2: ‘The children were murdered by an invisible monster … It has no human warmth.’ – Ikegami, op. cit., p. 20. The rest of the quotations in this passage are from my interviews with Sayomi and Takahiro Shito.
Predestination
1: she was evolving into what Japanese call hotoke-sama – for more on the hotoke-sama, see Smith, op. cit., pp. 50–56.
There May Be Gaps in Memory
1: the symbolic ruins – Richard Lloyd Parry, ‘Tsunami survivors face dilemma over its haunting ruins’, The Times, 24 August 2012; Eugene Hoshiko, ‘Legacies of a disaster dot Japan’s tsunami coast’, Associated Press, 10 March 2016; ‘Residents divided over preservation of remains 5 years after disaster’, Kyodo News, 10 March 2016.
2: ‘The Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima was preserved …’ – ‘Alumni of tsunami-devastated Miyagi school ask for support to preserve building’, Mainichi Shimbun, 5 December 2014.
3: Tetsuya spoke at a symposium at Meiji University – recording in the collection of Hideaki Tadano.
Consolation for the Spirits
1: the story of a man named Fukuji – Kunio Yanagita, The Legends of Tono, tr. Ronald A. Morse (Lanham, 2008 [1910]), pp. 58–59.
Save Don’t Fall to Sea
1: None of the towns destroyed by the wave had been rebuilt – Zoning regulations were introduced which banned the construction of residential property in areas inundated by the wave. Businesses could still operate there, but homes were to be relocated inland, or to higher ground.
2: nothing that mattered would be significantly changed – This is not to say that the actions of the education board are to be excused. Masaki Ikegami’s trenchant conclusion is worth quoting at length: ‘What the City Board of Education should have done from the beginning was to listen thoroughly and carefully to the parties involved, reliably document and record everything, disclose information obtained in the investigation to the bereaved families, … verify the facts one by one, and investigate the truth.
‘Furthermore, they should sincerely apologise for sacrificing the lives of children under the management of the school, and discuss punishment of officials who have been neglectful in their responses and oversight.
‘On top of that, they should make public the lessons learned from the worst such accident in history to parties such as prefectural boards of education and the Ministry of Education, and create the opportunity to reconsider fundamentally disaster management in Japan. These actions should be performed with speed, and shared with the bereaved families to the greatest extent possible.
‘By acting in such a lackadaisical and untransparent manner, the City Board of Education has made the problem worse.’ Ikegami, op. cit., p.83.
3: But there could hardly have been less sense of triumph – It was further undermined a few days later, when the defendants announced that they would appeal against the verdict in the High Court. The plaintiffs responded by making an appeal of their own, on the grounds that the damages awarded were inadequate. A verdict is expected in 2018.
4: Masaru knew this – Masaru Naganuma declined to speak to me. This account is based on conversations with Naomi Hiratsuka and Miho Suzuki.
5: A friend of Kaneta, who was present at one of the exorcisms – The religious studies scholar, Hara Takahashi, who corroborated Kaneta’s account.
Acknowledgements
Many of the people who helped me most in the writing of this book are named in its pages: I thank all of those who agreed to talk to me, sometimes repeatedly and over the course of several years, and often at times of overwhelming grief. Among those who are not named, I am grateful to Kazuyoshi Abe, Yuko Kaneta, Akio Kumagai, Akemi Miura, Minoru Ota, Tsugio and Mayumi Nakamura, and Ken Sakashita.
