For many though, there just wasn’t enough time.Over 15,000 people tragically lost their lives after the Tohoku earthquake, and nearly half a million became homeless.Video footage of the destruction was relayed to news broadcasters and online around the world. In the days that followed almost two-thirds of the entire 17,000-strong population were missing, feared dead.As time passed the eventual death toll was marked at just over 1200, but exact numbers have never been determined.The town has a long history of tsunamis, and as such they had over 80 evacuation points for people to flock to.But the Tohoku earthquake was so powerful, 31 of the evacuation centres were flooded when the waves hit.Images of Minami Sanriku spread far and wide, with international media reporting on the critical disaster zone.But just like the rest of Tohoku, soon stories started to emerge of heroism.We spent two nights in Minami Sanriku, staying at the As people began their evacuation of the town, Hotel Kanyo opened their doors to house hundreds of people, providing free shelter and food for as long as they needed.During our time in Minami Sanriku, we joined the Tsunami storytelling story curated by the hotel to learn more about what happened on that fateful day.This hour-long bus tour was held in Japanese by a survivor of the tsunami, however an English-speaking manager from the hotel joined us to translate.Using iPads with imagery from the day, we toured around Minami Sanriku, stopping off at two places where powerful examples of survival occured.The first was the Minami Sanriku Elementary School, placed high up on a hill, where hundreds of students and thousands of evacuees waited out the horrors beneath them.It was from here that reports of the extent that was happening in Minami Sanriku reached the outside world, with a local journalist live-posting to Twitter.The survivors wrote ‘S.O.S.’ in the carpark, alerting rescuers to their presence in the school.Our guide shared stories to the group about what had happened on the hill that day, and how everybody banded together to support and care for one another.The strength of the survivors became well documented, even while the students feared for their families who didn’t have time to reach the school.Afterwards, we drove down to a 4-storey hotel right by the edge of a new sea wall that is being constructed.This hotel used to be a partner of Hotel Kanyo, and was one of the most prestigious in Minami Sanriku.When the tsunami hit, the guests sought shelter on the roof, expecting to be well out of harm’s way.Much to their horror, the water levels rose so high that waves were lapping over the roof.The staff and guests gathered around an electrical room that was elevated, with hundreds of people crowding into a tiny space.For hours they stood there in fear, watching the water rise and fall, but miraculously nobody died.Today the hotel has been mostly cleaned of the damage, but has never been opened to the public again.It stands as a ghostly memorial to what was once an elegant accommodation.Minami Sanriku has started to rebuild over the following years, and now it is almost back to its former glory.The remnants of the disaster will never be wiped from history, but Minami Sanriku will continue to grow in the hopes of honouring the fallen from March 11th, 2011.The Tohoku tsunami that took the lives of more than 15,000 people will forever remain in the memories of those who survived, and the vision of the billions who witnessed the footage around the world.But the region hopes to be remembered for its bright future rather than a tragic day in history.A new, higher sea wall is being built along the coast to protect the population from any future tsunamis, while the towns behind them focus on rejuvenation projects.Today the coastal towns of Tohoku are vibrant and trendy, welcoming domestic and international tourists with open arms.The state of the Fukushima nuclear reactor continues to be an uncertainty, but the world’s top scientists are working on stabilising the threat.As you walk around and speak to the people, they all have their own tales of despair and survival from March 11th, 2011.But what stands out the most when you chat is their optimism. Adventure travel and sustainable tourism is our passion, and through our stories and images we promote exciting off-the-beaten-path destinations and fascinating cultures as we go. Situated in the ‘Ring of Fire‘, a seismic hotbed of volcanic activity in the Pacific Basin, Japan has been the victim of quakes and tsunamis for millennia.

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