Tsunami hit more than 100 designated evacuation sites

[AsahinaKimi]

No safe haven: Koganji Temple in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, lies in ruins after being devastated by a tsunami on March 11. The temple had been designated as an evacuation site, but it was not far enough from the coast to escape the powerful waves

KYODO NEWS/JAPAN TIMES

More than 100 evacuation sites designated by local governments were swept away or inundated by the tsunami triggered by the March 11 earthquake just off the Tohoku region's coast, according to a tally compiled by Kyodo News.

Many people are thought to have lost their lives after fleeing to those sites, believing they would be safe, but no data have so far been collected on the death toll at those places.

There have been no moves so far among citizens to hold local governments responsible for designating those sites, apparently because the scale of the tsunami was beyond what had been foreseen.

But calls will likely grow for a review of locations of evacuation sites along coastal regions. Municipalities throughout the country had picked around 70,000 such sites as of April 1, 2008, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

At least 101 designated sites were hit by the disaster in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima, the three Pacific coast prefectures struck hardest by the gigantic waves after the quake, according to the tally.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110414a4.html

[FiveGoodMen]

1. Were these sites above or below the 600-year-old markers

that said "Don't build below here"?

[AsahinaKimi]

2. information I got is

In Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, Koganji Temple, located just under 1 kilometer from the shore, was a designated evacuation site

Not sure how old this temple is, there is more here:
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110328p2a00m0na006000c.html

[uppityperson]

3. A bit more from OP, temple survived the big 1896 tsunami...

In Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, Koganji Temple, located just under 1 km from the shore, was a designated evacuation site. The temple survived the big tsunami of 1896 and had held a disaster preparedness drill just one week before the March 11 tsunami.

[malaise]

5. Great question

People never follow good advice

[uppityperson]

4. So sad, thank you for continuing to post stories about the tsunami

I am interested in finding out more, hearing how people are doing. Seems to be quite overshadowed by the nuke disaster as far as media coverage, I appreciate your taking time to post these.

[slackmaster]

6. The key difference between Japan and the US being that Japan has lots of evacuation sites

:hide:

[AsahinaKimi]

7. by the way ... this painting

The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai, a wood block print was published sometime between 1830 and 1833 during the Edo period. Its my guess the Japanese have been dealing with Huge waves for a long, long time. This is the most famous of his series that feature Mt. Fuji.



And as someone pointed out, nearly 600 years ago, Buddhist monks posted that there were certain areas far more safer to live, then by the shore line.

[slackmaster]

8. I visited the Daibutsu Shrine in Kamakura City in 1996

The largest bronze Buddha in Asia was lifted off its foundation and moved by a tsunami in 1498 or so.

It's really magnificent. If you go there, by all means pay the token 20 yen or whatever they charge to go inside of the statue. Don't miss the gift shop.



Edit - smaller image.