For practical, professional, intellectual, and personal support of diverse kinds, I thank Lucy Alexander, Regis Arnaud, Lucy Birmingham, Peter Blakely, Azby Brown, Clare Bullock, Kyle Cleveland, Jamie Coleman, Margot and Bill Coles, Martin Colthorpe and the Japan Foundation, the Currie family, Alissa Descotes-Toyosaki, Toby Eady, Max Edwards, Natasha Fairweather and Rogers, Coleridge & White, the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan, Dan Franklin and Penguin Random House, Rob Gilhooly, Mandy Greenfield, Kuni Hatanaka, Jennifer Joel and ICM Partners, Chris Jue, Nagisa Kato, Angela Kubo, Leo Lewis, the Lloyd Parry family, Justin McCurry, Sean McDonald and Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Hamish Mackaskill and the English Agency Japan, Levi McLaughlin, David McNeill, Koichi Nakano, the staff of Oiwake Onsen, Kyoko Onoki, David Peace, Peter Popham, Roger Pulvers, Zaria Rich, Junzo Sawa, Shuji Shibuya, Iwayumi Suzuki, Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert, Hara Takahashi, Bunei Takayama, Chika Tonooka, Rick Wallace, and Fiona Wilson.
From the beginning, my employer, The Times, energetically sponsored my reporting of the disaster and graciously gave me time off for writing and research. I thank my colleagues there, past and present, especially the late Richard Beeston, James Harding, Anoushka Healy, Roland Watson, and John Witherow. Sections of this book first appeared in the London Review of Books. Among its editors, I thank especially Daniel Soar and Mary-Kay Wilmers.
There are numerous charitable organisations for victims of the tsunami. The Momo-Kaki Orphans Fund helps children who have lost their parents: http://www.momokaki.org.
Lines from ‘Shock’ from Collected Poems by Anthony Thwaite, published by Enitharmon, 2007. Reprinted by permission of Anthony Thwaite.
The excerpt from ‘The Web’ from Le Citta Invisibili (Invisible Cities) by Italo Calvino. Copyright © 2002, The Estate of Italo Calvino, used by permission of The Wylie Agency (UK) Limited.
The photograph here is reproduced with the permission of the Tectonics Observatory at the California Institute of Techonology.
Photographs here provided by Tohoku Regional Development Association.
The photograph here was taken by a survivor of the tsunami, who wishes to remain anonymous.
Index
The page references in this index correspond to the printed edition from which this ebook was created. To find a specific word or phrase from the index, please use the search feature of your ebook reader.
Abe, Fumiko 39
Abe, Mai 39, 40
Abe, Nao 39, 40
Abe, Ryosuke 38, 39–40, 57–8
Abe, Shinzo 178–9, 181
aftershocks 6, 7
Aikawa Primary School 82–3, 124
Akasaka, Norio 182
Akemi 191
ancestor worship 21, 22, 101–3, 130, 191
Basho: The Narrow Road to the Deep North 49
Buddha, the 241–2
Buddhism/Buddhists 50, 92, 100, 101, 145, 190n, 222, 223, 240; see also Kaneta, Reverend Taio
bullet trains (shinkansen) 50, 51
butsudan (household altars) 101, 102, 192, 244
Café de Monku 98–9, 225–7, 232, 240, 245
