More than 2 months after the earthquake, Vietnamese people in Japan are overwhelmed with joy when their water supply is restored.

After more than 2 months, the water supply to Ms. Hien's place was restored. She was overwhelmed with joy, the feeling of refreshment was indescribable.

No more waiting in line for your turn to shower

The Noto area of ​​Ishikawa Prefecture recorded 21 consecutive tremors with a magnitude of 4 or higher on the Richter scale within 90 minutes. The strongest earthquake had a magnitude of 7.6 on the Richter scale, occurring at 4:10 p.m. on January 1 (local time). The lives of many Vietnamese people were also affected by this earthquake. After more than 2 months since the earthquake, many places in Ishikawa Prefecture (Japan) have water again. Vietnamese people no longer have to struggle to line up to take a shower after work like before. The moment the homeowner reported that the water was back, many people were happy because they escaped the situation of taking a shower in the freezing cold. Ms. Phan Thi Hien (29 years old, from Hai Duong) is currently living and working in Wajima City (Ishikawa Prefecture). She said that not long after the earthquake, her house had electricity restored but the water had only been available for 4 days. Before that, the stationed army had prepared water for people to use. People would line up to get a number and wait for their turn to shower. "I stocked up on clothes to wash once a week and also got a number and waited for my turn to wash. I walked more than 1 km to get water for daily use, to wash dishes... and the shower was closer to home, I only had to walk a short distance," she recalled.

Ms. Hien (second from left) had just arrived in Japan when an earthquake struck.

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The woman said that not having water available in the room for use was very inconvenient because it was time-consuming and not convenient. Luckily, her boss brought large cans of water for everyone to use. Because she lived with 3 other people, the amount of water used every day was quite large. The army also advised people not to use domestic water for drinking. "Thinking about the scene of bathing in public places, having to use water very sparingly, I felt uncomfortable. Now that there is water again, I don't have to live such a miserable life anymore. The price of water has not changed because it is included in the rent, electricity and water bills when I receive my salary," said Ms. Hien.

Ms. Hien bought packaged food during the recent Lunar New Year.

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"When there was no water, the bottled drinking water from the relief source ran out, so my roommates and I spent money to buy water from the supermarket to drink. Before, if there was water in the room, we would boil it to drink, but when there wasn't, we had to spend money to buy water," Hien said. The room where people can bathe is quite small. It also takes a long time to queue because there are so many people. At 4 p.m., after work, she hurriedly got her clothes and went to the shower because the room would close before 8 p.m.

Ms. Hien still remembers clearly the moment the earthquake happened more than 2 months ago.

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"Sometimes I wait from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm for my turn to shower, waiting in line, no one is allowed to skip. After work I am very tired, I just want to go home to rest but still have to wait my turn to shower," the woman shared and hopes this will never happen again.

Hope life is stable

As soon as the water was available, she called her family and relatives in Vietnam to let them know so they would not worry. In October 2023, Hien packed her bags and went to Japan to work with the hope of having a stable income and a comfortable life. Except for a month studying at the union, Hien had only officially worked for about a month when the earthquake happened. Since then, she has been forced to stay at home and has only recently returned to work. "If I had borrowed money to go abroad to work, I would have been very anxious because I was determined to go to Japan to earn some capital to return home to do business. Everyone in my hometown is also happy to see life gradually returning to stability," the woman said.

Ms. Hien was once trapped after an earthquake and received help from everyone.

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Ms. Hien is one of the few Vietnamese people who were trapped after the earthquake and received help from everyone. "The danger is over now, but thinking back to that time, I can't help but shiver. Being alive is a blessing, so even when there was a severe water shortage, I didn't dare complain much," Ms. Hien said. Mr. Nguyen Van Dung (26 years old, in Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture) said that the government repaired each area until water was restored to the people. Therefore, more remote areas had water before central areas. Many places are expected to have water restored completely by the end of April. "Without water, many people are forced to go to public places to bathe and collect water for daily use. If people are better off, they can go to bathing services like resorts in Vietnam. They have cars so it's easier to get around, and clothes can be washed at the shop. I'm luckier than many people because both my home and workplace had water restored shortly after the earthquake," he said.

Thanhnien.vn

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