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Tsunami warning stone, Japan, at 38.44827, 141.44534 ^[1]

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Description

Image: Onagawa Stone Memorial of Life tsunami warning tablets submitted by Aska Onagawa Stone Memorial of Life tsunami warning tablets Modern Stone Circle / Monolith in Honshū

After the 2011.3.11 great tsunami which swallowed the Onagawa town and 1000 citizens, the pupils of Onagawa Junior High School, who entered the school in April of that year (aged 12-13), decided to erect the new tsunami warning tablet for the Onagawa citizens of the centuries to come. Their scheme is to build the tablets on all the shores in the town until they come of age(20). They had succeeded to raise the money (450,000 yen for each tablet × 21 tablets × taxes) and to get the offer of free stones from a local stonemason in 2013, the erection started. Then adults followed to plant the nursery cherry trees beside the tablets.

The inscription by the pupils:

Onagawa Stone Memorial of Life:for the people of Onagawa - past, present and future. 2011.3.11 This point is higher than the reaching line of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake-caused Tsunami.

Countless lives were lost in the Great East Japan Earthquake. The large tsunami that followed the earthquake was devastating - it ravaged the entire town, and washed away our houses. On that day the people of Onagawa suffered untold losses.

'Never again! So that future generation will never again endure such sadness nor agony'. This is our creed.

To protect the lives of generations a thousand years hence, we believe it is convictive that following measures be observed:

1.Strengthen the daily bonds between the people and to build the community to help each other at the times of disaster and need.

2.Build the town on a higher places and prepare evacuation routes. 3.Pass on the memories and the record of the earthquake to the future generations. We erected this stone a reminder to the people of Onagawa of the lessons learned from that day.

The tsunami reached this point. Do not removed this stone.

In the event of a large earthquake, head to higher ground - some place located at an altitude above this stone.

There may be some who refuse to run: stand still is not an option - force them to run. There may be some who attempt to return to their homes: hold them back - if needed by force.

What a kind of place is Onagawa today? We pray and hope that the Onagawa of tomorrow is a place filled with laughter, and that there are fewer people who shed tears of sorrow.

March 2014, Alumni of Onagawa Middle School

In contrast to the old tablets much of which were inscribed in pedantic Chinese sentences as difficult as Latin language, they selected plain sentences and English, French and Chinese translations are described on the verso of the tablets.

Each tablet has a short poem like haiku written by pupil on its recto.

References