Fudai, village in Shimohei district, Iwate prefecture, Japan
Fudai is a small village in Shimohei district, Iwate Prefecture, on the Pacific coast of Japan. It sits in a forested mountain valley that opens toward the sea, with traditional houses arranged along narrow roads that follow the natural shape of the land.
Fudai grew over generations as a fishing community on the Pacific coast, with its life organized around the sea and the risks that came with it. In the 1950s, the village mayor Kotoku Wada pushed through the construction of a large protective wall despite strong opposition from residents who saw it as an unnecessary expense.
The name Fudai reflects its historical connection to fishing and commerce. The tight-knit community has maintained its traditional way of life, with older houses and narrow streets forming the fabric of daily life.
The village is reached by winding mountain roads that can become slippery in wet or cold conditions, so driving carefully is important. Summer months generally offer the easiest access and the clearest views of the coastline and the protective wall.
The wall that Mayor Wada fought to build was, at the time of its completion, the tallest of its kind in Japan. When the 2011 tsunami hit the region, Fudai was one of the very few coastal villages to come through largely unharmed, while many nearby towns suffered devastating losses.
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