Kadonowaki Elementary School Ruins

When the Great East Japan Earthquake struck at 2:46pm on March 11, 2011, the small coastal city of Ishinomaki had the misfortune of being directly in the path of the destructive tsunami that followed. Whole neighbourhoods were leveled, and still have not been rebuilt.

As houses flooded and washed away in the face of waves up to two meters in height, fires sprang up in the floating debris, fuelled by stoves and heaters people had been using on the cold afternoon. In this setting, the local elementary school, a community hub, suffered the tragicomic irony of catching fire even as its lower levels were saturated by seawater. When the flames died out and the flood receded, the structure still stood, though its interior was ruined and its iconic white facade was stained black.

Today, with life returned to Ishinomaki, Kadonowaki school has been preserved as a memorial to the tragedy. The gym includes vehicles crushed under the force of the waves, as well as replicas of the temporary housing where people lived. You can walk through the hallways of the school and see the classrooms left untouched since the fire - in one, the desks remain where they had all been pushed to one side to make room for a science demonstration that was never completed. In other rooms, objects recall the school in happier times, a reminder of its long and vibrant role in the community, and testimonials of survivors offer powerful meditations on loss and recovery.

Throughout the school's exhibits, the overall theme is of the necessity of preparedness. This isn't presented a cynical message of doom and gloom, but as one of hope; despite the destruction of the school and surrounding community, the discipline, bravery, and teamwork of Kadonowaki's staff and students ensured every single person in the building that day made it to safety.