On March 11th in 2011, the Tohoku earthquake struck Northeastern Japan. This earthquake was clocked in at a magnitude of around 9.0-9.1 on the Richter scale that then caused a tsunami to occur. This was one of the largest and one of the most destructive earthquakes to hit Japan with over 18,000 casualties and countless other people displaced from their homes.
Okawa Elementary School was one of the places that was heavily impacted by the tsunami. Unfortunately, most of the students and teachers in this school had their lives taken away by this incident. This was due to the fact that there was not a proper plan in place for how to evacuate and stay safe when a natural disaster strikes.
Doing research on the tragedy and being able to visit the area are two completely different things. As we approached the area and eventually got off the bus, it felt like the atmosphere had suddenly changed to somber and silent. I found myself feeling a mixture of emotions and silently reflecting on what had happened there, especially after viewing the extensive damage that was caused in depth.
Before we left the area, we came across a man who lost his daughter in this tragedy and he gave us a tour of the building and showed us just how catastrophic this tsunami was. Floors were busted open due to the water pressure, walls of the classrooms were completely torn off, and significant parts of the building were reduced to rubble. His insight into this event was much needed to understand just how it affected the families involved.
Okawa Elementary School