On January 15, volunteers from Tzu Chi Japan continued their service in the disaster-stricken region of the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, cooking hot meals to help residents cope with freezing winter conditions. The volunteers worked tirelessly to deliver lunch to the affected population; they started their culinary preparations as early as six in the morning. Despite  late-night preparations the previous evening, their spirits remained high.

However, during the cooking session at the Anamizu Town Sawayama Communication Hall Pluto, there was a problem with the gas supply. To ensure timely delivery of hot meals to residents by noon, some volunteers quickly moved to the Anamizu General Hospital for cooking. Farmers from Nagano Prefecture personally delivered two truckloads of fresh vegetables to the volunteers for use as ingredients, expressing gratitude for their dedication. Mr. Ishikawa, a local resident, also brought supplies from distant Saitama Prefecture, demonstrating a collective effort to provide warmth to those affected. Dr. Koji Shimachu (島中公志), the superintendent of Anamizu General Hospital, personally visited the kitchen to express gratitude to the hardworking volunteers.

Anamizu currently has 44 evacuation centers, and over a thousand homes severely damaged. There the earthquake has claimed 20 lives and injured 242 people. The current temperature in Anamizu is 1°C (34°F), and is expected to drop to -1°C at night. Medical professionals are urging residents to guard against hypothermia, especially among the elderly; they emphasize the need for warmth. Therefore, provision of hot meals is deemed essential for the well-being of the disaster-affected population.

On January 14, the volunteers prepared a total of 568 hot meals at the Pluto Exchange Hall and Anamizu General Hospital. On January 18, they plan to provide 300 hot meals to Anamizu Junior High School, aiming to help residents replenish their strength and face the upcoming challenges with a positive mindset.