Yasuo Takamatsu conducts over 760 dives to find wife lost in 2011 tsunami

Yasuo Takamatsu has completed over 760 scuba dives in an ongoing effort to locate the remains of his wife, Yuko, who was lost during the 2011 tsunami in Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture.

After spending two years searching on land without success, Takamatsu began learning to dive in 2013 to search the waters where Yuko was last seen. During the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami, Yuko sent a final message to her husband asking, ‘Are you OK?’ and stating, ‘I want to go home.’ While her mobile phone was eventually recovered, her body has never been found.

Takamatsu has faced significant challenges during his search, including poor visibility caused by debris and thick mud, as well as the physical difficulties of diving in cold, deep waters. He has expressed his intention to continue the search for as long as his physical health permits.