Volume 124 - April 2017

We will now bring you the news from Iwate's reconstruction.

Construction of Ofunato Port's Breakwater Complete

On March 19th （Sun）, a ceremony was held at Ofunato Fish Market to mark the completion of restoration work on the breakwater in Ofunato Port. The breakwaters were destroyed in the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.

Around 100 people attended the ceremony. There were speeches from Mr. Tsuda （Deputy Director General of Technical Affairs, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism）, Governor Tasso and Ofunato City’s Mayor, Mr. Toda. Mr. Ozawa, head of the Kamaishi Port Office, gave a general explanation of the construction work, and the children from Ofunato Nursery gave a performance of the Deer Dance. The speakers and children cut the ribbon together to celebrate the breakwater’s completion.

Construction on the newly-completed breakwater began in July 2012. The northern segment is 244 meters long; the southern segment is 291 meters, and the （submerged） gate segment is 201 meters. The harbor and town are now protected by a combination of both breakwaters and seawalls.

The height of the wall on its sea-facing side is 11.3 meters, 6.3 meters higher than it was at the time of the disaster. The underwater foundation, known as a “caisson”, has been substantially enlarged and strengthened. With a height of 24.6 meters and a weight of 3,500 tons, it’s twice as tall and four times as heavy as it was before.

The Kamaishi Port Office is proceeding with restoration work on Kamaishi Port’s breakwater. Work is due to be completed in the 2017 financial year.

Entrance Ceremony Held at Kamaishi East Junior High School’s New Building

During the Great East Japan Earthquake & Tsunami, the lives of nearly all the students Kamaishi East Junior High School, in Unosumai, were saved by rapid evacuation procedures. On April 6th （Thu）, an entrance ceremony was held at the school.

The ceremony was held at the new school building, which was rebuilt on higher ground after being destroyed in the disaster.

There were 32 new students this year. Principal Kenji Sasaki gave a speech, saying, “At today’s entrance ceremony, we should give thanks for the encouragement and assistance we received from inside and outside of Japan, following the disaster. Your Junior High School life over the next three years is very important. It’s when you’ll begin to see what kind of life you’ll live in the future.”

Next was a speech from Riku Sasaki, the student representative. “We’re graduating from a temporary school building and entering a permanent one. We will come together as first-years, treasure each other, and learn the value of hard work as we pursue our studies and club activities,” he said.

The new school building is made up of the “Stairs Building”, 18m above sea level, and the “Bridge Building”, 26 meters above sea level. It also houses Unosumai’s elementary school, kindergarten and gymnasium.

We are recruiting members for the Iwate Reconstruction Supporters Team!

Know, Buy, Eat, Go - and Help Support Us!

Free to Register!

We are now recruiting both individual and group （corporate or other） members in the Greater Tokyo Area for the “Iwate Reconstruction Supporters”. Members are e-mailed information regarding reconstruction and tourism in Iwate, and upcoming events in the Tokyo area. （Information only available in Japanese.）

For more information, please see the website of the Tokyo Branch Office of the Iwate Prefectural Government:

• Tokyo Branch Office of the Iwate Prefectural Government（外部リンク）

The Iwate Earthquake & Tsunami Archive of Hope

Iwate Prefecture has collaborated with local authorities and organizations to create the “Iwate Earthquake & Tsunami Archive of Hope.” Its purpose is to pass information to future generations about the reconstruction, following the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, and to provide insight into disaster prevention for people inside and outside of Japan.

The “Hope” in the title represents many things, including the experiences and lessons gained during the disaster, which are being passed on to future generations.

The archive is split into 6 categories, including “Preparation” and “The Power of Cooperation”. It’s designed to distribute information, rather than simply acting as a record.

Please use these materials in local disaster drills, education, reconstruction tourism, and other studies.

• The Iwate Earthquake & Tsunami Archive of Hope（外部リンク）

“Disaster Prevention through Education: Memories of that Day” （Miyako）

Miyako City has created a video, “Disaster Prevention through Education: Memories of that Day”, in order to tell future generations about the threat of tsunamis, and the lessons learned from them. It has been uploaded to the Miyako Geopark Association’s YouTube channel.

