INSIGHT: Communities hope traditional festivals help revive Japan's quake-hit Noto

KANAZAWA, Japan - The shrine still stands silent in Noto, tilted to one side by the 2024 earthquake and landslides and with no prospect of restoration. Once again, the giant lanterns of one of the beloved festivals in the Sea of Japan region will not be lofted in procession through the streets.

Across the Noto Peninsula, residents are confronting an uncomfortable truth -- centuries-old traditions could disappear along with their communities, as depopulation accelerated by the magnitude 7.6 earthquake threatens the survival of the Kiriko Festivals.