SOCIOLOGRAPHY

Continuing to Rebuild After the Great Tohoku Disaster

This winter marked my fourth trip to Tohoku, Japan, to track the region’s recovery from the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami. With each visit, I’ve traveled south along the coast from the Kitakami River valley to the area surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Along the way, I’ve met with small business owners, tourism officials, and community groups while photographing changes to the social and physical infrastructure. The following photographs are glimpses of the project from this January and February, including three repeat photography sequences and a handful of other photographs. For background on the project, see my first post from 2014, a second full post from 2016, and a brief update from 2018.

A stack of logs in a lumber yard under a clear blue sky, with white smoke trails curving in a "V" above.
A cluster of homes at night, with snow on the ground.
A panoramic collage of four images showing the progress of rebuilding in T?hoku, Japan, over the years 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2023, featuring various stages of construction and land development.
The reconfiguration of Tomioka’s historic downtown
A sequence of four photographs showcasing the gradual rebuilding of a landscape in T?hoku, Japan, with a Christmas tree in 2014, followed by images from 2016, 2018, and 2023, highlighting changes over time.
The reorganization of a former harbor
The transformation of a destroyed train line into a linear bike path

One of the most evident changes in the landscape is the physical movement of towns from their harbor locations, which have been almost entirely cleared, to new neighborhoods being constructed above the water line.

A panoramic view of a coastal settlement in T?hoku, Japan, showing a cluster of houses and roads near a harbor, with a background of hills and cloudy skies.
A panoramic view of a coastal landscape in T?hoku, Japan, showcasing a few buildings near the shore, surrounded by trees and a backdrop of rolling hills and mountains under a clear blue sky.

In coastal cities like Onagawa, novel temporary accommodations have fully emerged as commercial enterprises and previously flooded areas are being reworked into temporary use places like whimsical playgrounds.

A person in a blue jacket is seen pushing a cart outside a mobile home-style hotel building. In the background, there are mountains and another building painted light green, along with a vending machine.
A view of a playground in T?hoku, Japan, featuring colorful, whimsical structures and a backdrop of hills and buildings.

The crafts and development are alive and well along the coast, from traditional fishing to novel furniture making, like that done by Ishinomaki Laboratory. The group was founded after the disaster, when it provided material and workshop assistance to help rebuild its city. Today, it still possesses that sprit, making innovative furniture with a DIY attitude and providing a novel guest house experience.

UPDATE: In September 2025, I interviewed Ishinomaki Laboratory’s cofounder, Keiji Ashizawa, and Tomomi Hashimoto for MAS Context.

A person working carefully on a Carl Hansen CH24 Wishbone Chair, wearing gloves and focused on the task.
A group of five people standing in a workshop at Ishinomaki Laboratory, surrounded by tools.
Four people sorting shellfish in a working environment, wearing gloves and masks, with baskets and tools around them.

Here are a few views of Ishinomaki Laboratory Home Base.

A contemporary room overlooking a snowy landscape in the Ishinomaki Laboratory Home Base.
A contemporary kitchen with a high ceiling in the Ishinomaki Laboratory Home Base.
An interior space of Ishinomaki Laboratory Home Base featuring a wood-burning stove, wooden furniture, and modern lighting, with a staircase in the background.

In Tomioka, which was affected by the earthquake, tsunami, and radiation contamination, it is exciting to see life returning. In 2014, it was difficult to imagine young people enjoying quick meals, a thriving supermarket, and a tourist center. Now, a new normality is emerging that looks much more like life before the disaster than its subsequent history.

Downtown Tomioka in 2014
Two young men sitting inside a car, one is eating while the other is smiling and watching, with food containers visible on the dashboard.
An interior view of a grocery store in Japan featuring an inflatable red demon figure on display, with various food items and signs in Japanese on shelves and counters.

I look forward to continuing the project in 2026.

A person works the edge of a controlled burn, surrounded by utility poles.
A vending machine on a corner with a yield sign and a car passing at dusk.
An isolated building as a place of warmth in Ishinomaki, Japan.
A nighttime view of a cityscape in T?hoku, Japan, featuring a tall communication tower, buildings, and streets illuminated by streetlights and vehicle lights.

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David Schalliol

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