Minamisanriku Memorial Park of Earthquake Disaster — Local services in Minami-Sanriku

I am glad to see that this important place is being preserved. I visited in Dec 2011, because I wanted to see where Miki Endo worked - and where she did her job heroically until she was killed. Her story should be remembered; she was a hero and saved many lives. The building skeleton is a monument to her heroism, and the heroism of the other people who were inside doing their jobs until the tsunami attacked.

I look forward to seeing this on my next trip to Tohoku. I will bring something from my city (New Orleans) for the small shring there; we also had a catastrophic flood in 2005 that killed many people here, it was what lured me to Tohoku in 2011 to volunteer in Kamaishi city. The devastation here in 南三陸 was so much worse. My heart still hurts for the...

It is a park to pray for the requiescats of the victims of the tsunami in Minamisanriku. More than 830 people died or went missing in this town.

The building with only red pillars is the administrative disaster prevention office building. The tsunami level was higher than the building, killing 43 town officials. They called on the townspeople to evacuate on a disaster prevention broadcast until they were completely swept away. The broadcaster was a 24-year-old female employee who was engaged. The sadness of the townspeople and all Japan has exceeded the limit.

This park was developed to convey the tragedy of Minamisanriku to posterity. It is an important place to know the history of...

商店街と祈念公園を結ぶ橋は商店街と同じく隈研吾さんが設計したそうです。夜の公園にもお邪魔してみました。

翌朝に語り部（一時間くらいで7000円前日までに予約）をお願いしたら町議の方が来てくださり色々なお話を伺うことができました。 夜のライトアップは当初はやっていなかったということ、復興庁舎が震災遺構として残されたいきさつと今後、公園なのでもっと憩いの場として使っていただきたい思いもあるということ、丘の上にある碑は偶然、荒島と地元の神社かお寺を結んだ線上にあるという話や、頂上のベンチにはもしもの時のために物資が保管されているということ、ご自身やご家族の当時の動きなど、ここに住んでいる方の声を聞けたのは貴重な経験になりました。

庁舎の屋上まで約16メートルの津波が来たという事実や目の前に防潮堤や、建設中の道路、更地が広がっていましたがそこには町があったというのは話としては理解できても想像することは難しかったです。

訪問した4月15日の夜は結構寒くて、これよりひと月も前に屋上で濡れながら一晩過ごしたり、ここだけではないですが住む場所を失くしてしまった方がたくさんいたというのは大変だっただろうなと感じました。

町の今後を自分たちで考えて作っていこうという思いがなんとなくですが伝わってきてま...