"Not everybody experiences pain or trauma in the same way."
"I understand that many people must have carried hidden fear or trauma, even if their homes weren't physically destroyed."
Has been working as a company nurse in Sendai, during the disaster as well
Joined as a city volunteer in the Wakabayashi ward
On the afternoon of 3/11, I noticed a sudden shaking in my apartment. That was an earthquake more violent than I had ever experienced before. The Emergency Earthquake Warning began to sound, which made me think, "It’s too late, already shaking."
Once the shaking had settled down, I left my apartment. The building manager of my apartment was shouting toward the residents outside, "Are you okay?" Everyone was gathered outside. When I stepped outside, snow had started to fall heavily, and it was pretty cold.
Electricity was out, and water wasn't running. I knew that elementary schools would be used as evacuation centers, so I made my way to the gymnasium of one of the nearest schools. When I arrived, it was packed with people. Still, I decided to stay there since staying in my apartment alone was scary, and it did not offer electricity or water. It was almost dinnertime, so we utilized the school’s emergency supplies. I helped prepare large batches of alpha rice, which were enough for about 50 people. Since we had to prepare it with water, it took about 50 minutes.
I slept in the gymnasium that first night. For the next few days, I returned to my room during the daytime, but I would go back to the gymnasium at night for safety.
I felt uneasy about just staying in the gymnasium, despite possessing professional qualifications. I talked to the person in charge that I had a nurse qualification and started helping out, checking on people who felt unwell when called upon. I also spent time monitoring a wandering elderly woman, sitting beside her chair and dozing off intermittently.
A couple of days later, I joined another volunteer unit in Wakabayashi Ward in Sendai city, which was considered one of the most severely damaged areas in Sendai. During the daily morning assembly for volunteers, the female section chief of the Health and Welfare Center made a speech. It was deeply impactful when she spoke, with tears in her eyes, about how over 50% of the ward’s area had been submerged and ruined by the tsunami. Many of the staff members in the Wakabayashi Ward Office were victims themselves, and some couldn't even contact their families for a few days.
One of the four wards in Sendai city along the coast. The region has been severely impacted by the disaster, particularly compared to other wards, due to the tsunami from the nearby sea.
Arahama Elementary School
Located 700 meters from the coast, Arahama Elementary School is now used as a memorial site to exhibit the devastating power of the disaster. After the earthquake hit the city, the tsunami reached the second floor of the school building, where a total of 320 people evacuated from the neighbourhood at that moment(San-ichi-ichi inochi o mamoru kyōiku kenshū kikō, n.d.).
Rescue operations with helicopters began at 17:30. Each helicopter could only rescue five people at a time, as they had to lift the evacuees one by one. Children were prioritized in the rescue, and it took until 5 am the next morning to save all the children (Sangatsu jūichi nichi o wasurenai tame ni sentā, n.d.).
I realized there was an immense "temperature difference" within the city. Where I lived, there was practically no earthquake damage. The electricity was restored immediately, and water became available within about a week. When I cycled to the Wakabayashi Ward Office via Sendai Station, I saw many people commuting as usual as before the disaster, which almost made me wonder if an earthquake had actually occurred. Among Sendai's five wards, only Miyagino and Wakabayashi, which were along the coast, experienced severe tsunami damage. Those from the wards not severely damaged had returned to their daily lives and were gradually decreasing their concern over the disaster, while the other two wards were still lacking even necessities, such as clothes to change. Especially when the city and ward office staff had gatherings, this temperature difference came to be more noticeable.
I also saw the difficulties faced by evacuees with disabilities. A visually impaired person had to sit permanently near the toilet entrance because, in a gymnasium setting, there were no clear landmarks or corners to help him/her navigate the distance.
Regarding personal documentation, I never took any photographs. About three weeks after the quake, I took a drive to the area hardest hit by the tsunami, where everything had been completely swept away. It felt like such an unreal sight that I couldn't bring myself to take a picture. Power poles were bent flat from the base in ways I hadn’t imagined possible. I felt it was wrong to capture such a tragic event for my own records, or perhaps I simply lacked the energy to photograph it.
Despite the hardships, there were aspects I found unique or "interesting." For instance, because the power was out, people said the stars were incredibly beautiful, though I personally failed to look up. Also, since the city gas was cut off, some local hot spring inns offered free access to their baths, complete with shuttle service, which was a huge relief for evacuees.
I found the whole experience to be a major social study. The disaster reminded people all over Japan of a basic mindset in earthquakes, such as we must immediately run to high ground, as a tsunami is likely to follow.
I also learned that not everybody experiences pain or trauma the same way. I used to wonder why some healthy people stayed in the gymnasium, but now I understand that many people must have carried hidden fear or trauma, even if their homes weren't physically destroyed.
The entire event revealed a snapshot of society. Experiencing the disaster firsthand, even without suffering severe personal damage, taught me more than any news report could. It was truly an experience that felt like a great lesson.
Below are some YouTube clips about the 3.11 in Wakabayashi Ward and Sendai City.
⚠️ The video contents include scene of tsunamis that some might find distressing. ⚠️
[Japanese only]
[Japanese only]
0:53- Tsunami reaching the city
2:10- people seeking for help on the rooftop of an elementary school
[Japanese with English subtitles]
Taken by Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
Akamatsu. (2022, March 10). Higashi Nihon Daishinsai 10-nen: Shinsai tōji no eizō “3.11 saigen” hisaisha no kioku [Ten years after the Great East Japan Earthquake: Footage from the time of the disaster and memories of victims] [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaOA5RvNLLY
NHK News. (2021, March 11). Higashi Nihon Daishinsai 10-nen: Bōsai gensai no kyōkun o mirai e [Ten years after the Great East Japan Earthquake: Passing lessons of disaster prevention and mitigation to the future] [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4e6tXC8OcU
Satō, T. [Japan Resilience]. (2023, February 14). Sendai-shi Arahama shōgakkō shinsai ikō: Memoriaru tsuā [Sendai City Arahama Elementary School disaster ruins: Memorial tour] [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FggGDtpK4eU
San-ichi-ichi inochi o mamoru kyōiku kenshū kikō: Saigai memoriaru ni manabi, egaku mirai. (n.d.). Shinsai ikō: Sendai shiritsu Arahama shōgakkō [Disaster ruins: Sendai Municipal Arahama Elementary School]. Disaster Ruin & Related Facilities Portal, Miyagi University of Education. https://drr.miyakyo-u.ac.jp/memories/project/arahama/
Sangatsu jūichi nichi o wasurenai tame ni sentā. (n.d.). Arahama shōgakkō hinan no kiroku (1): Heri ni yoru kodomotachi no kyūjo kaishi [Record of evacuation at Arahama Elementary School (1): Start of helicopter rescue of children] [Blog post]. https://recorder311.smt.jp/blog/35209/
Undergraduate student at Akita International University
2nd grade in elementary school in 2011
This interview reminded me that, although all humans are equal under natural disasters, those who survive the disaster are still part of human society. It often reproduces the contrast and inequality that are already embodied in society. Despite this reality, I appreciate how the interviewee reached her conclusion that everyone could experience fear and trauma in different ways.