The Taro region of Miyako has long been known as a danger area for tsunami. It worked to fortify itself against disaster, but it nevertheless received catastrophic damage in the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, and many lives were lost.

The video was created so that memories of the disaster would not fade. Six residents’ recollections of “that day” are retold through interviews and animations. The animation was created by Ms. Hana Ono, a Morioka native, and the narrator was Tomoko Nakajima, an actress.

An extended version of the short movie （9 minutes） will be shown regularly at “Taro Shiosato Station”, the Tourist Information Office at the newly-built “Michi-no-eki Taro” rest stop.
（Screening times: 9:00–17:00）

• A trailor for the film （on Youtube）（外部リンク）

Feature

What happened that day? In this section, we will be looking back at the disaster in each coastal town.

Rikuzentakata City

• Tsunami height
  16.6m/Ono Bay
  15.2m/Hirota Bay, offshore
  18.3m/Hirota Bay
• Number of deaths: 1,556
• Number of missing people: 217
• Number of injuries: Unknown
• Number of destroyed buildings: 3,341

The tsunami that hit the town center

The Takata region in the center of Rikuzentakata contained local government buildings like the town hall, and commercial businesses. Many of these buildings, including the town hall and the city meeting hall, a designated evacuation point, were completely destroyed by a tsunami that reached up to 17.6m. A great number of people lost their lives, including the people who had evacuated to the city meeting hall.

The Miracle Pine

The “Takata Pine Forest” was a 2km stretch of red and black pine trees, facing out towards Hirota Bay, which offered protection against the tide. It was engulfed by a tsunami of over 10m, and almost completely destroyed.

However, one pine tree miraculously survived. It has become a symbol of the reconstruction, and it provides encouragement to the victims. The tree has unfortunately died, but it has been preserved as a monument called “The Miracle Pine”.

Ryusendo Cave Re-Opens! A beacon of hope for reconstruction in Iwaizumi

Last August, Typhoon No. 10 swept through and severely damaged the town of Iwaizumi. The town's famous tourist location, Ryusendo Cave, was closed down when large amounts of water from the heavy rain started flooding into the caves. On March 19th （Sun）, after a 6-month hiatus, Ryusendo was opened up again to the public.

Ryusendo is one of Japan's Three Great Limestone Caves and a designated national natural monument. Many tourists come to visit throughout the year, and it's one of the most famous tourist locations within the prefecture.

Within the cave, fresh spring water gushes out in several locations to form deep underground lakes. Of particular mention is the third lake. It has a depth of 98 meters and is one of the clearest lakes in the world. The "dragon blue" colored lake and the limestone caves that loom over and almost cover the pathways pull in visitors with their beauty as nature's work of art.

The aftereffects from Typhoon No. 10 still remain in Iwaizumi, but the reopening of Ryusendo will play an important role in the recovery of the entire town.

Tofugaura-Kaigan Station Opens on Sanriku Railway's North Rias Line

On March 25th （Sat）, an opening ceremony was held to celebrate the new Tofugaura-Kaigan Station in Noda Village.

A prize was awarded to the person who came up with the new station's nickname, "A beach that smells of roses”. After the tape cutting ceremony and the unveiling of the new station's name board, the name plate marking the occasion was mounted onto the train. Ichiro Nakamura, the CEO of Sanriku Railway, then officially declared that the station was open for service.

The new station is the 17th stop between Rikuchu-Noda and Noda-Tamagawa on Sanriku Railway's North Rias line. It's an unmanned station with a waiting room, a parking lot, and an evacuation route leading to elevated ground.

A village park that is scheduled to open in June this year is in the station's surroundings as well. The park has a variety of facilities such as a multipurpose event plaza, a lookout point, a resting area, and a seaside activities plaza. The park is expected to encourage people to use the tourist services of the new station.

