The School That Survived A Tsunami

The School That Survived A Tsunami

Namie Town, on the eastern coast of Fukushima, was seriously affected by the triple disaster of March 2011. Students at Ukedo Elementary School were in class or practising for end-of-term ceremonies when a 9.0 scale earthquake struck, followed three minutes later by tsunami warnings urging residents to evacuate.

Fortunately, all students and teachers were able to make it to nearby Mt. Ohira, an area of raised elevation to the west, where they were taken to an evacuation centre by a passing truck driver. Though the school was severely damaged, the building remained standing, and today remains as a powerful reminder of the impact of natural disasters. In addition to seeing classrooms in their current state, there are photographs nearby showing how the school looked before the disaster.

There are also QR codes inside the museum allowing visitors to learn about the school’s history in languages other than Japanese.

📍 Ukedo Elementary School, Motsutaira-56 Ukedo, Namie Town, Fukushima 979-1522

If you’re looking to visit Namie during your visit to Fukushima, you may be interested in taking a bus, renting a car or hiring a taxi. A common itinerary also includes the nearby The Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum, and the sights can be seen in a single day trip – examples can be found on the Fukushima Travel website.

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