Duration 5 hours
Summary
This field study tour will provide lessons from the Great East Japan Earthquake, focusing on disaster recovery, risk reduction, and sustainable community building.
It aims to deepen our understanding of how to foster resilient and sustainable communities where everyone feels safe and secure while exploring effective leadership and reflecting on our own leadership.
AIM
- Raise our awareness of disaster recovery and risk reduction through learning from real-world experiences.
- Explore how to foster resilience and well-being at both individual and community levels.
- Reflect on leadership roles and responsibilities in post-disaster recovery and long-term community building, using this experience for personal leadership development.
- Identify key factors that contribute to sustainable communities from both economic and social perspectives.
DAY1
Arrival in Rikuzentakata
Meet your guide at either Morioka Station, Hanamaki Airport or Ichinoseki Station, and transfer to Rikuzentakata city.
Rikuzentakata City, located in an open plain along the coast, was the most severely damaged municipality in Iwate Prefecture. The first stop will be the IwateTsunami Museum, where visitors will learn about the earthquake & tsunami disaster and the process of recovery. Afterwards, participants will learn from the former mayor of the city at that time about “tsunami disaster preparedness before 3.11 and the actual disaster on that day (the past),” “current status of reconstruction city planning (the present),” and “designing a disaster-resistant city (the future),” organized chronologically.
OVERNIGHT Rikuzentakata or Ofunato areas
（Meals: B:X / L:X / D:〇）
DAY2
Otsuchi: Leadership Program
Explore Otsuchi Town and learn about its experience of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the challenges of recovery and reconstruction. Through a storytelling-guided town walk, a lecture on community-led consensus building, and an interactive decision-making workshop, participants will consider the difficult choices faced during disasters and the importance of passing these lessons on to future generations.
Activities include: a storytelling-guided town walk, a lecture by Otsuchi Town Council member on a bottom-up approach to consensus building, and a decision-making workshop.
OVERNIGHT Kamaishi area
（Meals: B:〇 / L:〇 / D:〇）
DAY3
Kamaishi: Evacuation and Rebuilding
Explore Kamaishi City and learn how disaster prevention education played a vital role during the Great East Japan Earthquake. Through a guided tour, evacuation experience, and first-hand stories, participants will learn how education and community action can strengthen disaster preparedness and consider the importance of self-help and mutual support in building resilient communities.
Activities include: a guided tour and evacuation experience workshop, a walk along a local evacuation route, and a lecture by Horaikan proprietress Ms. Iwasaki on rebuilding and revitalizing local communities.
OVERNIGHT Minami Sanriku area
（Meals: B:〇 / L:〇 / D:〇）
DAY4
Minami Sanriku: Town Planning
Explore Minami Sanriku and discover how the town is addressing challenges such as depopulation and environmental sustainability through innovative, circular approaches to community development. Through discussions with local leaders and visits to forestry and local businesses, participants will learn how the town is building a more sustainable future while creating industries that coexist with the natural environment.
Activities include: a lecture by former Mayor Mr. Sato, a guided town tour with Town Councilor, an FSC forestry field study, and a visit to Minami Sanriku Winery.
OVERNIGHT Minami Sanriku area
（Meals: B:〇 / L:〇 / D:〇）
DAY5
Minami Sanriku: Town Planning
Continue exploring Minami Sanriku’s approach to sustainable and circular community development, with a focus on resource recycling and environmentally responsible fisheries. Participants will learn how organic waste is transformed into useful resources and how local producers are working to protect the marine environment while supporting sustainable livelihoods.
Activities include: a field study at the Minami Sanriku BIO facility, and a lecture on the ASC Fishery Program by local oyster farmer Mr. Goto.
After the tour, transfer to Sendai Station to finish the tour.
END OF TOUR Sendai Station
（Meals: B:〇 / L:〇 / D:X）
Information
Price
4 PAX 560,000JPY
6 PAX 450,000JPY
10 PAX 350,000JPY
16 PAX 300,000JPY
＊PER PERSON Min 4 people
Tour type
Guided
INCLUDED
✔ Private Vehicle
✔ Meals during the tour (Breakfast x 4, Lunch x 4, Dinner x 4)
✔English Translator/Guide
✔ Accommodation twin-share x 4 nights
NOT INCLUDED
✖ Transportation to and from the listed starting/finishing points
✖ Extra drinks or extra dishes
✖ Costs of a personal nature
Notes
Please note that this tour is focused on study and learning and covers serious topics. Footage from the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami may be viewed during the tour.
This tour can be arranged to add more outdoor/ physical activities. This is just one sample course.