Calvino, Italo: Invisible Cities 158–9
Chiba, Masahiko 166, 167, 183–4
Chiba, Mrs 166–7, 183–4
Christians/Christianity 100, 101, 222, 223–4, 224
earthquakes 2–3, 5, 9, 156, 181, 242; ‘intensity’ 136n; ‘swarms’ 3; see also Tokyo
Endo, Junji 32–3, 77, 82–7, 91, 115, 121, 124–5, 150, 162, 165–8, 183, 184, 203, 215–16, 217, 236, 238
Endo, Miki 209–10
evacuation centres 30, 32, 40, 74, 125, 169, 175, 176, 177, 208, 226, 227
Fear, Mount 50
floods 181
Fuji, Mount 3
Fuji lake 30, 68, 69, 104, 105
Fukuji (hamlets) 18, 22, 24–5, 30–31, 57, 77, 113, 185
Fukuji (man) 227–8
‘Fukuji group’ 162–3, 169, 170, 173
Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant vii, 9–11, 76n, 177, 249
gaki (hungry ghosts) 103
gaman (endurance) 181, 182, 183, 198, 241
ganbaro (persevere) 182
gareki (rubble) 213
ghosts 92, 99–100, 103, 105, 227–9, 231, 239, 247, 249
Gourevitch, Philip 11
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Great Kanto earthquake 153, 154
Hamayuri (catamaran) 210, 211
Hashiura 53–4, 56
Hijikata, Masashi 228–9, 231
Hiratsuka, Koharu 59, 60–61, 63, 64–6, 68, 69, 161; communicates through mediums 103–6, 108, 192–3, 194–5; her body found 110–12, 161, 188, 191
Hiratsuka, Mr 60–62, 63–4, 67, 183
Hiratsuka, Naomi 59, 60–61, 62–4, 67; searches for daughter 64–7, 103–4, 161; learns to drive digger 69–70, 162–3; communicates with dead daughter 103–6, 108–9, 192–3, 194–5; finds her body 110–12, 188; life afterwards 159–60, 183; mutual dislike of Sayomi Shito and ‘Fukuji group’ campaign 161–2; friendship with Miho Suzuki 66, 188–9, 190–91, 195–7, 244; returns to teaching 192–4, 243; and the school ruins 210, 244
Hiratsuka, Sae 60, 106
Hiratsuka, Shinichiro 64–5, 68, 105, 111, 112, 196, 197, 213
Hiratsuka, Toma 60, 106, 243
Hiroshima 37, 154, 155, 179; Atomic Bomb Dome 210, 212
Honshu 49
hotoke-sama (enlightened soul) 195
ihai (memorial tablet) 101, 102–3
Ikegami, Masaki 115, 267
Irikamaya 32, 34, 36, 39, 42, 149, 150
Ishinomaki 50, 51, 52, 56, 64, 190; schools 64, 77, 127, 171, 193, 197; paper mill 208
Ishinomaki City Board of Education 80, 115, 162–3, 164–5, 168-72, 173, 197, 236, 243
Ishinomaki City and Miyagi Prefecture 162, 168, 172, 173–4; legal action against 174, 196–7, 198–206, 214–17; judgment and damages 234, 235–8
Ishinomaki Kitakami General Branch Office 135–9, 143
Ishizaka, Toshiya 121–2, 123, 124, 127, 132, 147, 201–2, 203, 204–5, 215
Japan Self-Defence Forces 31, 68, 69, 89, 94, 108, 146
kabuki theatre 6–7
kaidan/kaidan-kai (weird tale/weird-tale party) 229, 231
Kamaishi 71, 72, 74
Kamaya 19, 57–8, 119, 123–4, 127–8, 129–30, 132–3, 147, 183, 201; after tsunami 36–40, 58–9, 68, 208; death toll 58; see also Okawa Primary School
Kamiyama, Yuichiro 109–10
Kan, Naoto 177
Kaneta, Mrs 250–51
Kaneta, Reverend Taio 92–3, 96–9, 100, 221–6, 232–3, 239–42, 245–8
Kashiba, Teruyuki 77, 81, 121; and updating of Education Plan 123; after the tsunami 77–8, 79; at ‘explanatory meeting’ 80, 81–2, 87–9, 90–91; interviewed by Education Board 164; receives letter from Endo 167; apologises to parents 170–72; defends legal action 201, 202–6, 236, 238
