Ruins of buildings tell tragic tale of March 11 Ruins of buildings stark reminder of Great East Japan Earthquake

The "miracle lone pine tree" and a youth hostel building can be seen from the second-floor window of the damaged former Kesen Junior High School building in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture. Rikuzentakata was devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, in which 1,800 people were killed or missing. (Credit: The Yomiuri Shimbun)

RIKUZENTAKATA, Iwate -- The ruins of buildings in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, tell a tragic tale of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the massive tsunami that struck the area on March 11, 2011.

The former Kesen Junior High School in the city was hit by a 14.2-meter tsunami that reached its roof. Although the three-story school building, located near the mouth of the Kesen River, was completely engulfed, all of the students, teachers and staff, were able to evacuate to safety on higher ground.

After getting permission, we went inside the school building, which is off-limits to the public. What we saw there was a stark reminder of the tragedy.

On the roof of the former Kesen Junior High School building, a sign indicates where the 14.2-meter-high tsunami reached. Debris from the tsunami still lingers in its classrooms and on its balconies. (Credit: The Yomiuri Shimbun)

The music room on the third floor remains littered with mud-covered desks and chairs. Parts of the corridors are blocked by debris that had been washed away, and textbooks covered in dry earth and sand are scattered across the floor.

There is a faint trace of chalk on a blackboard that reads "March 11th," and the clock in the teachers' room is stopped at 2:46 p.m., the time of the earthquake.

Miki Onoda, 22, a member of the first-year junior high school baseball team at the time, said: "The quake was so strong that I couldn't even stand. I could see the waves receding out to sea, and I thought a tsunami would definitely be coming. I just ran up the hill."

Miki Onoda recalls his evacuation from the junior high school building. "I liked the view of the shining sea over Takatama-tsubara from my classroom. When the school reopens to the public, I will definitely go," he said. "Somewhere in the building, there may be my catcher's mitt, which I got from a senior student I really admired." (Credit: The Yomiuri Shimbun)

The city plans to preserve the building and turn it into a museum where visitors can view inside. Full-scale work started in September with the aim of reopening the building to the public next year.

The former roadside rest area Takatamatsubara (Tapic 45), Shimojuku Teiju Sokushin residence, the "miracle lone pine tree" and Rikuzentakata Youth Hostel, have already been preserved as remains of the March 11 tragedy.

Marugoto Rikuzentakata, a general incorporated association that runs exchange programs in the city, offers tours of the buildings as a silent storyteller of sorts.

The former roadside rest area Takatama-tsubara (Tapic 45), which was hit by a 14.5-meter tsunami. At the time of the disaster, three people ran up the stairs on the outside of the building and escaped the disaster near the top of the building. (Credit: The Yomiuri Shimbun)

"Television images and words cannot convey the reality of the disaster here. I hope the tour will help people think about what to do when a disaster occurs," said Keiichi Furutani, 32, a board member of the association who serves as a guide.

The Shimojuku Teiju Sokushin residence is seen in evening darkness. The tsunami reached the top of the fifth floor and severely damaged the area down from the fourth. (Credit: The Yomiuri Shimbun)

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