WAJIMA, Ishikawa Prefecture--A 64-year-old woman returned to the site of one of Japan’s largest morning markets and watched as firefighters and police searched for human remains.

“I hope bodies will be found soon because I know there are people waiting for their return,” the woman said on Jan. 10.

Her home, where she had lived with three other family members, was destroyed in the fire that engulfed the Wajima Asaichi market in Wajima after the New Year’s Day earthquake.

At least 200 stores and other buildings were destroyed in the blaze.

Severely damaged human bones were recovered from the area on Jan. 10, according to the Ishikawa prefectural disaster control headquarters. But the large-scale search operation for human remains is scheduled to end on Jan. 13.

Researchers and witnesses said a combination of factors enabled the fire to spread rapidly at the popular tourist site and raze an area the size of Tokyo Dome.

Residents and store operators have returned to the site to survey the damage and search for belongings in the rubble. They recounted scenes of horror after the Jan. 1 quake and said they are now at a loss about their futures.

NEIGHBOR TRAPPED

A 75-year-old man said the fire broke out within 10 minutes of the magnitude-7.6 earthquake on Jan. 1.

He said the quake caused severe cracks in the roads, which hindered fire trucks rushing to the affected area.

He estimated the flames spread to about 10 buildings within an hour.

A man in his 60s, who fled from his home after a tsunami warning was issued, saw a neighbor trapped under a damaged house.

The neighbor responded to the man’s calls. But he could not rescue the trapped neighbor.

About three hours later, when he returned to his home, the fire had intensified, and sparks were flying toward his home.

His and the neighbor’s homes were burned to the ground. He does not know if the neighbor survived.

“As the wind turned toward the area with more houses, the fire quickly spread,” he said.

The inferno blazed throughout the night.

Masataka Shiotani, 57, saw a small group of firefighters battling the fire around 2 a.m. on Jan. 2.

“Despite their limited equipment, they were really working hard,” he recalled.

After the sun rose, parts of the market were still smoldering.

‘EVERYTHING BURNED’

Yoshiteru Murosaki, professor emeritus of disaster-prevention planning at Kobe University, began surveying the site in Wajima on Jan. 7.

He found numerous burned tin plates believed to have been attached to wooden walls in old buildings. This showed the area was full of aging wooden houses that were more vulnerable to fire.

The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan on Jan. 5 estimated around 48,000 square meters burned in the blaze.

“When I asked firefighters, they said there was no water at all,” Murosaki said. “Because of the tsunami, they could not conduct ‘destructive firefighting’ to demolish buildings and prevent the fire from spreading. It means everything that could burn ended up burning.”

According to the Wajima Asaichi Association, the market has a history of 1,200 years.

Tourists began flocking to the market around 1970, and it became a symbol of the city.

It served as the setting for “Mare,” a morning drama series aired on Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK).

Yoshio Itatani, 48, who had been running a ramen and yakiniku restaurant on Asaichi-dori street, stood in stunned silence on Jan. 4.

“I’ve gotten by thanks to tourists and local people, so I’m shocked beyond words,” he said.

After walking around the remains of his restaurant for about half an hour, he retrieved a couple of Chinese woks.

“They might still be usable after removing the rust,” he said. “Everyone is suffering the same. It’s hard to decide what to do next right now, but all I can do is think about it and keep trying.”

A 76-year-old seller of folk crafts visited his still-standing shop in the market on Jan. 6.

Personalized chopsticks featuring customers’ names were the best-selling item.

His shop had just started recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, when tourist traffic declined.

“I don’t know if I can do business again, given my age. But I have no choice but to keep trying,” he said.

‘REMEMBER WAJIMA’

“Wajima-nuri” lacquerware was also a specialty in the morning market.

A 74-year-old woman who decorates lacquerware said: “I’ve been dealing with a business partner (at the site) for more than 50 years. I never thought (the fire) would be this bad. I may not be able to continue working.”

A female student training in lacquer crafts expressed concerns that artistic techniques may not be handed down to future generations.

“Artisans tailor their tools according to their uniqueness,” she said. “If these tools were lost in the fire, it will be difficult to get the same tools again.”

Worried about a possible decrease in the number of artisans, she said, “I hope people won’t forget about Wajima until it has recovered.”

(This article was written by Kyoka Watanabe, Noboru Inoue, Michitaka Sato and Hirokazu Suzuki.)