This X-shaped double levee has been held up as a model since its construction in the late 1950s. The seawall is now an integral part of the northern coastal landscape. Building tsunami-safe walls is not a new idea for the Japanese. A more fundamental argument some hold is that in the event of another major earthquake they just won’t be able to see changes in the character of the sea or notice the draining effect that heralds a tsunami. ow the plan is to build a 250-mile long wall that, at times, will reach higher than 40 feet, would be made out of cement – and actually be composed of a chain of smaller sea walls to make construction easier.". But the village it is designed to protect has … earthquake and tsunami, Japan is diligently working to find ways to protect coastal communities from the next one— most visibly by constructing sometimes massive sea walls, intended to halt towering waves before they reach the shore. This huge project is expected to cost around 12.74 billion USD by the time it is finished and though it will undoubtedly help to protect the communities along the coast from future tsunami threats, the wall is an uncomfortable addition that cuts roughly through the countryside. During the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the … Continue Whole towns are slowly being rebuilt; some by relocating further inland, away from the ocean. Wamura had been a young man when the 1933 tsunami wiped out Fudai, and the memories made him determined not to let it happen again. CBS News reports: Decades ago, towns along the northeast coast of Japan began erecting seawalls to withstand waves of about 30 feet--the height of a terrible tsunami that struck in 1933. The wall acts as a reminder of what happened and a warning against any return hubris about how nature can be tamed and controlled. “Is it a kind of cynical joke on us?” they ask. Ten years after the incredible images of total devastation that came from the March 11th tsunami, North Japan is perhaps seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. It was so solid, people called it The Great Wall of Japan. Japan's plan to build more than 400 seawalls is estimated to cost at least $6.8 billion and has already begun in the worst-hit areas. In 2011, it is thought, more people could have survived if they had been given even one or two extra minutes to escape. "Under the Wave off Kanagawa"), also known as The Great Wave or simply The Wave, is a woodblock print by the Japanese ukiyo-e artist Hokusai. Around 18,500 people died or went missing in the wake of the tsunami, with a number failing to heed warnings telling them to escape low-lying areas. The two researchers thought that the wall will stop or slow down the local geomorphology and sea level adaptation, by blocking interactions between the sea and the beach, noting that; “the seawall will have an impact on the transportation of sediments and coastal erosion”. Japan’s radical bid to fend off tsunamis with giant, 400km sea wall IT is five storeys high and will stretch 400 kilometres along Japan’s north coast but some fear this radical plan to fend off another catastrophic wave is turning the country into a jail. or This will result in two major effects: firstly on the water flow and the movement of nutrients, with consequences for biodiversity. Why a 200-Year-Building in Morocco Is the Only National Historic Landmark Outside the U.S. Why U.S. Approval of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 Vaccine Is Taking So Long, Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Take Flight to Fight Invasive Species in Florida, A Jet-Black, Bioluminescent 'Football Fish' Washed Up on a California Beach, An Exclusive Look at James Turrell's Visionary Artwork in the Arizona Desert, An Epic Monarch Migration Faces New Threats. Tzu Chi Culture & Communication FoundationEnglish website→http://tzuchiculture.orgYouTube→https://tinyurl.com/y4mhhm9e. Japan. These were the areas worst hit in the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami of March 2011. Tsunami-proof wall construction is already underway. Reporter Jon Stone writes that the proposed $6.8 billion barrier "would be made out of cement – and actually be composed of a chain of smaller sea walls to make construction easier.". Terms of Use The idea behind the construction of the seawall is not only to offer protection that stops a tsunami but also one that slows the inevitable advance of a larger wave; “to win some precious seconds or minutes in the case of a major tsunami”. Secondly wildlife that might visit the seaside at night simply will no longer be able to reach it obviously affecting the behaviour and future viability of those animals in the area. Furthermore, Kelsey D. Atherton for Popular Science points out that a sea wall might prompt people to rebuild where they shouldn’t. 25:00. The livelihood of this seaside district revolves around fishing, and the harvest and trade of seaweed. In an extensive research paper called “The Coastal Environment and the Reconstruction Process after the Great East Japan Earthquake” (2018) Vincent Santiago Fandino and Erick Mas outlines different points where the wall could have an effect not only on the ecological environment of the coastal area but also on its economy. The Great Wall of Japan. 3. Keep up-to-date on: © 2021 Smithsonian Magazine. The Great East Japan Earthquake is still felt every day. Give a Gift. The tiny fishing village of Mone in Miyagi lost 42 of its 55 houses in the 2011 tsunami, but instead of building a wall, it decided to move. Already, there have been objections: the walls will destroy the view of the sea and disrupt wildlife. In 2011, a 49-foot high wall saved 3,000 residents of an east-coast town, Fudai. At stake is the pace and shape of the recovery of the tsunami-hit coast. In some towns one of the conditions set out in the reconstruction plans was that a wall had to first be built before any construction even started on personal houses or other properties. But Wamura wouldn't back down. So ultimatly, the new sea wall may be ugly, may disrupt wildlife and may not make enough of a difference. The First Odyssey- did humans leave Africa by sea. The government announced the plan, which was later nicknamed "The Great Wall of Japan" by detractors, a few months after the tsunami, according to the Guardian. As Vincent and Erick also write “Finally, the structures are in general aesthetically displeasing and heavily impact tourism activities while also detaching the local community from the sea.”