Japan Tsunami Anniversary: Father Remembers Daughter Lost in 2011 Disaster

This is the scene in Ishinomaki on that fateful day of March 11, 2011 when an earthquake and tsunami struck the coastal city. It was one of the hardest hit, having lost more than 3,000 residents. 84 of them were lost at this one school.

This father found his daughter Mai underneath the dirt and dug her up Noriyuki Suzuki believes the school never had a proper disaster plan in place and wants others to learn from it.

Noriyuki lost his 12-year old daughter here in the 2011 tsunami. Very little remains of her Okawa Elementary School where she attended. The water came up to where a white sign is up on a hill. If the 84 kids had just evacuated above the white sign, then their lives could have been saved.
Instead, the teachers led the students the wrong direction where there was a dead end and that’s where the waves crashed over them.

“When I found her, I saw feet. She had her school shoes on. And there I saw Mai written in kanji,” said Noriyuki. “If I could see her again, I’d just want to embrace her. I wouldn’t have the right words”

Noriyuki wants the world to know what happened here. He says the Olympic torch relay was the perfect opportunity. He applied and was selected as one of the torchbearers who reflect the Olympic spirit.

“It’s not just to run,” says Noriyuki. “I want to run with Mai and the lost kids.”

Japan is preparing for the 2020 Summer Olympics with a pledge to host the first games powered entirely with renewable energy, and it would like nothing more than to put the legacy of the nuclear disaster behind it.

The tragic events of March 11, 2011, are the single biggest reason for the smudgy stain on a country that used to lead on climate change. Fifty-four nuclear reactors once supplied almost a third of Japan’s electricity, free from greenhouse-gas emissions. That gave Japan an enviable profile among wealthy nations. The massive earthquake and tsunami triggered meltdowns at three reactors operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co. Holdings Inc. (Tepco), forcing the country to slam the brakes on nuclear energy. Today, 24 of Japan’s 33 operable reactors remain offline.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2TwO8Gm

QUICKTAKE ON SOCIAL:
Follow QuickTake on Twitter: twitter.com/quicktake
Like QuickTake on Facebook: facebook.com/quicktake
Follow QuickTake on Instagram: instagram.com/quicktake
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://bit.ly/2FJ0oQZ
Email us at quicktakenews@gmail.com

QuickTake by Bloomberg is a global news network delivering up-to-the-minute analysis on the biggest news, trends and ideas for a new generation of leaders.


In This Story: Climate Change

Climate Change is the name commonly given to the notion that the Earth is undergoing a changing climate as a result of human activity, including notable leaders, scientists and naturalists including Sir David Attenborough.

Climate change includes both the global warming driven by human emissions of greenhouse gases, and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns.

2 Recent Items: Climate Change

LONGi: China takes center stage in global renewable energy transformation

Watch: Davos 2024 – Rebuilding Confidence

In This Story: Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia located in the northwest Pacific Ocean. Part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, Japan comprises an archipelago of 6,852 islands covering 377,975 square kilometers (145,937 sq mi); the country’s five main islands, from north to south, are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa. Tokyo is Japan’s capital and largest city.

Japan is divided into 47 administrative prefectures and eight traditional regions. The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, with more than 37.4 million residents.

Japan is a great power and a member of numerous international organizations, including the United Nations (since 1956), the OECD, and the G7. Japan is a leader in the automotive and electronics industries.

4 Recent Items: Japan

Why The World Is Rushing Back To The Moon

Japan lands on Moon but glitch threatens mission | BBC News

Japan’s lunar craft lands successfully but can’t generate solar power

We Talk: New Zealanders say Japan should consider other countries’ interests

Leave a Comment

We don't require your email address, or your name, for anyone to leave a comment. If you do add an email address, you may be notified if there are replies to your comment - we won't use it for any other purpose. Please make respectful comments, which add value, and avoid personal attacks on others. Links are not allowed in comments - 99% of spam comments, attempt to post links. Please describe where people may find additional information - for example "visit the UN website" or "search Google for..." rather than posting a link. Comments failing to adhere to these guidelines will not be published.