Fukushima School Ruins, Japan

These Fukushima School Ruins lie just 250 metres away from the beautiful Pacific Ocean. The beach is only a short walk away. The school was once a seaside elementary school, for ages 6-12. This area was struck by a tsunami on the 11th March 2011 and was evacuated.

Exploring the abandoned school ruins in 2019

We visited Fukushima School Ruins in the spring of 2019. The tour report is covered in a two-part blog feature; Part 1 and Part 2. The main area we explored was the gymnasium. We didn’t want to linger long, as the surrounding area was busy with workers. A car left unattended next to ruin is not exactly subtle.

The gymnasium ceiling design is reminiscent of the bow of a boat. This is reflecting the strong maritime industry of the town. Reports state the tsunami waters reached the very top of the gym walls. The floor has partially collapsed due to the water damage.

March 11th 2011 – The Great Tsunami strikes the school

When the tsunami warning was issued, the school had only 40 minutes to evacuate. 82 students and 14 teachers evacuated as soon as the sirens sounded. They relocated to a refuge which was 2km away, on the high ground of a nearby hill. Subsequently, a truck driver arrived to help them. He loaded the staff and pupils into his cargo hold. He transported them to the nearby town. Here they assembled in a nearby town hall, along with many other evacuees.

After the floodwaters receded, emergency rescue teams were dispatched to the area. These service people left messages on the school blackboards. Later, locals returned and added their own messages to the blackboards.

In the days that followed the tsunami, a second disaster struck. The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant went into meltdown, due to flood-damaged incapacitating the cooling system. As a result, the town designated exclusion zone was evacuated entirely. The Fukushima School Ruins were left silent and empty.

Saving lives by breaking emergency protocol

There is a little more to the story that is reported on some websites. It is claimed that protocol in this situation, was for everyone to remain inside the school. Schools are earthquake-proof, and often designated evacuation muster points. If this was indeed the protocol, then whoever decided to ignore this arguable is responsible for saving the lives of over 100 people. If the staff and pupils had remained inside the school, it is certain there would have been many fatalities. The immense tsunami inundated the school would have been a death sentence. Thankfully, the swift decision to escape to the nearby hill meant that everyone survived, Moreover, everyone was uninjured which is nothing short of a miracle.

The future of the Fukushima School Ruins

Fukushima is moving on, as many of the ruined coastal buildings in this region are demolished. However, it is important to remember the past so that we may never forget. While buildings around the school are levelled, the school is being preserved. Work began in the summer of 2020 to stabilise the building and make it safe. Eventually it will become part of a 5,2000 square meter monument park. The centre will include video displays and exhibitions about 2011 natural and nuclear. disaster. The blackboard messages left scrawled in the classrooms will be preserved.