kashitsu (negligence) 170, 201
Kato, Shigemi 83, 165, 173–4
Kawabata, Ms (school secretary) 121, 122
Kawakami, Naoya 226–7
Kawasaki 154
Kesennuma 50, 210, 229
Kitakami River 17, 18, 30, 45, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 61–2, 129, 140, 185, 201, 222
Konno, Daisuke 27, 32, 33, 38, 42, 43–5, 46, 82, 113, 125, 132–3, 165, 214
Konno, Hiroyuki 27, 42, 43, 44–5, 202
Konno, Hitomi 27–30, 31–2, 36–8; and Endo 32–3, 77, 82, 87; lays out bodies 39; finds husband 42, 43; and loss of her children 42–5, 114, 161; joins ‘Fukuji group’ 113; and legal action 202
Konno, Mari 27, 28, 42, 43, 44–5
Konno, Mr (from Board of Education) 80–81, 87, 88, 89–90
Konno, Mr (father-in-law) 27, 42, 43, 44
Konno, Mrs (mother-in-law) 27, 42, 43, 44
Konno, Ms (teacher) 120, 121
Konno, Rika 27–8, 42, 43, 44–5
Konno, Teruo 135–44, 222
Kumagai, Sadayoshi 53–4, 55, 506
Kurihara 92, 98
Kyoto 100, 185
Kyotoku-maru (boat) 210, 211
landslides 181
Liberal Democratic Party 176, 177–8
looting 176, 182
Magaki 27, 28, 29, 30, 33, 34, 43, 69, 147
Matsubara 128, 129
mediums/psychics 103–5, 106–7, see also Sumi
Meiji University, Tokyo: symposium 212–13
Meteorological Agency, Japanese 121, 122, 127, 136n, 137
Minami-Sanriku: school 76
Minami-Sanriku Disaster Prevention Centre 209–10, 211
Monk, Thelonious 225, 226
monku (complaint) 225
Mutsu 54
Naburi 69, 109–10
Nagano, Hideko 134
Nagano, Waichi 129–30, 134–5
Naganuma, Koto 66, 112, 188, 244
Naganuma, Masaru 66, 69, 188, 191, 244
Nagasaki 37, 154, 155
Nagatsura 57
Nagatsura lagoon 69, 128, 188
Nakamura, Kichiemon 7
Nankai Trough 153
Natori 8
New Kitakami Great Bridge 19, 36, 58–9, 128, 132, 145
nintai (endurance) 181, 182
Ofunato 50
Ogatsu 28, 109
Oikawa, Toshinobu 127–8, 131, 135, 137, 146–7, 148–50, 181–2
Okawa 11, 19, 52–3, 56; election campaign (2012) 181–2
Okawa Primary School 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24–6, 27, 30, 33–4, 50, 125, 185, 207–8; Education Plan/manual 122–4, 173, 202, 204–6; and earthquake and aftershocks 15, 45–6, 119–21, 122, 124–7; the tsunami and after 36–7, 59, 62, 65–6, 76, 114–16, 130–33, 145–6, 147, 148, 172–3, 186, 214, 215, 237–8; survivors 160; ghosts 103; restoration 108–9; battle for its preservation 209, 210–14; see also Endo, Junji; Kashiba, Teruyuki
Okawa Primary School Incident Verification Committee 172–3, 174
Okinawa 53, 67, 194; battle 194n
Onagawa 23, 24, 100
‘Ono, Takeshi’ 93–8, 99, 223
Onoe, Kikugoro 7
Onosaki 57
Ooms, Herman 101
Oppa Bay 50, 52, 109, 141
Osaka 49
Oshika 54
Otsuchi 50, 210
Popham, Peter 157, 158
psychics see mediums/psychics
Rikuzen-Takata 50, 210, 211, 232
Sadako (film) 105
Sanriku Coast 50, 53, 55
Sanriku tsunami (1896) 55–6, 227–8
Sasaki, Nagomi 87, 88
Sasaki, Takashi 46, 125, 126, 214, 215
Sasaki, Tetsuma 87
Sasaki, Toshimitsu 87–8
Sato, Fuka 125
Sato, Katsura 77, 78–9, 113, 171–2, 212, 243
Sato, Kazutaka 45, 46, 113, 114–15, 166
Sato, Kenta 113
Sato, Mitsuhiro 113, 114
