Photo/Illutration Kohei and Mone Kirimoto shelter cats who were left behind after the earthquake in a container house in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Jan. 25. (Masaru Komiyaji)

WAJIMA, Ishikawa Prefecture--In the areas devastated by the Noto Peninsula earthquake, cats cower in buildings marked with red “danger” tags and wander through the rubble of collapsed houses.

One local couple has taken it upon themselves to search for and protect these “disaster-stricken cats” that have nowhere to go.

Kohei Kirimoto, 31, a lacquer craftsman, and his wife, Mone, 27, were living at the Wajima Asaichi market. Their home and workshop collapsed during the quake and then burned completely in the subsequent fire.

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A cat walks near a collapsed house in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Jan. 21. (Masaru Komiyaji)

The couple, who were making their New Year’s visit to a shrine at the time, were safe--but their three cats were missing.

The two have been going to the area around the morning market every day following the earthquake to search for their felines.

Twice a day, in the morning and in the evening, when cats are usually on the move, they call their cats’ names around the ruins of their home.

The couple’s story spread through word-of-mouth and social media. Soon, disaster victims looking for their own missing cats began to contact them.

Kirimoto was concerned that some elderly people were hesitant to leave shelters and move to secondary evacuation locations because they were waiting for their missing cats to return.

Using the Line app, he started sharing information on where cats had been seen, and taught those who wanted to search for their cats themselves how to set up traps.

By Jan. 27, 26 cats had been captured, and 14 of those had been successfully reunited with their owners.

Kirimoto is now also temporarily sheltering cats whose owners cannot be found or who cannot return to their owners due to the disaster.

A company provided a container house equipped with electricity from solar panels to support these cat rescue efforts. The house is set up near the evacuation site where Kirimoto is staying. About eight felines are kept there at any given time.

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Cats stay in a container house with heating and ventilation systems in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Jan. 25. (Masaru Komiyaji)

Kirimoto is sheltering a local cat, Chii-chan, who was an idol at the morning market. Some people have offered to take Chii-chan in once they can move out of the shelter.

Kirimoto has not been able to resume his business since his lacquer and work tools were burned in the fire.

“We have a lot of expenses, including the cost of feeding them,” Kirimoto said.

He said he wants the government to take care of these pets, even temporarily.

“But I can’t say anything because (government officials) are busy dealing with evacuees, restoring infrastructure and searching for missing persons.”

On Jan. 19, the remains of Gura, one of the couple’s missing three cats, were found in a police search.

“We are sad about Gura, but the other two may be alive," Kirimoto said. "We will continue to search as long as we can.”

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