Welcome to Rikuzentakata
Remembering 3.11- Voices from a Rebuilding City
3.11 Documentary
The moment I reached the top of the 40-foot seawall, I was struck by the stillness of the sea. The waves made small currents as the horizon stretched endlessly before me. For a moment, it was hard to believe that fourteen years ago, this same water had surged forward with such ferocity, dragging away thousands of lives in an instant. In this moment in the small town of Rikuzentakata in Japan, I truly understood the power of the built environment—not just to protect, but also to never forget the disaster.
Rikuzentakata was one of the hardest hit areas during the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in 2011, which claimed more than 18,000 lives with the 9.0 Magnitude earthquake and the endless cycle of tsunamis that reached nearly 130 feet. My connection to Rikuzentakata began with my father, who has had long- standing ties with the town community since he was a university student. During my first visit in December 2023, he introduced me to his friends with various backstories, ranging from people who had survived the disaster to those born into a city shaped by it. Despite the immense tragedy they had experienced, the locals welcomed me with cheerful warmth, and I felt as though I had always belonged there. Their deep kindness left a lasting impression on me, and I was eager to give back however I could.
I returned for a week-long internship that summer, translating tour content for the Takatamatsubara Tsunami Memorial Park and signboard descriptions in community spaces to help share Rikuzentakata’s story with international visitors. I participated in a press-reported discussion with locals about strategies for revitalizing a visitor center, brainstorming ways to attract more tourists and integrate the center more deeply into the community.
In December 2024, I returned to interview disaster survivors and document their experiences to highlight the ongoing recovery efforts. In these conversations, I noticed a recurring theme: infrastructure and natural environment played a crucial role in both the destruction and the healing of Rikuzentakata. The tsunami had entirely swallowed buildings and forests, while a few miraculously withstood its force. For example, the “Kiseki no Ipponmatsu”, or the Miracle Pine Tree, was the only surviving tree of the Takata Pine Forest. This tree, along with some surviving structures, were preserved as memorials that stand as symbols of tragedy, perseverance, and hope.