Great East Japan Earthquake: Personal Recollections Highlight Ongoing Memory and Education

A former trainee recounts his experience on March 11 2011 when a strong tremor struck the training school he was attending. He describes the sudden shaking, evacuation down a precarious stairwell, the ensuing aftershocks, loss of phone service, and the chaotic scene at the schoolyard where many families, including his own, sought shelter. He notes the damage to nearby infrastructure, the interruption of utilities, and the difficulty of returning to work amid unclear instructions.

Two university students, who were three years old at the time of the disaster, share their reflections on growing up with fragmented memories of the event. They discuss how a school project and visits to disaster sites helped them engage with the history of the Great East Japan Earthquake. Their interview, organized by Sendai Media Teek’s “3がつ11にちをわすれないためにセンター,” emphasizes the need to preserve personal testimonies for future disaster education.