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Yasuo Takamatsu search for wife lost in 2011 tsunami

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2026-10-04 19:13 UTC → 2026-10-22 01:21 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Yasuo Takamatsu has conducted an ongoing search for his wife, Yuko, who was lost during the 2011 tsunami in Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture. After two years of searching on land, Takamatsu began learning to scuba 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 recovered, her body was never found. Takamatsu recalls their last conversation was a mundane discussion about dinner before he dropped her off at work. Operating out of Onagawa Port, Takamatsu travels by small fishing boat to dive several kilometers offshore. He has now completed 763 dives, averaging approximately two dives per month over the course of 15 years. His efforts began after professional rescue divers were unable to locate Yuko or many other missing persons following the disaster. Takamatsu has faced challenges including cold, deep waters and poor visibility caused by debris and mud. He has maintained a this routine ~~of diving near Onagawa twice a month for over 13 years~~ as a way to feel close to his wife, expressing his intention to continue the search as long as his health permits.

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