National Jul 19, 2021
Ishinomaki school wrecked in 3/11 tsunami opened to public viewing
In a museum within the school grounds, photos of the inside of the building and schoolchildren's evacuation routes on the disaster day are on display.
National Jan 25, 2021
Tsunami-hit Miyagi school building to reopen as memorial in April
Opinions are divided among residents, with some bereaved families saying they cannot bear the sight of the building.
National Dec 18, 2019
Hiroshima hibakusha and a father of 3/11 tsunami victim among Tokyo Olympic torchbearers
A father who lost his 12-year-old daughter in the 2011 tsunami, a centenarian A-bomb survivor and a group of people who missed their chance to participate in the last Tokyo Olympics torch relay due to a typhoon are among those tapped to carry the ...
National / Crime & Legal Oct 11, 2019
Japan's top court finalizes ¥1.44 billion in damages for 84 deaths at school in 3/11 tsunami
The decision was sealed after the Supreme Court rejected an appeal filed by the Ishinomaki municipal and Miyagi prefectural governments over blame for the tragic evacuation plan.
National / Crime & Legal May 9, 2018
Municipality in Miyagi Prefecture to appeal ruling over students' tsunami deaths
The municipal assembly of Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, decided Tuesday to appeal a high court ruling that ordered local authorities to pay around ¥1.4 billion in damages to the families of elementary school students killed by the March 2011 tsunami. The court said the city and ...
National / Crime & Legal Apr 26, 2018
Sendai court blames lack of local government plan for deaths of school children in 2011 tsunami
The ruling said that the school, sited up to 1.5 meters above sea level, should have been designated in the city’s hazard map as being vulnerable to tsunami.
National Feb 24, 2018
Tsunami-hit Okawa Elementary holds ceremony ahead of closure in March
The elementary school in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, where more than 80 pupils and teachers lost their lives to tsunami on March 11, 2011, held a closing ceremony Saturday ahead of its official closure in March. About 350 people including pupils and graduates of Okawa Elementary ...
Books / Reviews Aug 26, 2017
'Ghosts of the Tsunami': Richard Lloyd Parry's recounts 2011 tsunami and what came after
by Roger Pulvers
Fifty-one minutes after the earthquake struck on March 11, 2011, a massive wall of water inundated the grounds of the Ishinomaki Municipal Okawa Elementary School in Miyagi Prefecture, killing 74 pupils, 10 staff and the school bus driver. Ghosts of the Tsunami: Death and Life ...
National Nov 9, 2016
Kin of Okawa Elementary tsunami victims launch counter-appeals after successful lawsuit
Plaintiffs in the Okawa Elementary tsunami death lawsuit are appealing to a higher court despite winning a lower court ruling that ordered local authorities to pay them ¥1.4 billion ($13.7 million) in damages. The families of the kids killed by the March 2011 tsunami at ...
National / Crime & Legal Oct 28, 2016
Ishinomaki to appeal ruling over tsunami deaths of school students
The city’s mayor says it will appeal a court ruling ordering it to pay, together with Miyagi Prefecture, ¥1.4 billion in damages.
National / Crime & Legal Oct 26, 2016
Court orders prefecture, municipality to pay plaintiffs over tsunami deaths of school children
The city of Ishinomaki and Miyagi Prefecture must pay ¥1.4 billion to the families of 23 elementary school students.
Commentary | COUNTERPOINT Feb 6, 2016
A Tohoku father seeks accountability for his daughter's death
by Jeff Kingston
As the fifth anniversary of the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami approaches, the tragic story of 74 schoolchildren and 10 teachers who drowned near Okawa Elementary School in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, continues to resonate painfully. On a cold day last month, I prayed at ...