Shinhama, Sendai: A Green Sea Wall for the Future

"Journeys in Japan"

In March 2011,

this coastline was devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.

Now, there is a seawall stretching some 400 kilometers along the shore.

Although that wall will help save lives in the future,

it's already impacting the local environment and the people who live there.

Sendai is the largest city in northeast Japan.

The massive quake hit with an intensity of upper-6 on the Japanese seismic scale,

and coastal areas were inundated by huge tsunami waves.

Catrina Sugita is from Switzerland.

She moved to Sendai three months ago

and works as a writer for a website providing local information.

I think it's only when I moved to Sendai that I really started to understand

just what effect the Great East Japan Earthquake

and subsequent tsunami had on the local people.

It's really something that is present in everyday life,

and it's a wound that can't be fully healed.

Today, we're actually going to be visiting a small coastal village

that was hit by the tsunami.

And although it almost took everything in its path,

what was really surprising to the locals was how quick nature was able to bounce back.

Why did this happen?

That's what we're going to go and find out today.

On this edition of "Journeys in Japan,"

Catrina visits a seaside village that is reviving itself along with its wildlife.

It's like a jungle in here.

- A mushroom.
- Is it edible?

Yes.

And she meets the residents to see how they're building for the future

while embracing their roots by the ocean.

Shinhama, Sendai: A green seawall for the future

Today, we travel some 350 kilometers north of Tokyo to Sendai,

the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture.

Our destination is the seaside village of Shinhama.

The ocean, the beach,

pine groves, a waterway

and further inland, rice fields.

Since the old days, people in this coastal area of Sendai have lived close to nature.

However, 11 years ago, this area was engulfed by a giant tsunami.

The beautiful, peaceful scenery vanished in an instant.

So it's really impressive now that we're getting closer to the coast.

You can really see not only have we come closer to the countryside,

you can really see the devastation that happened here.

There are remains of buildings

and it just looks completely deserted here.

It's really impressive to see. I've never seen anything like it before.

I think we can see the seawall from here.

Wow!

Now we can see the ocean.

It's very windy.

And you can see the whole of the coastline all the way down there

and on the other side as well.

To protect the land from future tsunamis,

the city has built a seawall over seven meters high,

running a distance of some nine kilometers.

Most areas on this coast have been designated as disaster risk zones,

and no houses can be built there now.

Inland from the seawall, a coastal disaster-prevention forest has been planted

and, further in, there's an elevated road

that also functions as an embankment.

You can really see just how scary the tsunami must have been by the wide...

land here that was just taken away.

You really get an idea and it's really, really impressive seeing this whole expanse

and just how bad the destruction must have been.

Besides the devastation to people's lives,

the tsunami caused massive environmental damage.

It was feared that nature would not recover for a very long time.

However, in the Shinhama area of the coastline,

the environment has rebounded much faster than expected.

Hirabuki Yoshihiko is a professor of landscape ecology.

He first visited Shinhama three months after the disaster, to conduct research.

Here and there, I saw the plant life returning. That was a big surprise for me.

Even after that tremendous tsunami, there were patches of green recovering.

It was very surprising.

Why was it different at Shinhama?

There are various reasons. Take a look over there.

A forest of black pines planted along the coast.

This was the only part of the forest that survived.

From the 17th century,

groves of black pine trees were planted along the coast of Miyagi Prefecture.

They created a forest that stretched for 70 kilometers.

Most were washed away by the tsunami,

but in Shinhama, some of the forests survived.

Thanks to this, parts of the ecosystem were protected,

and that is why Shinhama's natural environment has rebounded so well.

Using Shinhama as his base,

Hirabuki and his colleagues have been studying this process of recovery.

- We've arrived at Shinhama beach.
- Let's go down.

There are so many flowers here.

- This is the best season of the year.
- Really?

What are these flowers?

The pink ones are called "hamahirugao."

The hardy plants here are well adapted

to surviving in this inhospitable environment.

These plants have long rhizomes.

I see.

They're really long, and hard to dig up.

Underneath, they're all connected,

and that's how they survive in this harsh environment.

Look at these white flowers.

- This is "hamabofu." They have deep roots.
- That's so interesting.

Many of these coastline plants came back to life,

thanks to the innate strength of their rhizomes or seeds.

Those flowers over there are "hamanasu."

