The Ruins of Arahama Elementary School: The Disaster Prevention and Reconstruction of the Coastal Area in Sendai

Eastern Sendai (Sendai Port, Arahama, Yuriage in Natori, etc.) Application Required Remembering the Disaster / Revitalization Programs Half-Day Experience Unique to Sendai Solo Travel With Friends

Visit a public memorial to learn the lessons and events of the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.

Arahama is a coastal area located 10km away from downtown Sendai. On March 11, 2011, this area was hit by a 10-meter high tsunami. 320 students, staff, and residents evacuated to the rooftop of Arahama Elementary School and survived. Today the school building is preserved and open to the public as a memorial. This tour is led by a certified interpreter-guide, so you'll be able to have detailed and accurate information throughout the experience.

The tour starts at Arai Station on the Sendai subway system (Tozai Line). We will take a bus from there to reach Arahama Elementary School.

The school building is preserved as a monument. It also has exhibition rooms to learn about the disaster. You can reach the rooftop to view the surrounding reconstruction of the area. You can see some pictures to compare before and after the tsunami.

You can reach the coast with a 10-minute walk from the school. You can see a new seawall, and some memorial statues.

There are some new spots where you can feel the area's reconstruction.
The most popular one is "JR Fruits Park Sendai Arahama."
If you are interested, you can visit there to try fruit picking.
The facility also has a souvenir shop and care.

We will take a bus to return to the Arai Station area. We can stop by Moroya Farm Kitchen. It is a restaurant run by local farmers. You can enjoy a lunch of fresh vegetables. You can also use it as a café.

Sendai 3.11 Memorial Community Center is a facility connected to Arai Station. It is another good place to learn the disaster and reconstruction of this area. Inside an exhibition hall, there are many panels to show the timeline of the events.

【Itinerary】
Arai Station of Sendai Subway ＝＝Bus＝＝　Arahama Elementary School　＝＝Walk＝＝　Arahama coast　＝＝Walk and bus＝＝　＝＝Moroya Farm Kitchen ＝＝Walk＝＝　Sendai 3.11 Memorial Community Center　＝＝Walk＝＝　Arai Station of Sendai Subway

Holding Term	Any day of the year, except scheduled holidays for Arahama Elementary School (Mondays and the 4th Thursday of the month (excluding national holidays), year-end holidays).
Duration	About 4 hours. (It can be flexible depending on your interest.)
Number of people involved	1 ~ 8people
Fee	4000 JPY- (tax included)

Guide-Interpreter Shunsuke Wakamatsu

I provide guiding service in Tohoku (North-Eastern Japan) region, including Sendai. After working as a volunteer guide for several years, I passed the national Guide-Interpreter license test in 2017. I would love to introduce the charms of Sendai and Tohoku region to visitors from all over the world. I can suggest various tours according to guests’ interests and share much local knowledge. I am looking forward to your visit!

Contact / Organizer Information

Experience Index

Comment by orgnaizer

Arahama Elementary School is the most accessible monument of the Great East Japan Earthquake. You can reach there with public transportation from downtown Sendai. On the way to the school, you can also view the reconstruction of the town from a bus.

Basic Information

Experience Name	The Ruins of Arahama Elementary School: The Disaster Prevention and Reconstruction of the Coastal Area in Sendai
Holding Place	Arahama Elementary School, Sendai 3.11 Memorial Community Center, Moroya Farm Kitchen.
Duration	About 4 hours. (It can be flexible depending on your interest.)
Holding Term	Any day of the year, except scheduled holidays for Arahama Elementary School (Mondays and the 4th Thursday of the month (excluding national holidays), year-end holidays).
Start Time	9:00

Implementation Condition

Minimum number of passengers	1people
Maximum number of passengers	8people
Reservation Application Deadline	By 17:00, 7 days in advance
Cancellation Policy	The tour will be conducted even in rainy weather, but will be canceled in case of stormy weather or disaster. Please check with us the day before the event.
Important Notes for Participants	It is about a 10-minute walk from Arahama Elementary School to the memorial statue on the coast. Although it is a paved and flat road, it is recommended to wear shoes that are easy to walk on.

Fee

Fee	The Ruins of Arahama Elementary School/ 1 participant: 4000 JPY (tax included)
Included in the fee	Guide fee.
Items not included in the fee	Transportation costs (subway, bus). The costs in JR Fruits Park Sendai Arahama or Moroya Farm Kitchen. (food/drinks costs) Insurance for participants.
Fee Remarks	Free admission to Arahama Elementary School and Sendai 3.11 Memorial Community Center.
Payment Methods	Pay in advance by bank transfer or PayPal. Or, pay in cash on the day
Cancellation and Changes	No cancellation fee is charged.
About Cancellation Fees	If you wish to cancel or change your reservation, please contact us immediately. Requests for changes may not be available depending on the time and reservation situation.

Meeting Place & Access

Meeting Place	88 Arai Kutsugata, Wakabayashi-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi-ken 984-0032
Meeting Place Remarks	Arai Station (Tozai Line), in front of the ticket gate.
Meeting Time	Please come by the start time.
Access	--By Public Transportation-- 14-minute subway ride from Sendai Station to Arai Station (Tozai Line).
Parking	None There is no designated parking, so please use nearby paid parking near Arai Station.
Facility Information	Coin lockers are located inside Arai Station (rental fee required).

Directions

Other

Barrier Free	None Barrier-free access and equipment is different for each location. Please inquire for needs and details.
Guides and Information	The tour is led by a local guide.
Regarding Multilingual Support	Japanese / English