On July 7, Machino Radio, a temporary disaster broadcasting station, opened in Machino, Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture, which was hit by the Noto Peninsula earthquake. “Machino Radio” will become a radio station that connects a circle of people by delivering the voices of the people of Machino Town.

Radio station with a handmade feel

“Temporary Disaster Broadcasting Stations” are radio stations set up for a limited area and time period to mitigate damage when a large-scale disaster occurs. It provides information on restoration of infrastructure, announcements from the government, and local events. In addition to such information, Machino Radio will also serve as a place for exchange among the townspeople, welcoming local residents as guests, delivering messages and music requests, and so on. The Machino-machi Reconstruction Project raised funds through crowdfunding to start the radio station, and 10 volunteers, including farmers, doctors, and firefighters, are in charge of the operation, including the personalities.

On July 7, when the station began broadcasting, an opening ceremony was held and many members of the press gathered. In addition to introducing wishes on Tanabata tanzaku strips collected at local supermarkets and interviewing elementary and junior high school students about their classes today and favorite school lunch menus, officials from the government’s Noto Reconstruction Office informed the audience about the restoration status of roads and rivers. On the 9th, Saori Fujiwara, a member of AAR’s domestic disaster team, also appeared live on the phone to talk about the relief activities in Noto.

Relief Activities after the Great East Japan Earthquake became a connection

AAR provided a container house to “Onagawa Saigai FM”, a temporary disaster broadcasting station in Onagawa Town, Miyagi Prefecture, in 2011, and helped the station to open. The station continued broadcasting until 2016 and is now known as “Onagawa FM”, producing radio programs and supporting the opening of temporary disaster broadcast stations in disaster-stricken areas throughout Japan.

On the other hand, the Machino-machi Reconstruction Project had been organizing events for exchange among town residents and operating a volunteer center. However, information dissemination for residents was concentrated on using the Internet, such as LINE, which was difficult to access, especially for the elderly and farmers working in mountainous areas where the signal was poor.

Therefore, Mr. Yamashita, the representative of the Machino-machi Reconstruction Project, consulted with Onagawa FM, and preparations for the opening of a disaster FM station began. However, since there was no place to base the broadcasting, AAR set up a container house on June 16.

In addition to FM broadcasts, “Machino Radio” will also broadcast simultaneously via the Internet (simulcasting), aiming to be a station that “connects” with evacuees and those who support Machino. AAR will continue to support Machino Radio in the hope that it will grow as a base for the voices of the community and support the recovery of Machino.