They've grown here since the old days and are treasured by the local villagers.

- They only grow here. They are very valuable.
- They're lovely.

Why is the beach here so full of life?

These concrete blocks here are the remains of the old seawall.

It was six meters high.

The new seawall is set back 35 meters from here.

Since this area is a habitat for rare plants,

the route of the seawall was moved inland, and so was the construction road.

The beach was left untouched, and the plants have proliferated.

It's already half covered by sand

and plants are starting to grow over it.

As they grow, the insects follow.

The power of nature is so amazing. It can even cover man-made concrete.

We think that quite soon this may form into a sand dune.

Shinhama village lies about 1.2 kilometers inland from the coast.

It just looks so rich in nature, especially in this area.

And beautiful flowers.

It's such a peaceful area that it's so hard to imagine that

you know, destruction struck here.

Quite a bit of open space, like over here.

It seems to be some kind of ruins.

Here, there's like some stairs.

It kind of seems like there must have been a house here at some point.

Following the disaster, many younger residents moved to areas further inland,

and the number of households has dropped by over a half,

from 150 down to 70.

Oh, and this?

This must be the evacuation site.

It seems so out of place to have -- the rice paddy field just right here,

and then this huge evacuation site right next to it.

An evacuation facility has been built here for the local people,

in the event of another tsunami.

It is equipped with power generators, blankets,

food, and portable toilets.

I guess if I were to live here, on the one hand,

I would be happy that it's here.

But on the other hand, the fact that it has to be here

so that everyone has a place to go if something happens

also kind of makes me feel unsafe, I think.

So I'd really like to know what they...

how they feel about living in a place that was struck with disaster

and why they decided to continue living here.

On this day, the Shinhama neighborhood association

is organizing a nature walk for visitors.

Since the quake, the villagers have started recognizing the charm of their community

and their deep ties to it.

Who are the people participating?

Students from Tohoku Gakuin University always come to support us.

Some participants are from outside Shinhama and come here to support our village.

It's hard to rebuild our community by ourselves, so we appreciate people's support.

Okay everyone, let's set out.

Initially, the city authorities planned to include Shinhama

in the disaster risk area,

and the residents were due to be relocated.

But there was strong opposition to this

and, in the end, the local people were allowed to stay on their ancestral land.

Why have you stayed in Shinhama?

We don't want to abandon our hometown.

My aged parents are here. And I'm used to living here.

For the villagers, this landscape is etched into their hearts.

And the fact that their forest survived has been a strong source of support.

It's like a jungle in here.

- Look, a mushroom.
- Oh, yes.

A kind of boletus.

- Is it edible?
- Yes.

This forest has given rise to a new natural environment,

becoming a diverse habitat for wildlife.

As an example, in the low grounds where the pines were swept away,

the submerged areas have turned into marshland.

Hollows made by the fallen trees have became sanctuaries

for the wetland creatures.

The fallen trees have become homes for insects and fungi.

As they decompose over time, they will help nourish the soil.

Don't you think that's wonderful? It's growing so strongly.

It's lovely.

It gives me encouragement and makes me feel like I can't give up.

These black pines have grown back from seeds

dropped by the trees that survived the tsunami.

The locals are hoping that a new forest will start to spread out from here.

(Shinhama Tower)

I think it's really beautiful that through the nature walk that we just went on today,

trying to interact not only with the local community,

but with people outside of the local community

to show them just what nature has to offer.

It's not a question of being separated, but moving forward together.

And I thought that was really, really interesting and really, really beautiful.

Next, Catrina is taken out fishing

by one of the villagers, Seto Isao.

The Teizan Canal is a historic waterway that runs parallel with the seashore.

Besides being used to carry goods,

it has long been popular with the local people for fishing

and by their children as a place to play.

Seto often comes out here to fish.

We've used bamboo like this since the old days.

Using hollowed-out bamboo tubes is a simple way to catch eels.

I feel a bit sorry for it.

I've never touched anything like it.

It's so slimy.

It's so slippery.

I couldn't get hold of it.

We got the eel. It's very slimy.

And I can't pick it up with my bare hands.

And here's a shrimp.

And it has really long, like arms in the front.

This is the first time I've ever seen a shrimp like this before.

We got a shrimp.

I'll have these with a drink tonight.

Seto believes the best way to prepare against disasters is by listening to nature.

We have to live side by side with nature.

