The museum is located in Hashikami, an area roughly in the center of Kesennuma City that includes the rocky Cape Iwaisaki, a scenic spot that is part of the Sanriku Fukkō National Park. At the tip of the cape stands the “dragon tree,” a bare pine tree bent into the shape of a dragon that came through the tsunami and is now a symbol of recovery. Kesennuma Koyo High School, located only 150 meters from the sea, was hit by a tsunami over 13 meters high, but all the students and teachers at the school survived after the earthquake hit by evacuating before the tsunami came. The high school building has been preserved since the tsunami as a ruins site to warn future generations to remain vigilant. The powerful destructive force of the tsunami can be witnessed in the nearly destroyed outer wall, a car that smashed through the third-floor classroom window, and textbooks scattered on the floor. At the Kesennuma City Memorial Museum, located next to the school, visitors can learn about the different facets of disaster prevention involving a tsunami through photographs and videos; disaster prevention seminars are also held at the facility. Local junior and senior high school students serve as storytellers to pass on their memories to a younger generation.

Languages available: English, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Korean, Indonesian
• Audio guide in English, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Korean, or Indonesian can be downloaded by scanning a QR code.

Promotional Video for the Kesennuma City Memorial Museum (Ruins of the Great East Japan Earthquake)

This facility, which opened in 1994, is located 2.5 km southwest of the center of Kesennuma City, on a hill overlooking Kesennuma Bay. While principally showcasing contemporary art, the museum also houses a permanent exhibition of local historical and folk materials. Since 2006, the museum has been conducting cultural research on the history of the tsunami as part of local culture. The museum was damaged by the earthquake. Despite this, soon after the disaster, on March 23, 2011, museum staff started collecting over 30,000 photos of the devastation in total and collected 250 items left by the tsunami over a period of about two years. Approximately 500 items were carefully selected from these materials and put on permanent display in April 2013 as the “Documentary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and History of the Tsunami.” These debris from the disaster are not treated as “rubble” from the tsunami, but as debris that were once valued in people’s lives that tell stories of precious memories and feelings. For the Sanriku coastal area, the periodic occurrence of catastrophic tsunami is a vital element that shapes local culture, and through its exhibits, the art museum shows visitors how the region, its people, and natural disasters are always connected.

[Languages: English]
• An English leaflet is available for “Documentary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and History of the Tsunami” and “Permanent Exhibition of Historical and Folk Materials.”
• An English guidebook is available for the “Documentary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and History of the Tsunami” exhibit.

This memorial park was opened on March 11, 2021, 10 years after the earthquake, on a hill called Jinyama at the foot of Mt. Anba, which is known and loved by the citizens of Kesennuma. Located north of the city center, the mountain’s name, Anbasan (“safe waves”), carries the hope of safe sea travels and bountiful catches of fish. Visitors to the park can look out over the Shishiori and Naiwan areas, which were devastated by the tsunami fires, and get a good sense of how the region is recovering. The 10-meter-tall monument atop the hill, named the “Prayer’s Sail,” is made of aluminized steel used in shipbuilding. The monument was built as a symbol of prayer for reconstruction, and visitors can pray from inside it looking out to the horizon. There are also plaques engraved with the names of victims arranged according to the direction of where their homes stood before the disaster. This green park also has four sculptures built to pass on the memory of the disaster and allows visitors to come at any time to mourn and remember.

Before the earthquake, the Naiwan area of Kesennuma City was the “face” of the port town. Many tourists used to visit the area to enjoy the seaside atmosphere. However, the tsunami washed away many buildings, daily life abruptly ended, and the town’s appearance changed completely. In order to ensure continuity between the city and the sea, and to restore the liveliness of the inner bay area, a reconstruction design was created based on wide-ranging discussions. The result was the Naiwan commercial complex, whose grand opening took place in July 2020. The complex has become an attractive new waterfront destination in Kesennuma, integrated with the port’s seawall and consisting of four zones. Mukaeru (to welcome), located to the side of the excursion boat dock, offers a terrace deck overlooking Kesennuma Bay where visitors can enjoy dining and shopping as they feel the sea breeze. Across the street, Yuwaeru (to link) is a fun facility with restaurants and shops of all kinds that bring tourists and the local community together. Hirakeru (to cultivate) has a fresh fish shop, a craft beer brewery, and a smoothie bar, and is a place where the traditional meets the contemporary in food culture. Umareru (to create) is an information center for the town and townsfolk, for work-related and other types of information exchange. It is a public facility with a community FM radio studio. The Naiwan area has begun to come alive here again.

