An elementary school in Fukushima Prefecture opened Sunday as a memorial to those impacted by the massive 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster and subsequent Fukushima nuclear crisis, with its mission to pass on lessons learned from the tragedy.

Ukedo Elementary School, run by the town of Namie, is the first memorial in the prefecture that preserves buildings in their damaged state.

The two-story school is 5 kilometers north of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant that suffered meltdowns and released radioactive materials after the March 11, 2011, disaster. People across the region were forced to evacuate, some for years, and many have not returned.