Photo/Illutration Elementary school students tour the recently finished building that will temporarily serve as their new school in Anamizu, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Aug. 29. (Tatsuo Kanai)

ANAMIZU, Ishikawa Prefecture--Anamizu Elementary School students gleefully entered their school's front gate for the first time since the Noto Peninsula earthquake upended the region eight months ago.

Waiting on the other side of the gate on Aug. 29 was not a fully repaired building, but a two-story temporary structure intended to tide students and faculty over. 

Students toured the new building instead of immediately starting lessons; third-graders were seen excitedly taking in the new classrooms as their teacher, Masataka Okuno, 39, shepherded them around.

Huge cracks and tilted floors rendered the original building unsafe, leading to Anamizu town's board of education's decision to construct a temporary space while the original school is demolished and a new one built. 

Prior to the temporary building's completion, certain classrooms at Anamizu Junior High School were allocated to the elementary schoolers. 

Among them was Rio Miyashita, 9, who "had fun" when her class was held at the junior high school.

On the other hand, she also felt "a little restrained" because they were told to stay calm, even during break times, so they would not interrupt the junior high schoolers.

“I hope my lively classmates and I can have fun (in the new building),” Rio said, grinning. 

Anamizu Elementary School's situation is not unique. Many temporary buildings have gone up in succession across northern Noto Peninsula where the damage was especially severe.

For affected communities, these buildings are another step in gradually improving children's study environments.

Temporary school buildings have also been completed in Wajima and the town of Noto.

In Suzu, all 11 elementary and junior high schools were deemed safe enough for students and teachers to return to not too long after the quake.

However, temporary housing units had gone up at 10 of the 11 schools; this meant children were not able to use their schoolyards for physical education classes, recess or sports days.

Suzu's board of education said it has secured temporary spaces to stand in for seven of the 10 schoolyards so far.

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