. Others, like Onagawa town in Miyagi prefecture have decided to build their new houses, offices and schools on a series of artificial plateaus: huge flat-topped hills, dotted across the coastal plain, that will raise, it is hoped, the new town as islands of safety above any future inundation. 101 East investigates the controversies surrounding the building of Japan’s enormous tsunami wall. It was published sometime between 1829 and 1833 in the late Edo period as the first print … But what is the environmental and human impact of this wall? Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Ten years after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake triggered a tsunami that devastated the north-east region of Japan, a bigger, longer chain of seawalls … It is specifically galling for these people when the wall has some small windows high-up on it that offer no useful view of the ocean. At least 43 percent of Japan's 29,751 km (18,486 mi) coastline is lined with concrete seawalls or other structures designed to protect the country against high waves, typhoons or even tsunamis. Of course the tragedy of those who perished in this disaster is still raw but the completion of the reconstruction efforts will give towns, and the communities that live there, a new start. For the people who live next to it, the “Great Seawall of Japan” is in their view of everything, everyday. The population of 4500 strongly believes in the reliability of the “Great Wall of Japan” constructed around the district to protect them from tsunamis. Stretching some 396 kms from the northern prefecture of Iwate to Fukushima prefecture in the South, and reaching 15.5 metres at it highest points, the “Great Wall” has become a literal concrete link between those prefectures and their shared memories of the 311 disaster. It easily breached the town’s 30-foot wall. Advertising Notice 1. Kotoko Wamura was the mayor of Fudai when the town began planning its seawall in the 1960s. 18th Annual Photo Contest Winners and Finalists Announced! April 12, 2011 - Japan’s nuclear agency raises the Fukushima Daiichi crisis from Level 5 to a … Seven years ago, massive waves crashed into coastal cities in Japan, killing over 20,000 people. Text and photos by Nicolas DaticheAbridged by Chang Yu Ming (張佑民). You can catch replays on ABC NEWS channel Thursdays at 12:30am, Saturdays at 9:30pm and Sundays at 6:30pm. 50 years ago, Japan built the first tsunami protection wall. The walls will be built along the coast of the prefectures of Fukushima, Miyagi and Iwate, which make up the north-east of Honshu, Japan’s largest island. Cookie Policy Ten years after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake triggered a tsunami that devastated the north-east region of Japan, a bigger, longer chain of seawalls now stands guard along the coastline in a bid to prevent future tragedies. More than 5,000 aftershocks hit Japan in the year after the earthquake, the largest a magnitude 7.9. As of January, 182,000 people remain in temporary accommodation. This massive seawall is popularly nicknamed after the iconic Great Wall of China. It is a 400-kilometre (249-mile) wall with the highest sections standing at 15 metres (49 feet) tall. If we do that, we don't need to have a 'Great Wall,“' Tsuneaki Iguchi, who was mayor of Iwanuma, a town inundated by the 2011 tsunami, told the Associated Press. When the wall was being built, people thought it was a total waste of money. Furthermore, Kelsey D. Atherton for. The earthquake shifted Earth on its axis of rotation by redistributing mass, like putting a dent in a spinning top. When the wave reached Otsuchi, a town of 15,000 people, it was 50 feet high. But the peak of the 2011 tsunami reached 138 feet high, points out Popular Science. Fudai got the tallest seawall on the whole northeast coast. Here are some of the amazing facts about the Japan earthquake and tsunami. About 250 miles (400 km) of Japan Learn more, Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. The earthquake and tsunami, which reached as high as 30 meters in some areas, killed nearly 18,000 people across Japan and triggered a … 'The Great Wall of Japan': Locals divided over anti-tsunami shield - YouTube After the 2011 Fukushima disaster — a powerful earthquake and tsunami which killed nearly 18,000 people — … This human-made barrier is designed to dissipate and break the power of the waves. Watch Great Wall of Japan on Foreign Correspondent – Tuesday 2 March at 8pm on ABC TV + iview. 31 Jul 2020. Koizumi’s 14.7-metre wall will cost ¥230m, replacing an embankment built after an earlier tsunami. Japan's Great Wall: Can It Stop A Tsunami? According to Reuters , Iguchi is pushing for an alternative idea “to plant mixed forests along the coasts on tall mounds of soil or rubble”. It is now almost the tenth anniversary of the quake and reconstruction efforts in the Tohoku area continue. Japan is planning to spend $6.8bn to build a 400km chain of concrete seawalls to combat tsunamis. MARK WILLACY, Reporter: After two devasting tsunamis in 1896 and 1933, Taro thought it was finally protected with this 10 metre high seawall. The worry is that the understanding they have of the ocean’s character and its risks may be changed, perhaps permanently. Japan builds new tsunami walls. California Do Not Sell My Info As Japan commemorates the tsunami’s 10 th anniversary, this is a moving and