Friday marks two months since Japan's Noto Peninsula was hit by a devastating earthquake on New Year's Day. Work to clear the rubble is progressing slowly due to the lack of accommodation for workers.

Ishikawa Prefecture in central Japan has confirmed damage to more than 76,000 houses. A large number of workers and volunteers are needed to clear the debris.

Access to disaster-hit areas was initially hampered by damaged roads. Progress in emergency repairs have gradually eased this problem. About 90 percent of major roads and 80 percent of roads needed to fix essential infrastructure have been restored.

But recovery workers still face a shortage of accommodation facilities because many hotels and inns also suffered damage.

This means the workers have to commute every day from outside the disaster-hit areas, limiting the time they can spend on cleanup activity.

Not enough land can be secured to build new lodgings on a large scale. In addition, securing housing for disaster survivors is of higher priority.

Ishikawa Prefecture is tackling the problem by opening up space for volunteers to stay overnight in a former junior high school building in Anamizu Town.

The prefecture also plans to set up lodgings within the premises of Noto Airport.

Local authorities are enlisting the help of operators of disaster-stricken hotels and inns to manage temporary accommodation facilities.

The central government is pitching in by offering financial support and sharing information on securing potential temporary lodging.