Photo/Illutration Left: Rubble from destroyed houses blocks roads in the Shoinmachi district of Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Jan. 2, the day after the earthquake struck the area. Right: Roads are cleared of rubble, but surrounding blocks remain littered with debris on April 26. (Tatsuya Shimada)

SUZU, Ishikawa Prefecture–Four months after the Noto Peninsula earthquake and ensuing tsunami, the latest aerial images reveal that many devastated neighborhoods remain largely unchanged from their condition on New Year’s Day.

Most of the damaged houses remain as they were immediately after the disaster in the Horyumachi district of the city, which suffered extensive damage from the tsunami.

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Left: Houses still smolder in the Horyumachi district of Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Jan. 2, the day after the earthquake and tsunami devastated the area. Right: Many destroyed houses in the district remain uncleared on April 26. (Tatsuya Shimada)

In the municipality’s Shoinmachi district, most house debris remains abandoned, with rubble only cleared from the roads.

Municipal officials began accepting applications on April 1 for public funding to demolish destroyed or damaged houses.

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Left: Rubble from destroyed houses blocks roads in the Shoinmachi district of Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Jan. 2, the day after the earthquake struck the area. Right: Roads are cleared of rubble, but surrounding blocks remain littered with debris on April 26. (Tatsuya Shimada)

Temporary housing units stand in rows on the grounds of Shoin Elementary School, with carp streamers for the upcoming May holiday celebration fluttering in the breeze.

In Wajima, destroyed buildings and vehicles remain uncleared in the popular morning market district, where some 240 buildings were burned to the ground in a fire caused by the magnitude-7.6 quake.

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Top: Buildings still smolder in the popular morning market district in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Jan. 2, after the fire caused by the previous day’s earthquake destroyed the area. Bottom: Destroyed buildings and vehicles in the area remain uncleared on April 26. (Tatsuya Shimada)

A seven-story building that toppled over sideways in the adjacent district remains as it was on Jan. 1. Since the collapsed building blocks part of the road, the white lines at the intersection had been redrawn.

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Top: A photo taken on Jan. 2 in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, shows a seven-story building toppled over sideways by the previous day’s earthquake. Bottom: The destroyed building remains uncleared on April 26. (Tatsuya Shimada)

Shelters for evacuees have been built over sports fields and car parks near the Wajima Kiriko Art Museum.

By April 25, the prefecture had completed 2,763 temporary housing units, with construction under way on roughly as many more. It aims to have 4,500 units built by the end of May and reach a total of 6,421 by August.

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Left: The area around the Wajima Kiriko Art Museum in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Jan. 14, two weeks after the New Year’s Day earthquake. Right: A photo taken on April 26 shows shelters for evacuees built on the former site of sports grounds and car parks. (Tatsuya Shimada)

Recovery work is under way on the Noetsu Expressway in Anamizu, where a large section collapsed due to the earthquake. The northbound lane toward Wajima has reopened, with work ongoing to repair the southbound lane.

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Left: A photo taken on Jan. 2 shows the Noetsu Expressway in Anamizu, Ishikawa Prefecture, destroyed by the previous day’s earthquake. Right: Recovery work on the expressway is under way on April 26, with traffic diverted to a temporary bypass. (Tatsuya Shimada)

On the other hand, National Route 249 remains impassable due to a massive landslide in Suzu’s Niemachi district.

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