People who survived the tsunami that hit Tohoku on March 11, 2011, describe a moving wall of muddy black water that engulfed land, homes, business and lives.
At its tallest, the water is estimated to have been 40.5 meters high, as the waves funneled into the town of Miyako, Iwate Prefecture. In the decade since, survivors of the disaster have attempted to rebuild, and in doing so protect themselves from a repeat of what happened on March 11.
In the run-up to the 10th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, I have visited Tohoku twice: once to Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, ahead of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, and then to Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, last month.
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