A journey to experience the memories of the town and its people

A model course to learn about the history of the earthquake

MODEL COURSE 2024/12/17

Kesennuma was an area affected by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.
We will introduce a two-day, one-night model itinerary that will allow you to learn about the memories and lessons learned, feel the progress people have made since the disaster, and experience the town's recovery.

Kesennuma City Great East Japan Earthquake Memorial Museum

First, we head to Kesennuma City Great East Japan Earthquake Relics and Memorial Museum, a place to "learn" about the earthquake.
If you get off the Sanriku Expressway at Otani Kaigan IC and head towards Iwaizaki, you will come across Kesennuma Koyo High School, which was severely damaged in the tsunami caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake. The old school building has been preserved as a relic from the disaster and is on display.

During the earthquake, the tsunami reached up to the fourth floor of the school building, causing extensive damage to the building. However, the local people in the area have a high level of awareness of disaster prevention, and even though a major disaster occurred, not a single person was killed at the school. Along with the building, the school is imbued with the desire to preserve the actions of those people for future generations.

In the video and exhibition zone, the emotions and feelings of the people at the time, as well as their thoughts on reconstruction, are conveyed through text and video. You can feel how the steps that have been taken since then have led to the city of Kesennuma as it is today. Please note that you can make a reservation in advance to take part in a "storyteller guide" tour of the museum, where you will be guided around the museum while listening to stories from the time of the earthquake.

Acitivity Time: 1 hours
Address: 9-1, Namijikamisemuka, Kesennuma City
Museum Hours of Operation: 9: 30-17: 00 (April-September)
9: 30-16: 00 (April-September)
*Last admission is one hour before closing time.
Closed days: Mondays (open if Monday is a public holiday and closed the following day),
12/29 - 1/4
Prices: Adults 600 yen, high school students 400 yen, elementary and junior high school students 300 yen
Experience program: Storytelling guide (1 hour 30 minutes), general group 6,000 yen, school educational activities 3,000 yen
contact us: 0226-28-9671
HP: Kesennuma City Great East Japan Earthquake Memorial Museum

Rias Ark Museum of Art

If you get off the Sanriku Expressway at Kesennuma Chuo IC, we recommend heading to the Rias Ark Museum of Art. Located on a small hill in Kesennuma, the Rias Ark Museum of Art displays records of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the history of tsunami disasters, as well as a history and folklore exhibit (Ark Diary: Living in the Rias on the Sea and Mountains), which gives you an insight into Kesennuma's culture.

The "Records of the Great East Japan Earthquake and History of Tsunami Disasters" exhibit features photographs documenting the earthquake and conveying the feelings of people at the time.
The archival photographs and collected disaster items that the curators have taken since the disaster occurred have been preserved only by those who have lived in this town and experienced the disaster since.

The damage caused by the earthquake cannot be described simply in numbers or scale; it makes us realize that there were many emotional fluctuations in each individual who experienced the disaster.

Acitivity Time: 1 hours
Address: 138-5 Akaiwa Makizawa, Kesennuma City
Museum Hours of Operation: 9:30-17:00 *Last admission is at 16:30
Closed days: Every Monday and Tuesday
The day after a public holiday (excluding Saturdays and Sundays)
Closed for New Year's holidays and maintenance
Prices: ■Permanent Exhibition
General: 700 yen
University/Specialized: 600 yen
High school students: 500 yen
Elementary and junior high school students: 350 yen
Infants: Free
Group rates (20 or more)
General: 600 yen
University/Specialized: 500 yen
High school students: 400 yen
Elementary and junior high school students: 250 yen
Infants: Free
■Special Exhibition
Set for each exhibition
contact us: 0226-24-1611
HP: http://www.riasark.com

Minamimachi Murasaki Shrine Shopping Street

After seeing records from the time of the earthquake at the Folk Museum and the Rias Ark Museum of Art, we headed towards the coast where the damage actually occurred. However, more than 10 years have passed since then, and the town has changed significantly since then.
Minamimachi Murasaki Shrine Shopping Street, located in the Naiwan area, was rebuilt after the earthquake and is an area lined with local shops and restaurants.
The origin of this place is the temporary shopping street "Kesennuma Reconstruction Shopping Street Minamimachi Murasaki Market" that opened in December 2011. At the time, charity events and events to support Kesennuma were held almost every week, and it was a place for volunteers visiting Kesennuma and local people to interact. Nowadays, it is home to a variety of shops, including restaurants where you can enjoy dishes made with fresh seafood unique to Kesennuma, sweet shops, bars, and Kesennuma souvenir shops, and with the increasing number of people visiting the area for tourism, it has become a place that is bustling with new life.

