＃23 仙台被災地見学ツアー (Sendai disaster area study tour)

2014.10.21 学 - Learning

Sendai has a number of fun places to enjoy, but one its darkest moments also seems to attract a lot of attention. Along the coastal areas of Sendai you can visit the tsunami affected areas from the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Visiting the disaster area is an excellent opportunity to understand what happened on that fateful day and also see the ongoing reconstruction and recovery efforts.

One popular way to see the areas are via bus tour. Just search 仙台被災地見学ツアー (Sendai disaster area study tour) and you’ll see several groups which offer tours in Japanese. There are fewer opportunities in English, but Sendai’s local volunteer guides, GOZAIN, are able to interpret on a private tour assuming you are taking public transportation and paying for it (see website: http://gozain.info/eindex.html). Or head there yourself. The area is about a one to two hour bicycle ride from JR Sendai Station. If you can though, do rent a car and drive 25 minutes towards the coast.

I recommend visiting Gamo, Arahama, andYuriage in that order. On the now clean shores of Gamo, see bent trees still standing after surviving the wrath of the waves. In Arahama, you’ll see one of the only remaining buildings: a middle school where many escaped to after the earthquake hit. There is also a Buddhist statue of the Goddess of Mercy to pray at alongside a memorial plaque of the local victims of the area. Your last stop is Yuriage, the worst hit coastal area in Sendai. There is a shrine on top of a man-made hill which gives a view of a flat area where the town once stood. Now all there is are concrete foundations. Some stone tablets at the bottom and behind the hill were left as a warning by ancestors to be careful of future tsunamis. The highlight is Yuriage Junior High School. There is a memorial for the students that are no longer living. A clock on the school stopped the minute the powerful earthquake struck. In front of the school is a free visitor center which shares information about the tsunami and plays a video of what happened in that area. Along the entire route, you’ll also see reconstruction efforts and a few businesses that have reopened or started.

A visit to the affected areas is not a happy experience, but it is eye-opening and unforgettable. It is important to know about the current situation and to show locals that we have still not forgot about them and their own struggles.

記事　　Justin Velgus

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