Images from the Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami

[Mister E]

I had the opportunity to document some of the destruction and tragedy of this disaster for 4 days exactly one month after the earthquake and tsunami. I have several images that I will post here as I continue to go through and upload them. There are links on my flickr MSF and the Red Cross if you feel like donating. This area was extremely devastated. More destruction than any bomb or war could accomplish. Please keep the Japanese people in your thoughts despite the news no longer carrying stories about this topic.



Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan by NateVenture, on Flickr


Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan by NateVenture, on Flickr


Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan by NateVenture, on Flickr


Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan by NateVenture, on Flickr


Sendai Airport, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan by NateVenture, on Flickr

 

[Mister E]

Sendai Port, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan by NateVenture, on Flickr


Sendai Port, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan by NateVenture, on Flickr

 

[Keith]

The devastation is really highlighted by the clear blue skies in that last shot. I like all of these but that really stands out.

Thanks for posting this reminder of what the Japanese people are still suffering.

 

[Mister E]

Keith, thank you for looking.


Sendai Port, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan by NateVenture, on Flickr


Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan by NateVenture, on Flickr

 

[GSNfan]

I read somewhere in this forum that photography is banned in Tsunami hit areas because of disaster tourists. How did you manage to take these photos?

 

[mgd711]

It will take a long time for Japan to recover from this, but more worrying is that the scientist's are predicting a second Tohoku earthquake with in 12 months. Also, the last science meeting I attended on the ship there was a prediction of a large quake in the Nankai trough in the next 10 years. The prediction is worrying as the same scientist's predicted the Tohoku earthquake in 2001 when they said a large quake and tsumani would hit the area with in 15 years, only the quake was much larger than predicted.

 

[Mister E]

I read somewhere in this forum that photography is banned in Tsunami hit areas because of disaster tourists. How did you manage to take these photos?

Japan is a free (mostly) country. I have not heard of such a rule. It is true that there were a lot of disaster tourists, or so it seemed, on the weekend, and they were 100% Japanese. We handed out some relief supplies: toys, beer, etc which I felt made us a bit better than just two people up there to see this damage with their own eyes. We offered help to several people too. I lived in a car and tent without a shower for that time. Not at all equivalent to the conditions the survivors are in, but I also wasn't staying in a 4 star hotel like Naschwey and all the photojournalists up there in Sendai.

I didn't see another foreigner aside from my friend that came with me the entire 4 days and 1500kms. The expressway to Iwaki (it's 40km from Fukushima Daiichi the entire way) was empty aside from one or two cars. I was able to get just inside the exclusion zone, 28km from Daiichi and 18km or so from Daini before I was nearly arrested by the police.

 

[Mister E]

It will take a long time for Japan to recover from this, but more worrying is that the scientist's are predicting a second Tohoku earthquake with in 12 months. Also, the last science meeting I attended on the ship there was a prediction of a large quake in the Nankai trough in the next 10 years. The prediction is worrying as the same scientist's predicted the Tohoku earthquake in 2001 when they said a large quake and tsumani would hit the area with in 15 years, only the quake was much larger than predicted.

On a long enough timeline they are always right. I predicted there will be at least one major earthquake in Asia in 2001 within the next 10 years and I was right. Does that mean I know what I'm talking about? I also made about a million other guesses that didn't come true, just like most of these scientists. Being right once in 300 tries doesn't make me fret in anticipation of the next big one. Life is short, too short to live in worry; however, I'm certainly out of the market for property with an ocean view!

 

[mgd711]

Life is too short to worry, you are correct but I'm sure you know I work with those scientist's who are trying to build an early warning system for earthquakes. Either way, I'll stay in Japan and hope that for the next one we can give a 5 minute warning.

 

[Mister E]

Oh yeah, that work is exciting and I'm a fan. More power to them.

 

[mooge]

how much notice did the people there have before the tsunami?

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your Xpan stuff is awesome, Nate.