Address: 1-1 Hamamiyama, Kesennuma City
Access: [By car]
From Sendai: 8 minutes from Kesennuma Port IC on the Sanriku Expressway
From Iwate Prefecture: 6 minutes from Kesennuma Shishiori IC on the Sanriku Expressway
[For those using the bus]
・Sanriku Coastal Road Expressway Bus (Sendai Airport, Sendai Station, Kesennuma, Miyako Line)
Nearest bus stop: Kesennuma City Town, People and Work Exchange Plaza
Timetable
・City circular bus (Kesennuma City Hospital - Kesennuma Station - City Hall - Minami Kesennuma Station - Kesennuma City Hospital)
Nearest bus stop: Minamimachi
Timetable
Opening hours: Varies by store
Parking Information: There is a parking lot in the Kesennuma City Bay area nearby
Uchiwan Area Parking Lot: Available 24 hours a day / Parking capacity: 66 regular passenger cars / Free for the first 8 hours after admission. In addition, free parking is available from 12:XNUMX pm to XNUMX:XNUMX pm.
HP: https://kesennumafs.com/

Walking around the inner bay area

If you walk towards the sea from the Murasaki Shrine Shopping Street, you will find the shopping center "Naiwan." This area is the center of the fishing industry and was also one of the areas that suffered the most damage from the tsunami caused by the earthquake.

After the earthquake disaster, when it was decided to build a seawall here, many discussions were held with local residents about how high and what shape the seawall should be. If we simply built a strong, tall seawall, it would impair access to the sea and the scenery.
Therefore, in this area, we have adopted "flap gates" that rise using the force of rising water levels in the event of a tsunami, and we have also developed a commercial facility that is integrated with the seawall, creating a seawall that does not feel oppressive.This is the commercial facility "Naiwan" that is integrated with the seawall.

At this facility, you can eat and drink while overlooking Kesennuma's calm inland bay, and the plaza below, Minamimachi Kaigan Park, regularly hosts festivals and events, creating a new tourist spot.

Address: 1-14 Minamimachi Beach, Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture
Access: [By car]
From Sendai: 9 minutes from Kesennuma Port IC on the Sanriku Expressway
From Iwate Prefecture: 4 minutes from Kesennuma Shishiori IC on the Sanriku Expressway
[For those using the bus]
・Sanriku Coastal Road Expressway Bus (Sendai Airport, Sendai Station, Kesennuma, Miyako Line)
Nearest bus stop: Kesennuma City Town, People and Work Exchange Plaza
Timetable
・City circular bus (Kesennuma City Hospital - Kesennuma Station - City Hall - Minami Kesennuma Station - Kesennuma City Hospital)
Nearest bus stop: Minamimachi
Timetable
Parking Information: Uchiwan Area Parking Lot: Available 24 hours a day / Parking capacity: 66 regular passenger cars / Free for the first 8 hours after admission. In addition, free parking is available from 12:XNUMX pm to XNUMX:XNUMX pm.
For details on parking information and large bus parking, please click here.

K-port

After walking around the city in the Inner Bay area, it's time for a short break. The cafe "K-port" on the coast of the Inner Bay was created by actor Watanabe Ken after the disaster, with the concept of "connecting." Watanabe began visiting Kesennuma immediately after the disaster, and wanted to create a place in Kesennuma that would become a "port of the heart" through interactions with local people. This place was created not only as a cafe, but also as a space for live music performances and events, and is visited by both tourists and locals.
You can relax and enjoy your time here, ordering meals such as pizza and curry, as well as cafe menu items such as coffee, chai, and waffles.

Plaza Hotel Storyteller Bus

Once you've finished your day's itinerary, head to Kesennuma Plaza Hotel for the night. It's convenient to restaurants and souvenir shops, and at night you can enjoy the beautiful view of the lit-up inner bay.

Address: 1-1 Kashiwazaki, Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture
Contact Us: 0226-23-1313
HP: Kesennuma Plaza Hotel

The next day, guests staying at the Plaza Hotel can take part in the optional "Storyteller Bus" tour. The one-hour tour starts at 9am and allows you to visit the Kesennuma reconstruction site and get a sense of the progress of reconstruction while listening to the stories of those who experienced the disaster.

The first place we visit is Kesennuma City Reconstruction Memorial Park, located near the foot of Mount Awa, which offers a panoramic view of Kesennuma. Looking down on the Shishiori and Uchiwan areas, which were devastated by the tsunami and fires, you can get a real sense of the progress of the region's reconstruction.
The 10-meter-tall sail-shaped monument, "Prayer Sail," was designed by combining the winning entries in the Reconstruction Memorial Park Ideas Competition, and was created as a symbol of prayers for reconstruction.

In addition, the park features plaques inscribed with the names of those who lost their lives, as well as "traditional sculptures" to evoke memories of the disaster and pass them on to future generations, and anyone is welcome to visit and pay their respects.

Acitivity Time: 30 minutes
Address: 264 Jinyama, Kesennuma City
Contact Us: 0226-22-3401
HP: Kesennuma City Reconstruction Memorial Park Website

The bus then heads to the former home of Mr. Abe, the founder of Abe Cho Shoten. When the earthquake struck, about 30 people were able to climb the spiral staircase and save their lives on the rooftop, so this place is called the "Spiral Staircase of Life" and has been preserved to pass on this lesson to future generations. The tour recalls the situation at the time, including the stories of hotel staff who experienced the disaster.

Final thoughts

So, this concludes our two-day, one-night "Model Course to Learn About the Disaster to Now."
By comparing the records from 2011 with the current state of the town, you can see how the people who live here have made step-by-step progress towards recovery over time. We hope that by learning about disasters that can happen to any town, and about this town that lives in harmony with the sea, through the town's appearance then and now.