Come to Sanriku! Sanriku Event Information

5/3 （Wed）
The 13th Shukunohe Sea Urchin Market （Hirono Town）
Where: Shukunohe Fish Market （Shukunohe Fishing Harbor）
The local fishermen sell their fresh catch of unshucked sea urchins, live sea urchins, abalone, and wild sea squirts a little earlier than the start of the official season! There is also a grilling corner.
Inquiries: Taneichi South Fisheries Cooperative and Shukunohe Fisheries Planning Committee
Phone: 0194-75-3611

4/29 （Sat）, 4/30 （Sun）, 5/3 （Wed）, 5/7 （Sun）
The 38th Jodogahama Festival （Miyako City）
Where: Jodogahama
There will be many activities, such as hands-on sea kayaking and scallop fishing. From 5/4-6, the first 100 participants will get to try horsehair crab soup.
Inquiries: Miyako Tourism Cultural Exchange Association
Phone: 0193-62-3534

5/4 （Thu）, 5/5 （Fri）
Goishi Coast Tourism Festival （Ofunato City）
Where: Plaza in front of Goishi Coast Rest House
There will be a variety of local traditional performances and sales of hearty Goishi seafood hotpot, grilled scallops and sea squirts （depending on shipment conditions）, and as much Goishi wakame as you can pack.
Inquiries: Planning committee
Phone: 0192-27-3111

Lunch & Sweets Retro Train: Harukaze-Shiosai （Sanriku Railway South Rias Line）

During Golden Week, the Lunch & Sweets Retro Train Harukaze Shiosai will be running on the South Rias line.

Time - Area: Kamaishi 12:05 → Sakari 12:58
Days of Operation: April 29 （Sat） / April 30 （Sun） / May 3 （Wed） / May 4 （Thurs） / May 6 （Sat） / May 7 （Sun）
Price: Ticket 1,080 yen + Reserved seat 310 yen
　　　　　　　　　　+
Lunch and Sweets Menu: Scallop and seasoned rice lunch box （1,500 yen）,
Harukaze lunch box （1,000 yen）, Sweets BOX （500 yen）, tea （100 yen）.
Please choose which items you would like from the above.

Reserve three days prior.

Contact: Sanriku Railway Kamaishi Station 0193-22-1616

Explore Sanriku! Grand Opening of Ama-chan House （Kuji）

Kuji's Ama-chan House, which closed down last August due to damage from Typhoon no. 10, re-opened its doors on Sunday, April 9th.

The facility was a popular tourist spot with a combined total of roughly 300 sets, clothes, and props that were used in the NHK television series Ama-chan on display, a souvenir shop, and a resting area. However, Typhoon no. 10 brought in a flood that rose up to 2 meters high, and most of the items on display were damaged.

The re-opened site underwent repairs on its interior, including the flooring, andon the electrical equipment. It also received materials from the Kuji Forestry Cooperative, and improvements were made to the display items. On display are the "Kita-Sanriku diorama" and "Japanese-style train" sets （reenacting scenes from the drama）, helmets of Nanbu divers, and the diver clothes that the main actress Non-san （Rena Nonen） wore.

• Venue: 2-9 Chuo, Kuji-shi
  （on the site of the old aquarium）
• Business hours: 9:00-17:00（closed on Wednesdays）
• Fee: Free
• Inquiries: Ama-chan House, Phone: 0194-61-4600

Feature

Many young people are diligently helping the affected area of Sanriku move toward a full reconstruction. The section “People for Sanriku’s Future” introduces these young people and their powerful feelings.

Click the link to read about Hirotaka Koeto and his passion for town planning in Rikuzentakata City.

• Hirotaka Koeto of Marugoto Rikuzentakata

Casualties and Damage in Iwate （as of March 31, 2017）

• Deaths: （direct） 4,672, （indirect） 463; Missing: 1,122
• Buildings destroyed （residences only, total/partial）: 26,077

Thank you for all of your support! （as of March 31, 2017）

Donations for survivors: Around 18.55634 billion yen （94,630 donations）
Donations for reconstruction projects: Around 19.83313 billion yen （8,148 donations）
Iwate Learning Hope Fund donations: Around 8.8182 billion yen （19,971 donations）
※ This fund is to assist in the study and daily life of affected
children by encouraging sport and study activities.

• To make a donation to aid in Iwate's reconstruction, click here.

Contact

News from Iwate’s Reconstruction, Volume 124. April 2017.
Published by the General Affairs Division, Bureau of Reconstruction, Iwate Prefecture.
Phone: 019-629-6925
Editing & Printing: SYNAPSE

*News from Iwate's Reconstruction Volume 125 will be published on May 25th.