One Year After —  Rikuzentaka ( Part 2 ) 















One Year After — Rikuzentakata


On March 11, 2011, Japan experienced the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in the country—a magnitude 9.0. It triggered a massive tsunami, with waves reaching up to 40.5 meters in some areas and traveling as far as 10 km inland. Entire communities were destroyed within minutes. Rikuzentakata, in Iwate Prefecture, was one of the hardest-hit cities, suffering immense destruction and one of the highest death tolls.

One year later, in March 2012, I traveled to Rikuzentakata on assignment for an NGO to document what remained. The landscape was still defined by destruction—collapsed buildings, massive debris fields, and the haunting absence of everyday life. The scale of loss was overwhelming. This series presents a stark look at the aftermath, where recovery had barely begun.