Japan Commemorates 2024 New Year's Day Earthquake

WAJIMA, JAPAN - DECEMBER 31: In this composite image (top) A woman searches for her family's belongings in the rubble of a destroyed house on January 02, 2024 and (bottom) the same location as seen ahead of the one year anniversary of the Noto Peninsula earthquake on December 31, 2024 in Wajima, Japan. On January 1, 2024, a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck Japan's Noto Peninsula, resulting in significant destruction, over 280 fatalities, and damage to more than 83,000 homes. The earthquake was characterized by a rare "dual-initiation mechanism," where seismic activity began almost simultaneously at two points on the fault, leading to intense ground shaking and a series of aftershocks that complicated recovery efforts. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images)