Masamichi Kirihara 
Now | New facilities including a baseball field in Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture, on February 27, 2025 (left, ©Sankei by Masamichi Kirihara). Then | The city center, where homes were swept away by the tsunami, taken on March 12, 2011, at 8:01 AM (right, ©Sankei by Satoshi Kadonai).
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Today's elementary school children didn't experience the Great East Japan Earthquake, which struck the Tohoku region on March 11, 2011. For many of them, it's something they know only from textbooks.
As time goes on, fewer people who experienced the disaster will remain, and its memories are gradually fading.
Revisiting the Affected Areas
In 2025, we photographed the areas affected by the earthquake, carefully aligning our shots with those taken in its aftermath. While some methods differed — using airplanes instead of helicopters — the changes to the landscape were striking.
Some towns have relocated, while others have transformed so completely that, without familiar landmarks like mountains, it's hard to believe they are the same places.
Yet along the coast, where the tsunami swept away buildings, signs of recovery are evident. It has taken time, but life is gradually returning. I hope these photos encourage people to reflect on the disaster and keep its memory alive.
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Author: Masamichi Kirihara, The Sankei Shimbun
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