the morning of Jan. 7, Kyoya’s whereabouts were still unknown.

UNREAD MESSAGES

The Coming-of-Age gathering on Jan. 7 had been organized by a local community center and parents of the new adults, including Kyoya’s mother, Hiromi.

Hiromi’s friend, Marie Akita, 52, who works at the community center, said they met at the end of last year and talked about Kyoya’s Coming-of-Age ceremony.

She said Hiromi was looking forward to returning to her parents’ home with all her children for New Year’s.

But Hiromi did not show up at a preparation meeting on Jan. 4. Akita sent her text messages, but they remained “unread.”

Looking at the young people dressed in their best kimono getting excited, Akita’s eyes became red and puffy.

“I want (Hiromi) to come back as if nothing happened, saying, ‘You must have been busy preparing for this,’” Akita said. “I just want to see her again.”

By the next day, Jan. 8, Hiromi, Kyoya, Ryusei, 23, and Mione, 15, were confirmed dead.

Hiromi’s brother, wife and son were also confirmed killed in the landslide.

(This article was compiled from stories written by Yuto Ota, Shun Yoshimura and Akina Nishi.)