Ishinomaki Municipal Okawa Elementary School, Memorial from 2011 tsunami disaster in Ishinomaki, Japan
Okawa Shōgakkō is a preserved school building in Ishinomaki that documents the destruction caused by the March 2011 earthquake and ocean waves. The three-story concrete structure displays broken windows, collapsed walls, and mud in the lower floors, while the gymnasium and schoolyard bear visible marks from the flood waters.
The school opened in 1873 and served the community until March 11, 2011, when the earthquake and subsequent waves struck the building. After years of debate, local authorities decided in 2018 to preserve the ruins as a learning site for future generations.
The facility takes its name from the Okawa River that flows near the site and played a role in the disaster. Visitors today see classrooms with abandoned desks and personal belongings that show how suddenly lessons ended that day.
The site lies about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) inland and opens daily except Wednesdays from 9 AM to 5 PM. Visitors should wear sturdy footwear and allow enough time to walk through the outdoor areas and read the information panels.
The school grounds sit in a flat plain between mountains and ocean, which complicated evacuation choices on the day of the disaster. A nearby hill could have been reached in minutes, but teachers hesitated because they could not assess the exact scale of the danger.
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