 

[mgd711]

how much notice did the people there have before the tsunami?

-----
your Xpan stuff is awesome, Nate.

In the area's directly to the West of the earthquake I think there was about a 10 minute warning. Shortly after the earthquake I was told there was a 10 meter tsunami coming, that would have been due about 3pm but where I was the tsunami didn't arrive until 3.35pm.

 

[newsgrunt]

I didn't see another foreigner aside from my friend that came with me the entire 4 days and 1500kms. The expressway to Iwaki (it's 40km from Fukushima Daiichi the entire way) was empty aside from one or two cars. I was able to get just inside the exclusion zone, 28km from Daiichi and 18km or so from Daini before I was nearly arrested by the police.

A friend and colleague was in the Fukushima Exclusion Zone for Newsweek.

http://bit.ly/fTkRcJ

 

[Mister E]

how much notice did the people there have before the tsunami?

-----
your Xpan stuff is awesome, Nate.

Thank you, about 30 minutes.

 

[Mister E]

A friend and colleague was in the Fukushima Exclusion Zone for Newsweek.

http://bit.ly/fTkRcJ

Yep, I've seen the work. That's what inspired me to go. Unfortunately I was short on time or I would have been in there too. My Japanese friend went right up to the plant, but as a foreigner they would have arrested me. They were worried that I was Greenpeace or something like that. They weren't happy that I had something like 25 gallons of gas in my trunk. My friend as a Japanese person was able to lie and say he was picking up belongings from his house.

 

[Mister E]

In the area's directly to the West of the earthquake I think there was about a 10 minute warning. Shortly after the earthquake I was told there was a 10 meter tsunami coming, that would have been due about 3pm but where I was the tsunami didn't arrive until 3.35pm.

They told me they also had about a 30 minute warning.

 

[BillBingham2]

........Please keep the Japanese people in your thoughts despite the news no longer carrying stories about this topic.......

Mr. E,

The Japanese people are still and will be in my thoughts and prayers for many years. First your shots are great. They remind me of when to Mississippi on the Gulf one year after Katrina kit. Sadly I have to say that out of sight is out of mind over here in the US. I hear dribs and snippets of info about things not going well with the reactors over there but nothing more. With so much power at our hands it's sad that we often ignore the good it can do.

Good on you as the saying goes for helping out while you were there.

Thanks for sharing. Stay safe, have fun and do good.

B2

 

[mgd711]

They told me they also had about a 30 minute warning.

OK, when the Japanese cell phones all started going off with the tsunami warning they said "3pm 10 meter tsunami". There was a sense of disbelief though amongst the Japanese about the size of the tsunami, my technical manager just shook his head and said "I think error!", which probably explains why so many people stayed at home.

 

[Mister E]

Mr. E,

The Japanese people are still and will be for many years. First your shots are great. They remind me of when to Mississippi on the Gulf one year after Katrina kit. Sadly I have to say that out of sight is out of mind over here in the US. I hear dribs and snippets of info about things not going well with the reactors over there but nothing more. With so much power at our hands it's sad that we often ignore the good it can do.

Good on you as the saying goes for helping out while you were there.

Thanks for sharing. Stay safe, have fun and do good.

B2

I live about as far as you can live from the Tohoku region in Japan and it's completely out of mind here too.

 

[Mister E]

OK, when the Japanese cell phones all started going off with the tsunami warning they said "3pm 10 meter tsunami". There was a sense of disbelief though amongst the Japanese about the size of the tsunami, my technical manager just shook his head and said "I think error!", which probably explains why so many people stayed at home.

Which there were several places that a 30m wall of water hit. One man showed us the high water line which was at least 30 meters high. Most of the people I talked to all headed the warnings. Only a few people either ignored them or couldn't get out of the way of the tsunami in time, mostly the elderly. Like you said, they predicted the tsunami to hit at 3PM and because it didn't hit for about 20 minutes after that people were unsure if it was safe to try and rescue people that couldn't escape on their own.