Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture--Disaster survivors and volunteers here plan to plant 17,300 cherry trees to mark the farthest points inland where the tsunami reached on March 11.
Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture--Disaster survivors and volunteers here plan to plant 17,300 cherry trees to mark the farthest points inland where the tsunami reached on March 11.
They hope the trees will provide a scenic area for viewing cherry blossoms every spring while serving as a demarcation line for safety if another tsunami strikes Rikuzentakata.
"(The cherry trees) may remind us of the traumatic experience, but we want people to evacuate farther than the cherry trees if another tsunami hits our town," said Kazuo Sato, a 45-year-old fisherman who set up the 10-member team.
Stone markers denoting the farthest points reached by past tsunami were installed in several spots. However, many residents were not aware of the markers before the March 11 tsunami devastated the area.
Project members said they chose cherry trees because people viewing the blossoms every year will be reminded of where the danger zones are for tsunami.
The team will plant trees every 10 meters on about a 173-kilometer line where the water spread the farthest on March 11.
They are asking locals to pinpoint those areas and seeking approval from landowners for the tree-planting activities.
On Nov. 6, the group will plant the first five trees at Jodoji temple in the Takata area of the city. The trees are expected to bloom next spring.