Former students work to turn tsunami-hit elementary school into social hub

Former students of Okawa Elementary School in the city of Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture — where 84 children and staff lost their lives in the tsunami triggered by the March 11, 2011, Great East Japan Earthquake — are working to turn the site into a community hub.

Tetsuya Tadano, 25, head of the volunteer group Team Okawa: The Future Network, says he wants to do more than just preserve the memory of the tragedy.

“I want to make this a place that connects us to the future,” he said.

Tadano was in fifth grade when the earthquake struck. After evacuating from the schoolyard toward a nearby bridge, he saw the tsunami approaching. He tried to escape up the hill behind the school but was swept away by the waves. He survived, but his sister, who was a third grader in elementary school at the time, as well as many of his friends, his mother, and his grandfather were among those who died.

While Okawa Elementary has been preserved as a disaster memorial, Tadano felt the school was increasingly being defined solely by the tragedy.

“I don't want this to be just a sad place. I want it to be somewhere people want to come back to,” he said. His group began working on the community hub project to change its perception.

Since 2022, the group has hosted an annual event at the school featuring 108 paper lanterns inscribed with messages like “Welcome Home” and “Shining Life” to honor the victims. Last year, for the first time, food trucks were introduced, creating a more relaxed atmosphere where visitors shared shaved ice and yakisoba stir-fried noodles, while children ran around the grounds.

In May 2023, the group leased land near the school from the city and set up two container buildings for office and event use. They also planted cherry trees and plan to add flower beds and a cafe space, creating a welcoming environment where visitors can linger and relax at any time.

“This area has been designated as a disaster hazard zone, so no one can live here anymore,” Tadano said. “But I want Okawa to remain a place that draws people in.”