9th summer after the earthquake 30 beaches in 3 prefectures of Tohoku resumed August 11, 4:38

It has been 8 years and 5 months in 11 days since the Great East Japan Earthquake. The 69 major beaches in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima were temporarily closed due to the tsunami, but it turned out that 30 places have resumed so far, the ninth summer since the earthquake.

Eight years ago, all 69 major beaches in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima were damaged by the tsunami, and the beaches were scraped and the ground subsided, closing them.

After that, it gradually resumed, and NHK interviewed three prefectures, and it was found that swimming was resumed at 30 beaches, which is about 40% of the total so far.

The 9th summer after the earthquake was the first time in 9 years at the Koizumi Beach in Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture, the Nehama Beach in Kashiishi City, Iwate Prefecture, and the Hokusen Beach in Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture. The former bustle is being regained little by little, including the opening of the sea.

On the other hand, more than half of the beaches have not been restarted because the construction of the seawall has not been completed. In addition, it is difficult to rebuild sea houses and secure life savers. It is mentioned that the outlook is unsatisfactory due to the accident.

Beaches are also an important tourism resource for the region, and there is a long-awaited resumption as soon as possible to boost reconstruction.

Sea opening with seawall construction and sand beach restoration

Koizumi Beach in Motoyoshi-cho, Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture was closed due to the tsunami of the earthquake, but after the construction of the seawall and restoration work on the sandy beach, the sea opened for the first time in nine years on the 20th of last month. Welcomed.

Before the earthquake, it was selected as one of the 100 best beaches selected by the Ministry of the Environment, and the beach was visited by about 50,000 people every year.

Local high school students and residents planned an event to sell the shaved ice and played taiko drums at the store to raise the sea opening for the first time in nine years.

A woman in her 30s who visited with a child from Kurihara City in the inland area of ​​Miyagi Prefecture said, “It is a place of memories that came every year before the earthquake. The scenery has changed, but the children are happy I'm glad you gave me. "

Koizumi Beach was known as one of the leading surfing spots in Japan before the earthquake, and a national tournament was held.

Yumi Suzuki (52), who runs a surf shop near the coast, was one of the people who had been waiting for the reopening of the beach.

Suzuki, who started surfing when he was in his twenties, was swept away by a shop that doubled as his home in the tsunami of the earthquake. Mr. Suzuki, who once gave up the reconstruction of the changing beach, is supported by surfing friends all over the country.

Mr. Suzuki, who continues to live in the evacuation shelter, received relief supplies every day and stood up again to regain the surfing beach.

While other surf shops decided to close their business one after another, the business was resumed at prefabricated shops about four months after the earthquake. We also removed the rubble from the beach and held a small surfing competition near the beach.

With the reopening of the beach, the area where you can enjoy surfing will expand. Mr. Suzuki hopes that it will lead to the reconstruction of the region, “I hope we can hold a nationwide surfing competition here, just like before the earthquake. I want to create a beach that everyone can get to know by holding various events and opening various events. "

Some areas are beach-based and protected by residents

On the other hand, there are also beaches where the beautiful sandy beach is protected by the power of residents and the resumption is awaited. This is the Otani Beach in Motoyoshi-cho, Kesennuma City.

The Otani Beach, where Shirahama stretches for about 2 km, was selected as one of the 100 best beaches selected by the Ministry of the Environment, and was a suitable beach for the words of “Shirasuna Aomatsu”.

In front of you is Otani Kaigan Station on the JR Kesennuma Line, which is called “the closest station to Japan's beach”. At the peak of the 1970s, more than 400,000 people a year. 5000 bathers visited.

However, most of the beautiful sandy beaches and tide forests were lost due to the tsunami, and the government suggested that a tide bank be constructed on the sandy beach.

Residents have risen to a situation where the beach that was the center of tourism has disappeared. One of them is Tomoyuki Miura (39) who lost her mother in the tsunami.

In order to protect the beach, I have been working as the secretariat of the town development review committee made by residents.

Mr. Miura and others made a community-based study session and made a town development plan that leaves a beach. After about four years of negotiations with the government, it was agreed that a national road that would also serve as a tide embankment about 10 meters high would be built on the land side about 70 meters from the coast, leaving a beach.

A roadside station and other facilities are also planned near the beach, and construction is underway with the aim of opening the sea in the next year, 10 years after the earthquake.

Mr. Miura, who is currently a city council member in Kesennuma, says, “We want to regain the bustle of the area by gathering many people at the beach again.”