timely story from the region hardest hit by the 2011 disaster. Explore, If you have a story to tell, knowledge to share, or a perspective to offer — welcome home. Concrete walls could ultimately stretch 140 miles along Japan's tsunami-damaged northeast coast. Write on Medium, Tzu Chi Culture & Communication Foundation, Justice Thomas & the First Fake News Statute, Meet Martha Harper, The Social Entrepreneur Who Perfected The Franchise Business Model, When Mussolini was the Antichrist — Market Mad House, The Roman Republic and the Rise and Fall of Julius Caesar. Wamura also remembered family stories about the tsunami of 1896, which had been even bigger: 50 feet. The Great Wall of Japan 101 East investigates the controversies surrounding the building of Japan’s enormous tsunami wall. Surrounded by new roads and buildings, the hollowed-out shell of Okawa primary school is a haunting reminder of the Japan tsunami ten years ago today. Get the best of Smithsonian magazine by email. When it came time to draw up plans for the Fudai seawall and a later floodgate, Wamura insisted they both be 50 feet high. One of the biggest projects underway is a massive seawall and wave barrier that is already being called the “The Great Wall of Japan”. Smithsonian Institution. Following this huge tremor, a gigantic tsunami struck the north-east, Tohoku coast killing almost 15,000 people and leaving 2,500 more missing. "The only way to protect our lives when a tsunami comes is to evacuate to a higher place. The Great Wall of Japan 51MIN After the disaster of March 2011, the Japanese authorities decided to build a gigantic 15 meter high, 500 kilometer long, anti-tsunami wall, separating the land and the ocean. The temblor also shortened the length of a day by about a microsecond. Though they understand of course that the wall will protect them if an event like 311 were to happen again, they fear it will also sever the human connection they have developed, sometimes over generations, with the sea where many not only earn their living but also find their sense of identity. ABC News In-depth -- Mar 02 When a massive tsunami engulfed the north-eastern coastline of Japan a decade ago, it wiped out everything in its path, flattening villages, killing nearly 20,000 people and triggering a … Privacy Statement But the peak of the 2011 tsunami reached 138 feet high, So ultimatly, the new sea wall may be ugly, may disrupt wildlife and may not make enough of a difference. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. It is March 11th, 2011, at 2:46 pm and half of Japan is shaking as a long and powerful seismic tremor hits the north-east coast of the country. At sea level however, along a new road and besides a new convenience store, the remains of a house destroyed that day is a reminder of the tragedy that necessitates the towering earthworks all around. Still, it’s hard to dismiss any hint of protection from future tsunamis, given the disaster that struck in 2011. It’s easy and free to post your thinking on any topic. Marissa Fessenden is a freelance science writer and artist who appreciates small things and wide open spaces. Four years after the devastating Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Japan is diligently working to find ways to protect coastal communities from the next one— most visibly by constructing sometimes massive sea walls, intended to halt towering waves before they reach the shore. Japan's Fukushima disaster — a devastating string of events that included a tsunami with 42-foot high waves — left 18,000 dead in 2011. A nonprofit media group creating contents that inspire minds, transform lives, and create a better world for all. Up the coast, the town of Fudai was barely touched. Decades ago, towns along the northeast coast of Japan began erecting seawalls to withstand waves of about 30 feet--the height of a terrible tsunami that struck in 1933. Whether there is a sea wall doesn't matter," said local oyster farmer Makoto Hatakeyama. Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011 A massive tsunami, generated by a powerful undersea earthquake, engulfing a residential area in Natori, Miyagi prefecture, northeastern Honshu, Japan, on March 11, 2011. The government announced the plans, which later earned the nickname “The Great Wall of Japan”, just a few months after the disaster hit. A large majority of the coastal towns (with the support of the residents) voted for the wall’s construction. 2. Many of the villagers were furious, unconvinced they needed a wall that was so expensive and so ugly, blocking their ocean view. Construction cannot begin on sites considered vulnerable to tsunami until each community decides how, exactly, it wishes to be assimilated into what critics deride as the Great Wall of Japan. But construction is moving ahead, and now the plan is to build a 250-mile long wall that, at times, will reach higher than 40 feet, according to The Independent. These Century-Old Stone "Tsunami Stones" Dot Japan’s Coastline, the walls will destroy the view of the sea and disrupt wildlife, Egyptian Archaeologists Accidentally Discover 250 Ancient, Rock-Cut Tombs, Why Ecologists Are Haunted by the Rapid Growth of Ghost Forests, Rarely Seen Portrait of Renaissance Queen Catherine de' Medici to Go on View, Why Cats Love to Sit in Boxes—Even Fake Ones, According to Science, The True Story of Amazon's 'Underground Railroad', Rare Owl With Bright Orange Eyes Seen for the First Time in More Than 125 Years, Thirteenth-Century Angkor Was Home to More People Than Modern Boston, Biologists Catch Enormous 'Real Life River Monster' in Michigan. Some residents however disagreed with the project. Tourism is at 62 per cent of its pre-quake levels. The Great East Japan earthquake of March 11th was the most powerful quake ever recorded in Japan, and the fourth most powerful earthquake the world has felt since modern records began in 1900. 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