I went on a trip to the disaster areas 10 years after the disaster, Miyagi Prefecture, where the largest number of people died by prefecture.
“Traveling around the disaster areas” may sound strange to you. For many foreign people, the image of the disaster areas is the towns destroyed by the tsunami that were repeatedly broadcasted on the news ten years ago. I wanted to show how those towns have changed and are now places where you can travel. The towns and the people who are trying to recover from the disaster are as beautiful as or more beautiful than the temples in Kyoto or Mt. Fuji…etc. Especially, Onagawa town, which is called the most successful town in terms of recovery, if someone who has never heard of 311 disaster were to visit there, they might think of it as a town with just a nice atmosphere by the sea.
And some people may feel that “traveling around the disaster areas” is unethical and hesitate to do so. However, the reason why the schools and the police station have been preserved is because the survivors of the disaster want you to see them.
I hope you will visit the Tohoku region someday. Of course, with respect.
Travel information in brief.
Sendai City: You can get there from Tokyo by Shinkansen (2 hours), airplane (1 hour), or bus (6 hours). It is a very big city. There are many hotels ranging from luxury to cheap.
Matsushima: About 30 minutes from Sendai by car or train. Walking around the town in the morning is recommended. There are some historical and luxury inns. You don’t need a car to get around.
Nobiru: About 50minutes from Sendai by car or 30 to 50 minutes by train.
Ishinomaki: 1 hour from Sendai by car or train. Buses and taxies are available to get around the city, but a car is recommended since it is a large city.
Onagawa: About 30 minutes by car or train from Ishinomaki. It is a small town, so a car is not necessary.
Songs
・A Certain Distance by Sean Williams
・Behind Every Decision by Yehezkel Raz
・Finding My Memories by Sivan Talmor
・Moon by Space Doves
・Mysa by Laurel Violet
・Reflections by Borrtex
・SoGood Instrumental Version by ORKAS
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