Tragedy of Ohkawa Elementary School

Kitakami-gawa (Kitakami river) is the biggest river in Tohoku area in Japan.
It's long about 250 km.

Here is the firth of Kitakami-gawa.
Very beutiful place.

Here is about 3 km above the firth.
Strictly speaking, this is the artificial river to avoid the flood.
It was made about 100 years ago.
(Original Kitakami-gawa run to Ishinomaki, southern place from here.)

A long bridge was across Kitakami-gawa, near the place of above picture.

On the far side of this river, there is Ohkawa Elementary School.
Ohkawa Elementary School was 2nd floor building.

108 pupils went to this elementary school, and 13 teachers worked.
After Tsunamis hit, only 34 pupils and 3 teachers can survive.

When Tsunamis hit, they took roll-call for checking the safe of pupils on the school yard.
They all were engulfed by Tsunamis.

Because it is 3km apart from the sea, they never think Tsunamis hit them.


I'm afraid survived pupils and teachers have severe trauma.

I really hope they revive for their late friends.

Memories of Sanriku-kaigan

After big earthquakes, huge Tsunamis hit Sanriku-kaigan (Sanriku seacoast).

Sanriku-kaigan is ria seaboard, so mountains close on the sea.

There were many small hamlets in Sanriku-kaigan.
People lived in narrow  lands near the sea.

The scenery was really beautiful and I love it.

Many peoples worked at fishing and/or cultivating oysters and seaweeds.



These hamlets were at Ogatsu suffered severe damages.

I'm afraid these hamlets disappeared now, and residents are isolated.



Here was Onagawa where had a big fishing harbor.

Tsunamis hit Onagawa hardly and this town was broken-down wholly.

A small seaside hamlet was disappeared by Tsunamis

Our daily life improves day-by-day.

It become relatively easy to buy foods, but it's still severely difficult to buy gasoline.
To buy gasoline there are three or four hour queues to petrol stations.

But I suppose it improves for these several days of this week.
(I really wish so...)


Today I went to Shichigahama, neighboring town where was severely damaged by Tsunamis.

In last year I was used to visit there by bicycle, because Shichigahama is beatiful seaside town.

This was the scene of last year.

Today.

A small hamlet near above harbor suffered severe damages by Tsunamis.

I guess there were some victimes, unfortunately.

I shocked how strong Tsunami's power is, and I lost any words to say.

I really hope the people will recover their lifes as soon as possible.

And I wish they get enough supports to recover their lifes.



Small in land: strong in heart

One of my blog friends, Haruo san,  made a good flash for cheering up Japan.

Sorry for a small window.
Please choose "Watch on Youtube" with right click.

Never forget her

At Shizugawa in Minami-sanriku-cho where was severely damaged by Tsunami,
one town staff of 25 years old, named Miki Endo, was missing after Tsunami attacking.

When Tsunami was attacked to Shizugawa, she worked at the 3rd floor of
the counter-accident center and continued to announce for Shizugawa residents
" Escape to higer places, big Tsunami is comming soon, hurry up!"
until the moment Tsunami attacked.

Big Tsunami engulfed the 3rd floor where she worked.

She will marry on this autumn.

I can't find any words to say, I can only crying.


Sorry for my poor English, I can't describe it enough.


Countless miseries happened in that disaster.


Shizugawa was a beautiful seaside small town and I love there.

Shizugawa, two years ago.
This view was disappeared.

11th day after disaster

11 days passed from disaster.

I would like to go to seaside, but I couldn't go.
The influence of Tsunami is still remained.

Here was originally field apart from 100 meter from sea.
Many ships were carried away.

Railway was severely damaged by Tsunami.

Opposite side.

I think it takes long times to recover this railway, Senseki-sen Line.

After big Earthquake in Japan

At 2:46PM on 11th March big earthquakes attacked East Japan.

After earthquakes huge Tsunamis attacked seaside areas and robbed many (more than 21,000) peoples’ lives and everything.

Our life has been changed after this disaster.

I live in Shiogama where Tsunamis attacked.  More than 20 peoples were died and nearly 50 peoples were missing.  Of course ruins of our city were severe for us, but our ruins were relatively smaller than many other towns.

For one week after earthquakes we couldn’t use electricity.

Now, 10 days passed, we can’t use city water and city gas.

And it is quite difficult to buy foods and gasoline.

But our life turns to recover, although steps are very small.

This photo was taken on 12th March, a day after big earthquakes, at neighboring city Tagajo.
Oil complex had been firing for a few days.

I took this on 13th March, two days after big earthquakes, at a harbor of Shiogama.

A road was severely damaged.

Oil complex was still firing.