Kesennuma Brewer’s Table is a special dinner and sake experience based on a collaboration between local sake breweries and a popular restaurant within the Naiwan commercial complex. The dishes employ an assortment of ingredients from Kesennuma, and each course is paired with a variety of locally brewed sake. (Diners can choose Western or Japanese cuisine.) The storefronts and headquarters of two local sake breweries have long been landmarks in Kesennuma popular with local residents, but they were largely destroyed by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. However, the building was restored and has since been nationally designated as a Tangible Cultural Property. Before the dinner, visitors can tour the restored building, learn the story behind its reconstruction and about the brewery’s commitment to sake brewing, talk with the staff, and purchase sake. For dinner, the cuisine uses seafood landed in Kesennuma, and sake is selected for each dish, a pairing that can uniquely be enjoyed at this fishing port.

The Kesennuma Bay Crossing Bridge, as its name suggests, is a bridge that crosses over Kesennuma Bay and connects the Kesennuma Port IC to the Urashima-Oshima IC on the Sanriku Coast Expressway. With a total length of 1,344 meters, it is the longest cable-stayed bridge in Tohoku, in which the bridge girders are supported by steel cables fixed on the main towers. In March 2021, the section between Kesennuma IC and Karakuwa Peninsula IC, including this bridge, was opened to traffic, connecting the entire section within Miyagi Prefecture (approximately 126 km) of the Sanriku Coast Expressway, a toll road being developed to support the region’s recovery. The expressway will directly connect the cities of Sendai and Miyako, in Miyagi and Iwate Prefectures, respectively. When completed, it will bring many benefits to the region, including improved logistics efficiency, expanded networks of interaction, and a strengthened emergency medical system.
In addition, the nickname “Kanae Ohashi” was chosen from names submitted by the public. “Kanae” is a reference to the old name of Kesennuma Bay, Kanae-ga-ura. The word also means “to fulfill” hopes and dreams. Beautifully lit up at night starting at dusk, the bridge has become a new landmark of Kesennuma City.

Located in Kesennuma Bay in the northeastern part of Miyagi Prefecture, Kesennuma Oshima is one of the largest inhabited islands in the Tohoku region. It is a marine park that also belongs to the Sanriku Reconstruction National Park. The island features a highly indented coastline and beautiful natural scenery. Odanohama Beach on the east side of the island is rated the No. 2 beach in Japan on the Ministry of the Environment’s Top 100 Beaches list published in 2006. Mt. Kameyama, which stands at the north end of the beach, offers a panoramic view of the entire island, named the “green pearl” for its beautiful scenery.
Kesennuma Oshima had been a popular tourist destination before the disaster, which caused extensive damage, including forest fires, temporarily dividing the north-south-long island in half as it swept from both the west and east directions. In addition, because Kesennuma Oshima had no bridge connecting it to the mainland and the bay was impassable, the island remained isolated for weeks following the disaster, with little water and no electricity. The natural disaster reaffirmed the need for an overland connection and the Oshima Bridge Project was launched to symbolize the area’s reconstruction. Finally, the April 2019 opening of the Kesennuma Oshima Ohashi Bridge (nickname: Tsurukame Ohashi) marked the fulfillment of the residents’ wish for half a century. The white arched bridge is 297 meters in length (arch span), making it the longest bridge in eastern Japan, and its height takes into account the height of a potential future tsunami. In addition to improving the convenience of residents’ lives and ensuring the safety of emergency medical services, the bridge is also expected to stimulate tourism and industry. Experiential tours where visitors can enjoy marine activities are gaining popularity, and a disater lecture tour of the island is also available.

This visitor center introduces the nature found in the national park and the fishing culture of the Karakuwa Peninsula. There is a photographic exhibition showing the current status of the fishing port and shopping center following damage caused by the earthquake. The beautiful plant life that can be seen in the region in different seasons is also depicted.

“Nodoka” is a commercial facility that opened in July 2019 on the south side of Kesennuma Oshima Welcome Terminal, the gateway to Kesennuma Oshima. The three characters that form the name Nodoka mean “field, forest and sea,” referring to the large grassy area facing the bay, the island’s forested hills in the background, and the wonderful sea view in front. There are six establishments here, including a café and fish shop, that offer hospitality based on the theme of “local production for local consumption.” In addition to fresh seafood, local ingredients such as seasonal vegetables and yuzu, a citrus fruit grown on Kesennuma Oshima, are used in foods as part of an effort to sustain and revitalize the local economy. Visitors can spend time relaxing here, enjoying the beautiful sea of Oshima.
Shopping at the adjacent Kesennuma Oshima Welcome Terminal is also available, with a direct sales store selling local produce and processed foods.

