The animation project, which features Reina Ueda, Marika Takano, and Mamiko Noto, memorialises the 2024 Noto earthquake tragedy.
Infinite, an animation planning and production company based in Tokyo, has released two anime shorts on Youtube to bolster donations for the reconstruction of the various towns and cities impacted by the 7.5 magnitude Noto Earthquake, which occurred on 1 January, 2024.
The shorts, collectively titled “Noto Peninsula Reconstruction Support Project”, follows two friends named Yuki Wakura and Tsumugi Kashima, as they grapple with the vastly different scenery of their hometown, Wajima City, as the scars of the tragedy have transformed the once-familiar view into one that is almost beyond recognition.
The 2024 Noto earthquake
Occurring in the afternoon of New Year’s day 2024, the 7,5 magnitude earthquake struck the Noto peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture, causing widespread destruction in the towns of Suzu, Wajima, Noto, and Anamizu. The subsequent tsunami resulting from the quake was measured in Wajima to be 11.3 metres tall.
The aftermath left 691 people dead and two people missing, while injuring more than 1,400 people and damaging more than 200,000 structures across nine prefectures. The tragedy is classified as the deadliest in Japan since the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.
“Noto Peninsula Reconstruction Support Project” aims to increase financial support for reconstruction and rehabilitation
Two years after the tragedy, reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts are still underway, and Infinite’s goal for the “Noto Peninsula Reconstruction Project” is to drum up additional financial support in hopes of a swift recovery for the prefectures and people affected. The proceeds from the shorts will be donated by Infinite in June and December 2026.
The first short, titled “Wajima Edition” can be viewed here:
The second short, titled “Nanao Edition” can be viewed here:
The shorts are helmed by director Kyohei Yamamoto, who also did the storyboard and character design, at ROLL2 and EVOLROAR. The original character designs are by Fly, and the screenplay was by Toru Fujimoto. The rest of the staff includes:
- Color design: Yurie Matsuura
- Art director: Creep
- Director of photography: Takashi Yanagida
- Editor: Akari Saito
- Sound director: Fumihiko Otera
- Sound effects: Masami Baba
- Music: nano.RIPE
The cast includes:
- Reina Ueda as Yuki Wakura
- Marika Takano as Tsumugi Kashima
- Mamiko Noto as Yoko Wakura