KESENNUMA - BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE

28/03/2021

IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING....

This is us. We’ve been turning these pages for you for a decade. We and many other contributors have been honored to keep you up to date on the city we all love so much.

We’ve been honored, too, with our own tairyobata flag, presented to us by Mayor Sugawara. This link will whisk you back to January 6, 2019 for that story:

https://m.facebook.com/kesennuma/photos/p.2194644587246804/2194644587246804/?type=1&theater

And here’s a link to Hamarainya! It’s the city’s official Facebook site, and a “big sister” to us in keeping you informed:

https://www.facebook.com/prkesennuma/photos/a.336312216456503/459847390769651

It’s been a fun run and a volunteer effort for all of us, but now it’s closing time. We may pop in again when there’s something special we want to share with you. And you can scroll all the way back to our beginning anytime.

Our title says it all: “Kesennuma, Building for the Future.” Arigato, dear reader, for helping us build!

27/03/2021

While many of us continue staying home, this may be a good time we update our bucket list, so let us assist you; here are some useful online resources for your planning a future trip to Kesennuma, which hopefully will happen sooner than we imagine!

▪️“Visit Kesennuma” https://visit-kesennuma.com/
This website is a vault of tourist information that will definitely lure you to Kesennuma. Enjoy browsing its beautiful collection of travel journals and lively videos on our local charms. It even has got a digital concierge that can instantly provide you with an ideal itinerary customized to your preferences − super cool, isn’t it? Available in five languages (EN/KR/CN/TH/ID).

Following websites, all available in EN/KR/CN/TH, may also come in handy if you wish to explore our neighboring towns and Tohoku Region further:
▪️“Visit Miyagi” https://visitmiyagi.com/
▪️“Travel Tohoku” https://www.tohokukanko.jp/en/index.html
▪️“Tohoku 365: Tohoku Travel Magazine” https://tohoku365.com/en/

Among so many amazing places and great foods that Tohoku has to offer, our obvious recommendation would be us! Until we meet (again) here in Kesennuma, our good friends, let’s stay safe, healthy, and happy.

A Fishing Port in Harmony with the Ocean. Visit Kessennuma.

24/03/2021

If you didn’t pour yourself a Black Tide in our previous post, pour it now. There’s a lot to learn and enjoy in this fascinating wrap-up of the past ten years.

For 10 years, the people of Kesennuma have channeled their passion and ingenuity into rebuilding their tsunami-stricken coastal community, only to confront new existential threats: depopulation, a decline in the area’s fishing industry, and the COVID-19 pandemic. A local journalist–turned–civi...

23/03/2021

Thirsty? Pour yourself a cold Black Tide brew and drink in the story of how it bubbled up right here in Kesennuma. Cheers!

2011年3月11日の東日本大震災から10年、被災地の復興への歩みは続く。Japan's 2011 Fukushima earthquake and tsunami hit Kesennuma hard. Black Tide Brewing hopes to promote "Made in Kesennuma...

20/03/2021

Say the word “seawall,” and you may trigger a tsunami of opinions. Yes, they’ll protect us; no, they’ll be expensive eyesores; and so on. With profound respect for all sides, we offer this summary of how the debate is playing out in Kesennuma.

How does a coastal community defend against a 1,000-year tsunami while preserving its connections to the sea? The author, a local politician and former journalist, recounts Kesennuma’s seven-year quest for solutions.

19/03/2021

Yes, that really is movie star Ken Watanabe surveying the wreckage after the tsunami a decade ago. Walk with him now as he revisits Kesennuma and our neighbor towns, where his efforts have helped and inspired us beyond measure.

On March 11, 2011, Japan was rocked by the Great East Japan Earthquake that tragically claimed the lives of more than 15,000 people. Since then, Actor Ken Watanabe has repeatedly visited the area, met more than 20,000 people, and heard their stories. Watanabe eventually opened a café in Kesennuma, ...

18/03/2021

Taylor Anderson didn’t teach in Kesennuma, but no matter. We honor her and all the other Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) who speak English as natives and help our kids to learn it and connect with the world. Arigato, ALTs!

For Andy Anderson, the pain of losing his daughter Taylor in the massive tsunami that struck northeastern Japan in 2011 will never abate, but his resolve to carry forward her legacy in Japan is one way he copes.

17/03/2021

The best way to handle an emergency is to prepare for it before it happens. Here’s how that worked for a day care center full of babies and children.

SENDAI -- The now-defunct Ikkeijima nursery center on the coast of Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, was completely destroyed by tsunami following the 201

16/03/2021

If we had to choose a single photo to symbolize Kesennuma’s response to the disaster ten years ago, this might be the one. His head is bowed, his gaze is down, his world is in ruins behind him. But his jaw is clenched in determination as he carries water to his stricken family. Here’s his story, then and now.

https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/03/000a749db934-feature-japan-tsunami-survivors-trying-to-return-favor-10-yrs-on.html?fbclid=IwAR2ixiRL7WhReBixWdisT-eOiOpWOFwA773gbJSffZf5HtxHhML5IaqcRcU

A large photo on display at a memorial museum for the 2011 earthquake-tsunami disaster in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture in northeastern Japan, shows a 10-year-old boy walking in front of a pile of rubble, his jaw clenched and a bottle of water in each hand.

15/03/2021

This is the monument we couldn’t show you last week! It has now been unveiled, and with profound appreciation we share with you this article by our TOMODACHI.

Oshima residents are taught: "If you feel an earthquake, immediately get to high ground and do not go back for anything or delay for any reason." It is a rule that saves lives.

14/03/2021

A bit of photo wizardry doubles the rainbow of colors in our fish market by night. May your nights and days to come be filled with such beauty!

A fish market facility in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, which was hit hard by a tsunami in the wake of the March 2011 huge earthquake, is lit up in seven colors on Tuesday night, two days before the 10th anniversary of the disaster.

11/03/2021

On March 11, 2011, life ended for so many we loved, and it seemed to end for the city we loved as well. But on that dark day, amid the tremors, the torrents, the flames, and the scramble to survive, a new life began in our midst.

A decade later, Haru Murakami celebrates his 10th birthday with his sister, Akara, by chomping as he did then on a card reading “Arigato” — “Thank you” to all who have helped us. And all of Kesennuma marks this special day in a city reborn and growing and looking forward to a promising future.

Happy Birthday, young Haru-chan, and Happy Rebirthday to our beloved Kesennuma!

Haru at one year old and today; photos courtesy Kesennuma City Public Relations