Just like the ocean, sometimes nature can be fearsome. And sometimes it's calm.

By gaining wisdom from nature,

we can protect ourselves from disasters.

So I think when anyone thinks about the Japanese countryside,

this is the image that they have in their minds.

And it's also the image I had in my mind, too.

But actually coming here and experiencing it firsthand, just is completely different.

It's just so beautiful.

Oh, and over there, there's some white heron.

I wish I could stay here forever.

I'm Catrina. Nice to meet you.

Today, Catrina is going to try planting rice

in the traditional way by hand.

- Look!
- It's a frog.

Yes, a tree frog.

After the tsunami, Endo Genichiro began growing his rice a new way,

without pesticides or chemical fertilizers.

But there's more to it than that.

These "medaka" fish hatched in my paddies last year.

I see. They're so cute. I've never seen them before.

Along with the rice, he also breeds medaka,

a species of fish that lives in the paddies.

If medaka are living there, it means other creatures can too.

It feels good to grow rice with living creatures.

- Wade barefoot.
- Okay.

Here goes.

Endo recommends Catrina to work barefoot,

so she can actually feel the soil and the water.

It's hard to walk.

It's so squishy.

I lost my balance.

- In there.
- Right there?

Yes, in that gap.

They are going to plant the rice seedlings by hand,

in the places that his rice-planting machine missed.

- And another over there.
- Yes.

- Here?
- Where the two rows intersect.

- Here?
- Right here.

Got it!

Medaka fish were a regular sight in rice paddies here,

but after the tsunami, they vanished.

Endo was the head of a zoo at that time,

so he worked with university researchers

to breed these humble local fish.

He also began releasing the medaka in his own rice paddies,

and these efforts generated further interest in Shinhama.

Having these local rice fish living here...

They're doing their utmost to survive here.

I think that must give people encouragement.

- Like this?
- Yes.

Here we go.

- Are they all out?
- Yes.

We have to look after them.

If we leave them to themselves, they might simply disappear forever.

Living along with our local rice fish

and looking after them gives me joy.

(Okada Elementary School)

Hello, everyone.

Even the local elementary school is involved in protecting the environment.

- Please tell me all about your flowers.
- Yes.

Which flower came out this morning?

The hamahirugao.

- They bloomed?
- Yes, right here.

They've flowered.

- It hasn't bloomed for about two years.
- Well, you must be happy then.

Since 2016, the school has begun a project

to conserve the shoreline plants.

The children grow them from seeds, and then transplant them back to the beach.

- Each of you, tell Catrina which flower you like.
- Great idea.

I like the beach roses. I love the color.

I like hamabofu.

It has white flowers, and it's edible.

- You can eat them?
- Yes.

As the plants grow, the children observe their daily changes.

This is hamahirugao.

They have heart-shaped leaves.

They sprout easier if you scrape the seeds.

If you don't do that, they won't sprout at all.

They have tough skins that make it hard for them to sprout. They don't absorb water.

- This is "hamanigana."
- This one?

Yes. You can tear the leaf and lick it.

- The sap is coming out. Try licking it.
- The white part?

It's so bitter!

The leaves of this plant are edible, but they have a very bitter taste.

The children are learning many things from growing the wild plants.

Many of the seashore plants have disappeared.

We're doing what we can to bring them back.

- Is it fun?
- Yes.

I'd like to do it too.

Their teacher, Takano Yuichi, has seen a change in the children as well.

At first, the children were wondering about the meaning of this activity.

But last year's graduating students told us

this should be a symbol of recovery from the tsunami.

The important thing for them was the connections they made

with other people through this activity.

That was impressive to hear. It moved me and made me happy.

I look forward to hearing the children's feelings about these activities this year.

So I feel really, really lucky to have been able to go on this journey here today.

I think having had this wonderful experience

of being able to talk to the local people of Shinhama,

they really taught me what "furusato" means.

And it's more than just the place where you were born and that you grew up in.

It's a place where you have deep, deep roots,

not just to the land, to the nature, to the animals, to the wildlife that's here,

but more importantly, to the people.

It's these connections between people that almost seem to matter most.

And I think that's really beautiful and it really makes

the beauty and the wonder of Shinhama.

To reach Shinhama from Tokyo,

it takes about 90 minutes by Shinkansen bullet train to Sendai.

From there, it's 30 minutes by car.