Sato, Mizuho 77, 113, 243
Sato, Soma 119, 125–6
Sato, Tomoko 113, 114
Sato, Toshiro 113, 243
Sato, Yuki 45–6, 113, 125, 165, 214
schools, Japanese 76,82–3, 124, 242–3; in Ishinomaki 64, 77, 127, 171, 193, 197; see also Okawa Primary School
Sendai 50, 51, 100, 156, 212, 228, 229
shamanism 103
Shimokawara, Minoru 72, 73, 75
Shimokawara, Takashi 71–5
shinkansen (bullet train) 51
Shinto 100, 101, 223, 224; shrines 123, 178, 185
Shirota, Miss (teacher) 120
Shishido, Kenetsu 170–72
Shito, Chisato 15, 16–19, 20, 21, 22, 24–6, 34–5, 40–42, 77, 160, 161
Shito, Kenya 16, 19, 20–21, 22, 245
Shito, Sayomi 15–16, 77, 184–5; on her daughter 15, 16–17, 18–21, 112–13; and the earthquake 21–2, 119; and the tsunami 23–4; awaits news 24–6; no hope 34–5; finds Chisato’s body 41–2; and formation of ‘Fukuji group’ 113–14; mutual dislike of Naomi Hiratsuka 160–63, 196; campaigns against city officials and Education Board 162–3, 169, 170; begins legal action 199–200; and Endo 215, 216, 217; suicidal 244–5
Shito, Takahiro 18, 184–5, 186; and the earthquake 22, 23; prepares for rescue helicopter 26, 30; finds daughter’s body 33–4, 41–2; and formation of ‘Fukuji group’ 113; and campaign against city officials and Education Bo
ard 169; interrogates headmaster 170–71; gives talks on the disaster 186–7, 232; and legal action against city officials 199–200, 202, 235
Shito, Tomoka 16, 21, 212
Shizugawa 224
Shizugawa Bay 221
Soma 99
Sugawara, Hideyuki 146–7
Sumi (medium) 105–6, 112, 192–3, 194, 195
Suto, Ayane 229–31
Suto, Tsutomu 229–31
Suzuki, Hana 66, 106–7, 112, 161, 188, 189, 191, 192, 196
Suzuki, Kento 66, 161, 189, 190
Suzuki, Miho 188; and loss of children 66, 161, 188; friendship with Naomi Hiratsuka 66, 69, 188–9, 190–91; visits mediums 106–7, 189; communicates with daughter 106–7, 189–90; searches for daughter 191; relationship with Naomi sours 195–6, 197, 244; takes part in legal action against city 198, 202; finally moves out of temporary home 244
Suzuki, Mitsuko 141–3
Suzuki, Ms (teacher) 121
Suzuki, Nana 148
Suzuki, Shinichi 120
Suzuki, Yoshiaki 188, 190, 192, 198, 202, 244
Suzuki, Yuto 112, 161, 188
Tada, Keizo 74, 75
Tadano, Hideaki 202, 208, 209, 211–12, 213, 238, 243
Tadano, Mina 119, 127, 208, 209
Tadano, Shiroe 127, 132, 207, 208
Tadano, Tetsuya 32, 119, 120, 127, 132–3, 145–6, 148–50, 165, 183, 202, 207–8, 209, 211–13, 238, 243
Tagajo 99
Takahashi, Hara 249
Takahashi, Kazuo 131–2, 135, 148
Takahashi, Kohei 32, 145–6, 148–50
Takahashi, Toshio 126, 132
‘Takahashi, Rumiko’ 233, 245–50
Takeyama, Yui 112, 188
Tales of Tono, The 227–8
Tanabata, Festival of 104
Taniyama, Yozo 102–3
Tohoku 5, 10, 49–50, 51, 53, 89, 103, 155, 182, 183, 221, 234; folklore 227–8
Tokyo 49, 53, 157–8, 179; earthquakes 2, 153–4, 155–7, 159; March 2011 earthquake 2–8, 9, 156; primary school 242–3
tsunamis: past 54–6, 75, 136, 181; March 2011 8–11, 23–4, 36–8, 128–30, 133, 134–5, 136–42, 146–8, 187, 242
typhoons 181, 242
Ukitsu, Amane 45–6, 125, 212, 214
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