Escape to higher ground immediately!

Once you’ve escaped, you must not return

A great amount of information was recorded when the Great East Japan Earthquake happened. Photographs and videos were shot on mobile phones and smartphones, messages were sent through email and social media, while mobile phones and car navigation systems provided GPS information. All these sources provide “big data” which can be used to analyze the movements of people on the day of the disaster.

When an earthquake strikes, people are expected to make their way away from the coast if there is a tsunami warning. In contrast, data from the time of the event shows that people moved in the opposite direction, to areas that were soon to flood. They headed home in order to try and collect family members and evacuate together. This appears to have occurred in many of the coastal towns and settlements that were struck by the tsunami.

“After the big tremor, I started to tidy up the mess in the house, just like everyone else was doing. I was too slow to evacuate”

When people are unsure of the right thing to do, they tend to think that if they do the same thing that everyone else is doing, they’ll be fine. In the Great East Japan Earthquake, there were many people who failed to evacuate because they saw that other people were not doing so.
When an earthquake hits, don’t imagine that everything is fine just because other people are not evacuating. If you feel a tremor, take action and evacuate.

“This spot wasn’t hit by the tsunami from the Chile earthquake, so it’ll be fine” “It’s a concrete house, so it’s sturdy and won’t get washed away” “I didn’t take it seriously enough”

When in danger, humans feel a great deal of stress. However, they also want to avoid big stresses as much as possible, so they end up unconsciously disregarding the dangers lying before them. When encountering abnormal situations, they think: “This shouldn’t be happening.” In situations where danger can be anticipated, they think: “It won’t happen to me.” They ignore information that is inconvenient to them.

Many residents were unaware of the history of past tsunamis Passing on memories of tsunami damage is vital

Surveys interviewing residents have revealed that no matter how big the disaster, as time passes, it will be remembered in certain places and forgotten in others. Particularly in areas that have experienced many major tsunamis, it is vital for all people, whether born in the area or newcomers, to have information on past tsunamis and the damage they caused, and to keep passing that information on to others.

Q: When the Great East Japan Earthquake struck, did you think about past big tsunamis that you had heard about?

In comparison to Iwate Prefecture, less than half the people Miyagi Prefecture thought of past tsunamis.

Q: Did you know about the 1933 Sanriku Earthquake and Tsunami?

It appears that newcomers to the area were less aware of past tsunamis than people born there were.
In addition, a comparison of Kesennuma City in Miyagi Prefecture to Rikuzentakata City in Iwate Prefecture revealed a large difference in the level of awareness of the 1933 tsunami, despite both cities being located on the same part of the coast.

Memories of destructive tsunamis are passed down from grandparents and parents through conversations

Stone monuments, place names, relics, and ceremonies are all ways in which memories of disasters can be handed down to following generations. According to the results of a survey conducted after the Great East Japan Earthquake, sources of information about the destruction caused by past tsunamis were mainly parents, grandparents, and mass media. Memories stay alive through everyday conversations in the family about tsunamis.

Ｑ: How did you find out about past tsunamis?

In contrast to the 1933 Sanriku Earthquake and Tsunami, which is a relatively recent event and which many people had heard about from parents or grandparents, there are no living survivors of the 1896 Sanriku Earthquake and Tsunami, so relatively more people had heard about this disaster through mass media. Even in parts of Japan that have suffered tsunamis many times in the past, the family acting as the source of information about past tsunamis only extends back three generations. This means it is important for everyone to continue to talk about our memories of tsunamis.

Let's talk about how to escape right now

In the local area

Are there any dangers along the evacuation route? Check out safe routes!

At school

There’s no way of knowing when an earthquake or tsunami will strike. Drills are important!

At home

If an earthquake strikes, play it safe and anticipate a tsunami too. Don’t waste a moment before escaping!