This roadside station, which was devastated by the tsunami due to the Great East Japan Earthquake, had been operating as a temporary store for 10 years until it reopened in March 2021. The direct sales section offers visitors a wide selection of seafood, vegetables, and processed goods from Kesennuma City. The adjacent dining space offers a set meal made with fresh local seafood as only a port town can offer. The staff at the tourist information counter will provide information on the best seasonal tourist spots in Kesennuma City, along with dining options. Right across from the roadside station is Oya Beach, where families and friends can gather on a wide sandy beach to enjoy the sea.
The roadside station is said to be the model for a facility that appears in a certain famous animated film, and since this became a hot topic, a large number of fans have come to see the place in person.

Opened in October 2022, this facility is the culmination of the town’s reconstruction efforts and was developed as a place to reflect on disaster prevention. The grand design for the river district and memorial has enlisted the renowned architect Kengo Kuma since 2013. Located on the north side of the Minamisanriku SANSAN Shopping Village, which opened first in 2017, the memorial is situated across the road from Nakabashi Bridge. Its unique L-shaped building, designed to resemble a ship, with a jutting roof as the bow, uses locally-sourced Minamisanriku cedar for wooden slats that adorn the exterior. With the Minamisanriku 311 Memorial at the center, the building to the right is JR Shizugawa Station, and the building to the left is the Minamisanriku Portal Center, a hub for tourist information. The grand design for this area reconnects it to the sea and land.
At the entrance to the memorial, visitors are presented with an overview of the Great East Japan Earthquake before entering the Exhibition Gallery, an area for firsthand accounts from residents. The next section is the Art Zone, which features an installation by the French contemporary artist Christian Boltanski. The adjacent space is the Learning Theater, where visitors can watch videos of disaster survivors telling their stories and can participate in an experiential program that encourages each person to think about how they would have thought and acted had they been there. The regular program takes about 60 minutes and a short version takes about 30 minutes (including the museum tour). The last areas are free admission zones—the community-oriented Open Square and the rooftop Observatory, from which the ocean can be seen.
The learning programs and contemporary artwork preserve the memory of the natural disaster in Minamisanriku Town for future generations and offer an opportunity to reflect on life, nature, and humanity. Workshops are also held for educational trips and group training sessions (reservations required).

Languages available: English, Chinese (traditional)
• The learning program is available with subtitles in English and Chinese (traditional). Reservations are required.
• Some exhibits can be switched to English (scan QR code).

Lessons were learned from the 1960 Chilean Earthquake after the resulting tsunami hit the Sanriku Coast, and among the tsunami countermeasures taken by the town was the building of a three-story steel-frame disaster prevention office. However, the height of the 1960 tsunami was 5.5 meters, whereas the 2011 tsunami was nearly three times as high, at 15.5 meters. This resulted in the office building being swept through, taking 43 lives, including 33 town employees who kept calling out over the disaster radio for others to evacuate to higher ground. The steel structure stands today, reinforced and repainted, as a reminder of the dreadful impact of a tsunami, surrounded by raised soil embankments. The structure will be preserved under the management of Miyagi Prefecture until 2031.
The park was established on the west side of Minamisanriku SANSAN Shopping Village, where the city center used to be, as a place for remembrance and repose. Prayer Hill is located at the center of the vast park, 6.3 hectares in size. A stone monument was built at the summit of the 20-meter-high artificial hill listing the names of the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake in memoriam. Just below the summit is a walking path at 16.5 meters above sea level, which was the average height of the tsunami that hit the Shizugawa area. Visitors can get a feel for the height of the tsunami by walking along this path. Clearly visible nearby is a steel frame, all that remains of the Minamisanriku Town Former Disaster Prevention Countermeasures Office. The hill is a place that will evoke memories of the tsunami and pass on that memory.

Opened in 2012 as a temporary shopping district comprised mainly of shops that were in the local area before the earthquake, in 2017, a permanent shopping village was created under the supervision of architect Kengo Kuma. The facility stands on reclaimed land in the former town center atop a hill raised about 8.3 meters since the tsunami. Six single-story buildings, made using Minamisanriku cedar, house a variety of shops selling fresh fish, fish cakes, dried foods, processed foods, and souvenirs, as well as sweets shops and a restaurant where you can enjoy a bowl of rice topped with fresh seafood, Minamisanriku Kirakira Don.
October 2022 marked the grand opening of Michi-no-Eki Sansan Minamisanriku, the 18th “roadside station” in the prefecture. Minamisanriku SANSAN Shopping Village is a direct-from-producer market, joining two adjacent facilities on the same newly developed site. The Minamisanriku 311 Memorial is a place to learn about disaster prevention and mitigation that expresses the town’s gratitude for the support it received, and the Minamisanriku Portal Center houses a tourist information center and serves as a transportation terminal for express buses and BRT Shizugawa Station.

