The memory of Tohoku earthquake will not fade! Minamisanriku Hotel Kanyo’s "Storytelling bus tour"

Tohoku earthquake and Minamisanriku

Minamisanriku is a small town with a population of 17 000 people. The victims of the disaster in 2011 were over 700, and more than 60% of the 5000 houses were completely destroyed by the tsunami.

One of the country’s most popular tourism hotels “Minamisanriku Hotel Kanyo” is situated in that town. It was built on a solid bedrock hill, so it managed to avoid great damage (nevertheless, the tsunami reached the ceiling of the second floor). After the disaster the hotel quickly accepted volunteers and evacuees, thus becoming one of the local recovery bases.

Minamisanriku Hotel Kanyo organizes special storytelling guide bus tours for their customers in order to keep the memory of the catastrophe alive and to make more people understand what happened. The storyteller guides belong to the hotel staff.

In front of the tragic Crisis Management Center

Minamisanriku’s former Crisis Management Center was the place where young female workers were calling for evacuation until the last possible moment, when the tsunami was approaching in front of their eyes. The wave was 2-meter higher than the roof of the 3-storey building and only left the steel frame of the construction as a reminder of the cruel tragedy. Of the 30 people who evacuated on the roof, only 10 were left after the tsunami withdrew.

The former Crisis Management Center remains as an evidence of the damage caused by the unimaginable tsunami. One becomes speechless when standing in front of the building and thinking how the wave was higher than the roof. This place is one of the highlights of the guided bus tour and the storytelling guides passionately tell its story. The words of people who actually experienced tsunami are powerfully piercing: “It is important to come directly here, not just see on TV, and learn what exactly happened”.

The symbol of Minamisanriku’s recovery

The Sansan shopping street, founded as part of the town’s recovery, is also part of the guided tour. Its name comes from a wordplay involving the sun and the town’s name: “Like the sun shines ("sansan”), let MinamiSANriku have a shopping street blessed with smiles and power".

Indeed, hundreds of national flags are hanging over the street, creating a pleasant atmosphere! More and more tourist buses are stopping here lately. One can eat the top-class local gourmet product “Minamisanriku Kirakira-don”. It is a bowl of rice with fresh and seasonal seafood from Minamisanriku. Over 45 000 bowls have been sold 1 year after the disaster, making it a big hit! There are also other versions with sea urchin and salmon roe.

The street contains more than 30 shops, including the famous fish shop which appeared in the popular gourmet movie “Oishinbo”! There is also a big food court where plenty of events are held.

The Moai statue tells the lesson learnt from the tsunami

A Moai statue has been installed at one of the shopping street’s ends. It was donated by Chile in May 2013, but there was originally a Moai statue in Minamisanriku before the disaster.

After the earthquake and tsunami in Chile in 1960 which also hit badly Minamisanriku, the two regions established friendly relations united by the tragic experience and a Moai statue was donated by Chile as a sign of friendship and disaster prevention. However, that statue was destroyed during the Tohoku earthquake. After a visit to Japan in March 2013 the Chilean president Pinera promised to send another Moai statue, which was subsequently installed in Minamisanriku.

And this new statue is not a simple one. The stone used comes straight from the Easter Island! White coral and black obsidian were used for making the eyes, as in the original Moai statues. In other words, it is not a replicate, but a full-fledged original Moai! The name Moai is thought to mean “live in the future”, therefore the statue suits this place perfectly.

Knowing the current condition of the damaged regions

Two years have passed since the disaster and the media coverage is diminishing. But as one can see in the damaged regions, the recovery is far from complete. The central part of Minamisanriku which was close to the shore and suffered big damage has now disappeared. Permissions for constructing new buildings are not given, so the old town area has turned into a bare field covered with thick weeds. Additionally, there are areas where the ground is sinking and the sea water cannot withdraw. After 2 years the town is very far from its original state.

Many shopping streets have appeared in various damaged regions, but in fact their owners struggle and there are many closed shops. The population decreases and over 70% of the local industry has been discontinued. The business cannot succeed only on local sales and tourism industry has become vital for survival. Maybe some people will say that tourism at damaged regions is very inappropriate. But this is how the owner of Minamisanriku Hotel Kanyo replies: “Should we really abandon everything accomplished by local people? Yes, we hear some saying "It’s hard to go there” or “We shouldn’t go there”, but visitors actually revitalize damaged regions". And indeed, 70% of the hotel’s visitors before the disaster used to come from Tohoku, but now people from Tokyo, Kansai, Kyushu and all other areas stay at the hotel and give hope to the town.

Minamisanriku Hotel Kanyo “Storytelling guide bus tour” Departs at: 8:45 (about 60 minutes) Fare: Adult 500 JPY, child (younger than elementary school student) 250 JPY Reservation: Sign up at the hotel’s reception until 21:00 the previous night Operation period: every day