On 1 January 2024, at 16:10 JST (07:10 UTC), a MJMA7.6 (Mw7.5) earthquake struck 6 km (3.7 mi) north-northeast of Suzu, located on the Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan.

Along the island arc's east and southeast coasts, subduction of the Pacific and Philippine Sea plates occurs at the Japan Trench and Nankai Trough, respectively.

[10] The rifting and subsequent inversion has created a series of faults along the coast that have the potential to move and cause earthquakes, in the range of Mw 6.8–7.9, in many cases with tsunamis.

[26] Due to the lack of significant slip on the segment offshore between the peninsula and Sado Island, seismologist Kenji Satake said there is still potential for another magnitude 7.0 or larger earthquake and tsunami.

[29] The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) said parts of the country moved up to 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in) westwards with the maximum displacement observed at Wajima due to crustal deformation.

[33][34] The coastline in the Kawaura district of Suzu moved 175 m (574 ft) seawards due to the coastal uplift, while the land area expanded by a total of 2.4 km2 (0.93 sq mi).

[92] The evacuation orders covered 62,000 people,[93] with 1,000 evacuees finding shelter at the Japan Air Self-Defense Force base in Wajima in Ishikawa Prefecture.

[128] A study conducted by professor Shunichi Koshimura of Tohoku University found that the damage in Suzu was exacerbated by the seabed terrain of Toyama Bay.

[103] Tsunami observations in the peninsula were made difficult by the coastal uplift raising parts of the coast by up to 4.1 m (13 ft) and extending the coastline further seawards.

[150] According to Yonhap News Agency, citing North Korean state radio, a tsunami warning was issued with waves of 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) potentially hitting the country's east coast.

[161] At least 518 deaths were confirmed in Ishikawa Prefecture; 189 in Wajima, 157 in Suzu, 53 in Noto, 44 each in Anamizu and Nanao, 19 in Shika, five in Uchinada, four in Hakui, and one each in Nakanoto, Hakusan and Komatsu.

[179] The fire consumed an estimated 200 buildings, including many homes,[180][181] and the Asaichi morning market, a 1,000-year-old shopping district and tourist attraction that hosted about 200 stalls.

[182] An area of up to 48,000 m2 (520,000 sq ft) was affected by the fire, which experts said was exacerbated by the loss of water supply and the tsunami warning, which prevented firefighters from responding immediately to the blaze.

[217] At the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant in Niigata prefecture, water spilled from the fuel pools of two reactors due to the force of the earthquake.

[218] Traditional industries were also affected, with the Ishikawa Sake Brewers Association saying the earthquake left all 11 manufacturers in the Oku-Noto region, which includes Wajima and Suzu, unable to operate,[219] with five of them suffering complete destruction of their facilities.

It found that the plan had not been significantly updated since 1997 and made only provisions for a magnitude 7.0 earthquake that would be localized in scope and classified as a low-level disaster with only three deaths, 120 destroyed buildings and 2,781 evacuees.

[232] On 3 June 2024, a magnitude MJMA6.0 (Mw5.8) aftershock struck the Noto Peninsula, destroying five houses in Wajima and injuring three people,[233] including a woman who broke her leg after being startled by an earthquake alert in Tsubata and another person in Namerikawa, Toyama who sustained injuries to his head and hips while evacuating.

[175] The Japanese government announced that it would allocate 4 billion yen ($28 million) from reserve funds to use in disaster relief efforts[240] and increased the number of JSDF personnel involved in the response to 6,300.

[251] Snowy weather conditions also affected rescue efforts, with snowfall reaching 10 cm (3.9 in) in several areas and raising concerns of additional building collapses.

[265] Applicants from Ishikawa Prefecture who were unable to take the Common Test for University Admissions held on 13–14 January due to the earthquake were allowed to undertake makeup examinations scheduled later in the month.

[267] On 25 January, the Japanese government unveiled a disaster recovery package in which residents were exempted from the cost of demolishing their homes and would receive around $20,000 to rebuild destroyed or severely damaged houses.

[279] Shinkansen services were suspended in central and eastern parts of Japan following the earthquake,[280] stranding at least 1,400 passengers aboard four stalled trains between Toyama and Kanazawa for about 11 hours.

[306] The JRCS dispatched staff members and Emergency Medical Relief Teams to Ishikawa prefecture, focusing on hospitals, social welfare facilities, and evacuation centers.

In a statement from Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, the country was "not accepting any personnel or material aid at the moment given the situation on the ground and the efforts that would be required to receive them.

Preliminary findings by Japanese financial services company Nomura Securities suggested the temporary stagnation of economic activity would push down nominal GDP by 23 to 50 billion yen.

[212] As of 5 January,[update] approximately 24,000 buildings remained without electricity in Ishikawa prefecture, and the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Ken Saitō, told reporters of the difficulty of estimating a clear timeframe for the recovery of power.

It also reported that the Imperial couple "wish that rescue operations and fire-fighting efforts in affected areas will progress as quickly as possible amid the severe cold weather.

[263] Ahead of his 64th birthday on 23 February, the emperor reiterated his condolences for the victims and expressed an intent for the Imperial couple to visit the Noto Peninsula once circumstances allow.

"[346] In China, a news anchor from Hainan Radio and Television was suspended after stating on his Weibo account that the earthquake was retribution over the Japanese government's decision to discharge radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean which started in September 2023.

[354] Such accounts have been popularly dubbed "impression zombies" (インプレゾンビ, imprezombi) and are a growing phenomenon on the social media platform following Elon Musk's acquisition and alteration to monetization policies for its "premium" users.