【＃安倍昭恵さん】想いと教訓をつなぐ…児童74人が犠牲…震災13年追悼の大川竹あかり

This year, 13 years after the Great East Japan Earthquake, the Noto Peninsula Earthquake struck. Disasters can happen to us at any time. Parents who lost children in Tohoku are lighting lamps to convey their feelings. [It's changed so much.] Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture. New seafood processing plants line the coast. [Mr. Ito] "Most of the people on the boats are from Southeast Asia. Both Kesennuma City and Minamisanriku Town have seen their populations decrease by 30-40%. In just over 10 years." Even though the town has changed, the memory of the earthquake remains… "We decided to evacuate here and even conducted evacuation drills. On the day of the earthquake, it was difficult to reach higher ground, so 30 people—including many pregnant women and elderly—were saved at this spiral staircase. Humans face many difficulties, but what we learn from them changes our lives." Meanwhile, Ishinomaki City suffered many casualties. [Kazutaka Sato] "The tsunami wiped out 200 meters of the opposite bank of this bridge. The tsunami went over the very top of the bridge's railing..." Okawa Elementary School was located near the river. Thirteen years ago, on March 11th, 74 children who began evacuating near the bridge under the guidance of teachers and staff became victims of the tsunami. This was 51 minutes after the earthquake. [Kazutaka Sato] "If they had run that far, they would have been saved." If they had run to the hill behind the school, if they had been prepared, many children could have been saved. [Kazutaka Sato] "It really only takes a minute for a child to climb. They climbed up so quickly." Mr. Sato's son, Yuki, was in the sixth grade at the time. This photo was taken five days before he died. On Sunday, bamboo lanterns were lined up near the school building. [Mihiro Sato] "Things like this leave a lasting impression." These were made by parents who lost children and volunteers. Snow has started to fall. In another location, the lanterns are being given their final touches. [Kazutaka Sato] "We hold workshops every Sunday, for a total of five days. This is the third time this year, and over 500 people have come to help." This is the third year for the Okawa Bamboo Lantern Festival. We continue this to convey the importance of life and to pass on disaster preparedness to the future. [Kazutaka Sato] "There was an earthquake and tsunami in Ishikawa Prefecture, and watching it on TV reminded me of what happened 13 years ago, or rather, I think it brought back memories that we had almost forgotten for the citizens and residents of the prefecture. We want to use these bamboo lanterns to spread awareness about disaster prevention." The woman who conceived the idea for the bamboo lanterns at Okawa Elementary School was Akie Abe, the wife of the late former Prime Minister Abe. The story of how the bereaved families met Akie Abe is… Kazutaka: "Akie-san was visiting places where the children of Fukushima were…" Akie: "I saw her posting on social media about her visits to the disaster areas at the time." Kazutaka: "I was like, 'She's going to places where the children are still alive, this is no joke! Does she even know that 70 people died at Okawa Elementary School?' I complained to her at length on social media. Then she immediately contacted me saying she would come over on such and such a date, and that's how our relationship started." Akie: "It's been a long relationship, hasn't it? (laughs)" The children brought them together, and their relationship has continued for 10 years now. That's how the bamboo lantern project began. [Toshiro Sato] "Bamboo lanterns are like light shining through a tiny hole... Lately, I've been thinking that man-made disasters are a source of hope. Because people can do something about it. We can't stop natural disasters, but man-made disasters mean we can save lives, so it's nothing but hope. Even though the lives lost can't be brought back, if it can help save future lives, then at least Yuki and Mizuho can connect to the future, even if only in that small way." To never forget that day, to never forget the children who lost their lives. [The Sound of the Wind] March 11th of this year. It was a warm day, a stark contrast to the day before. [Sato Mihiro] "Strangely, it always clears up on this day... Even though it's sunny, our hearts are clouded." [Konno Hiroyuki] "It's complicated, isn't it? Because if the children were alive, we wouldn't have to do this, but they've passed away, and we feel we have to do something, and this is one of those things. Also, to let everyone know." [Sato Kazutaka] "I think it's important to save the lives we can save and to have a strong awareness of disaster prevention beforehand." ~Lighting~ [Konno Hitomi] "Even though 13 years have passed, the more time goes by, the more we remember, and it makes us think that something that should never have happened really did happen here. That's why we light these bamboo lanterns a...