Inamura-no-Hi no Yakata, Tsunami museum in Hirogawa, Japan
Inamura-no-Hi no Yakata is a museum in Wakayama Prefecture focused on tsunami science and how communities protect themselves from waves. The exhibits display photographs, artifacts, and information explaining how these events happen and what people can do to stay safe.
The museum honors Hamaguchi Goryo, who in 1854 set fire to rice sheaves during a tsunami following the Nankai Earthquake to guide villagers to higher ground. This act saved many lives and remains important in local memory.
The place keeps alive the knowledge that coastal people built over time about reading ocean signs and protecting themselves from waves. Stories of those who shared this knowledge remain present in how the building is used today.
The museum sits in Wakayama Prefecture and opens daily, making it easy to visit at your own pace. Wearing comfortable shoes is a good idea, as the surroundings invite you to explore and the walk to the building takes some time.
The museum displays a reproduction of a 19th-century watchtower where observers once monitored ocean conditions and relayed warnings. These towers were the original communication system before modern technology arrived.
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