It's nearly one year since the terrible earthquake and tsunami disaster of March 11, 2011. There are probably many memorial services going on that day. I will go to Ishinomaki that morning.
Here's a story I just found from the Telegraph UK: The man who floated out to sea on his house remembers the tragedy:
Nearly one year after he was rescued floating on the roof of his destroyed home 10 miles out to sea, Hiromitsu Shinkawa says all that he wants now is a peaceful life. Shinkawa, 61, moved to an apartment in the city of Kawasaki in August of last year to be closer to his daughter and 2-year-old grandson, but will be returning to the town of Minami Soma for the anniversary of the event that made his miraculous escape front-page news around the world.
When he was rescued by a passing warship on March 13 - 43 hours after he was swept out to sea by the retreating tsunami - Hiromitsu gulped down an energy drink and immediately burst into tears. "I thought today was the last day of my life," he told his rescuers.
Shinkawa and his wife, Yuuko, had returned to their home after Japan's magnitude-9 earthquake on March 11 to try to save some of their possessions, but were caught by the tsunami. Shinkawa was on the second floor of the house when the wave crashed through the windows. (Read more here.)
What's also incredible is that, don't forget, it was winter and snowing when this disaster hit so it was freezing cold. It's a miracle that this guy didn't die from exposure.
What's also incredible is that, don't forget, it was winter and snowing when this disaster hit so it was freezing cold. It's a miracle that this guy didn't die from exposure.
By the way, my friends Michio Hashimoto and Ken Nishikawa who went with me to Ishinomaki right after the disaster last year (and Ken and I made the documentary) will be going up again on March 11 this year. We are going to go look for the Japanese couple who were in our documentary (below) and take them gifts and see how they are doing. We also plan to shoot another documentary about "one year after."
The original documentary, "Ishinomaki - The Black Water" is here:
The original documentary, "Ishinomaki - The Black Water" is here:
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