“I’m not going anywhere," declared Dr. Takashi Miyashita, 67, as he reopened Miyashita Clinic in the city of Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, six months after it was devastated by the Noto Peninsula earthquake.
The clinic, the sole medical facility in the mountainous Mii district of Wajima, faced potential permanent closure due to the severe damage and ongoing exodus of residents in the area. Yet, driven by the heartfelt pleas of the local community, Miyashita has instead chosen to rebuild.
Miyashita began his medical journey under his father, a dedicated surgeon, in 1995 and took the helm of the clinic in 2014, continuing nearly 60 years of family medical service.