The Nakahashi Bridge is a pedestrian bridge made of wood and iron that spans the Hachiman River which runs through the Shizugawa district. It connects the Minamisanriku Earthquake Disaster Memorial Park, a site for remembrance and repose, where the steel frame of the Former Disaster Prevention Countermeasures Office remains, and the lively Minamisanriku SANSAN Shopping Village on the opposite bank. Designed by architect Kengo Kuma, the bridge has a double-deck structure with walkways on both levels and is designed to serve as a place of prayer. It has a beautiful form that uses Minamisanriku cedar, and the entire bridge is lit up at night, presenting a magical appearance. The bridge has become a symbol of the reconstruction of Minamisanriku.

Opened in 1972, Minami Sanriku Hotel Kanyo is a large resort hotel for the Tohoku region featuring hot springs. Having experienced the tsunami caused by the Chilean Earthquake of 1960, the founder built the hotel in its current location not only for its superb view overlooking Shizugawa Bay but also because of the elevation and solid bedrock foundation. Although the lower floors were partially damaged in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, the hotel served as an evacuation shelter and later as a base for many people involved in the town’s reconstruction. Shortly after the disaster, the hotel staff initiated the “Storyteller Bus” service to prevent the memory of the disaster from fading and also worked to preserve Takano Kaikan, a private disaster ruins site. In addition to activities to communicate about the legacy of the natural disaster, the hotel is also involved in providing “learning trips” and promoting sustainable community development.

Hamare-Utatsu Shopping Area opened in 2017 as a successor to the Isatomae Fukko Shopping Street in the Utatsu district of Minamisanriku. Architect Kengo Kuma designed the permanent shopping village on a raised hill approximately 7 meters above sea level. The name “Hamare” is derived from a word in the local dialect for “Come and join us! Let’s be friends!” It is also a combination of the word “hama,” which means “beach”—of which there are many in Utatsu—and “mare,” which means “sea” in Italian. In order to recreate the liveliness of the old shopping street, the facility features an overhanging roof made of Minamisanriku cedar that creates an open-air veranda-like atmosphere, where visitors can enjoy the warmth of the wood and a view of the sea. Displayed at the adjacent Kamome-kan is a postbox from Utatsu that drifted ashore on Iriomote Island in Okinawa Prefecture a year and nine months after it was washed away from Utatsu by the tsunami. The facility has restaurants, cafés, and a wide range of shops selling sweets, souvenirs, fish, vegetables, clothing, liquor, and electronics, making it a hub for tourism and the local community.

Kesennuma City has a thriving longline fishery for tuna and swordfish; it also lands a large number of sharks. Over time, the number of shark processors gradually increased and their processing techniques became fine-tuned through friendly rivalry, leading to Kesennuma becoming known as a leading shark fin producer. A northwesterly wind known as murone oroshi helps to sun-dry shark fins, a seasonal tradition in Kesennuma City in early winter. Visitors can enjoy shark fin in local delicacies such as sushi, rice bowls, and ramen, each part of the fin presenting a different flavor.

Minamisanriku Town has a long history of aquaculture, and in 1975, the Shizugawa district of Minamisanriku Town began farming coho salmon for the first time in the world. Currently, about 90% of this salmon farmed in Japan, known as ginzake, is produced in Miyagi Prefecture. While preserving a rich sea environment suitable for aquaculture, local fishermen have improved fish feed and aquaculture techniques, resulting in high-quality salmon. The salmon that undergoes a process called shinkei-jime to maintain freshness when landed is branded as “Miyagi Salmon” and is popular for eating raw as sashimi.

This dish was created to promote gourmet food that can be found only in Minamisanriku Town. The name “kirakira don” suggests a bowl dish that is dazzling to both the eye and the palate, and each shop prepares the dish in its own way, using plenty of fresh local seafood. The naming started in 2009 with “kirakira ikura don” (salmon roe) and was revived in the autumn of 2012 after the disaster, becoming a symbol of reconstruction. The names of the bowls change with the seasons, such as “harutsuge don” (spring special bowl), “uni don” (sea urchin bowl) in summer, “akiuma don” (autumn special bowl), and “ikura don” (salmon roe bowl) in winter.