ISHINOMAKI, Miyagi Prefecture--Public access is to be allowed to the shell of a school that stands as testimony to the devastation caused by the 2011 tsunami disaster.
The interior of the gutted Okawa Elementary School will be open to visitors if they are accompanied by bereaved family members or officially approved guides on hand to offer a detailed explanation of how 74 of the children, along with 10 teachers and staff members, died.
City authorities also envisage preserving the remains of another elementary school that was destroyed by fire in the disaster triggered by the magnitude-9.0 Great East Japan Earthquake off the coast of the the northeastern Tohoku region.
The 84 victims of Okawa Elementary School perished as they fled to higher ground.
Fences will be erected around the two-story school building and what's left of the gym to restrict unauthorized entry. A sort of anteroom will be built close to the school so relatives of the deceased and others can gather, or wait in case it rains.
City officials also intend to set aside a space separated by a planted area on the 3-hectare grounds to allow bereaved family members and visitors privacy when they offer prayers to the victims.
The city decided to preserve the school building as a testimonial to the calamity despite opposition from some residents who regard it as an unbearable reminder of the events of March 11, 2011.
A similar sentiment was echoed by city residents in the neighborhood of Kadonowaki Elementary School. A 50-meter portion of the three-story school building’s central section is to be preserved, while the outer flanks of the structure will be dismantled.
City officials had considered dismantling the third floor of the building, but decided not to as it bore traces of the fire that flared after the tsunami.
They also took into account in drawing up the preservation blueprint that the top floor can be seen from a park nearby that is dedicated to the city's rebirth.
However, planted areas will be set up around the school so local residents are shielded from constantly gazing at the ruined building.
A school building north of the main structure, as well as the gym, which both escaped the blaze, will be utilized as a venue for local gatherings and other activities.
“The structure remains in the same condition as from the disaster,” said Shosuke Sato, a researcher specializing in disaster information management at Tohoku University who attended meetings on the preservation of both schools. “They are valuable with the benefit of hindsight.”
All children who remained at Kadonowaki Elementary School after the earthquake safely evacuated to a nearby mountain area before the tsunami rushed in.
The city government’s draft proposal was compiled after five meetings of a task force set up last July that included relatives of the deceased and local residents.
City officials will present their final proposal to residents next month.
Work to establish the planted areas and reinforce the school buildings is expected to be completed by the end of March 2020.