Wajima, Ishikawa Pref. ¨C A facility serving as a cafeteria and supermarket is supporting the livelihoods of people affected by the powerful earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture two years ago.

Sumika Shibata, 60, who was also affected by the Jan. 1, 2024, disaster, played a major role in establishing Toge Marche in the Toge district of Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in late November. Wajima was heavily damaged by the temblor, which measured 7, the highest level on Japan¡¯s seismic intensity scale, in the city.

Shibata came up with the idea of launching the facility after volunteering to provide afflicted locals with hot meals following the quake.

While living in temporary housing, Shibata works with her husband, Kiyomitsu, 60, and local residents in operating Toge Marche.

¡°I¡¯m truly grateful to the shop,¡± said Ryoko Kurosugi, a 91-year-old former farmer, who visited Toge Marche for the first time in late December and bought eggs and chicken.

Her house was destroyed by the earthquake, and she now lives in temporary housing in the Toge district. Kurosugi, who has mobility issues, said she feels secure as the store is near her current home.

The store draws about 70 to 100 customers a day.

Because the district is home to many elderly residents and has no other supermarket, workers at Toge Marche drive customers to and from their homes free of charge. The store also sells rice by the kilogram.

Shibata¡¯s house was also destroyed by the earthquake. Nevertheless, the former school lunch cook began volunteering to offer meals to affected locals the following day in cooperation with neighbors, believing that hot food would cheer them up.

In March 2024, Shibata and her colleagues formed a group aiming to launch Toge Marche, hoping to offer a place where people can gather.

To prepare for the launch of the facility, Shibata visited disaster-hit municipalities around the country to learn about reconstruction. Her tour included a visit to the town of Onagawa in Miyagi Prefecture, which was devastated by tsunami from the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

The tour made her believe that she ¡°can definitely rebuild¡± her damaged community.

Last summer, Shibata collected about ?20 million from 527 people in a crowdfunding campaign. Along with her own money, the funds were enough to allow Shibata to finally open Toge Marche.

¡°We want the store to stay close to the local community and meet the needs of local residents,¡± Shibata said.