Japanese of long ago took pains to warn their region's future generations about tsunamis, carving their exhortations on hundreds of large stones dotting the countryside. The messages, centuries old, were forgotten by all too many when the deadly tsunami struck.
One large old stone in the tiny village of Aneyoshi in Iwate prefecture was heeded, and saved the day. Its inscription reads,
High dwellings are the peace and harmony of our descendants. . . . Remember the calamity of the great tsunamis. Do not build any homes below this point. — AP
The village of 12 or so families had followed its advice, and emerged unscathed by the tsunami while other nearby coastal towns were devastated.
One old stone in the town of Kesennuma, Miyagi prefecture, gave these important words of advice:
Always be prepared for unexpected tsunamis. Choose life over your possessions and valuables
Many who ignored that advice perished. In the following video you will see people in imminent danger of being swept away by the tsunami tarrying to bring along possessions. Two words you will hear several times are yabai (dangerous!) and isoide (hurry!). The video is being shot from Shizu River High School in the town of Minami-sanriku-machi in Miyagi prefecture. Out of 17,800 residents, 10,000 were missing in the aftermath of the tsunami.
Tsunami strikes town of Minami-sanriku [YouTube]
See photos of the stone warnings [Yahoo! News]
Link:
Japanese Coast Guard vessel rides over tsunami waves [YouTube]
