Overview:From Arahama Elementary School in Sendai, through Yuriage in Natori and the Sennen Kibo no Oka in Iwanuma, to Nakahama Elementary School in Yamamoto: a model route you can complete as a day trip from Sendai.
About 30 minutes by car from central Sendai, by the sea, stand a school building the tsunami reached and a hill built for disaster prevention. The route covers Arahama Elementary School, Yuriage, Sennen Kibo no Oka, and Nakahama Elementary School in Yamamoto. In one day, you can see how towns close to the sea have preserved their memories and how they are preparing for the future.
Route Map
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Positions are estimates from addresses. Please check the official information of each facility before you visit. (OpenStreetMap)
Itinerary
1. Disaster Ruins: Sendai City Arahama Elementary School
The damaged Arahama Elementary School building preserved as a disaster ruin. Its purpose is to raise visitors’ awareness of disaster prevention and mitigation, and on the fourth floor the progression of the tsunami damage is presented in photographs and video (the third floor is closed to the public).
Suggested time: About 1 hour. On the fourth floor you can see the progression of the tsunami damage in photographs and video.
Hours: September-June 9:30-16:00; July-August 9:30-17:00
Closed: Mondays; the fourth Thursday (except public holidays); year-end and New Year holidays
▼ About 8 min by car (about 7.7 km; estimate calculated by a map service)
2. Tsunami Reconstruction Memorial Museum “Memories of Yuriage”
A museum that opened in 2012, the year after the disaster, at the entrance of the former Yuriage Junior High School. It offers storyteller (kataribe) talks and guided programs around Yuriage.
Suggested time: About 1 hour. Storyteller talks and guided programs are available (fees are on a separate page and need to be confirmed).
Hours: Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat 10:00-15:00; Sundays and public holidays 9:00-15:00 (opens at 13:00 on the third Sunday of even-numbered months)
Closed: Thursdays (open on the 11th of every month); the morning of the third Sunday of even-numbered months
▼ About 11 min by car (about 6.8 km; estimate calculated by a map service)
3. Sennen Kibo no Oka (Hill of Hope) Exchange Center
Ainokama Park, one of the memorial parks along the coast, has an exchange center and a memorial monument. The exchange center conveys the memory of the tsunami and the recovery through photographs, panels and video (based on a tourism information site’s summary).
Suggested time: 30 minutes to 1 hour. The exchange center, and the view from the top of the hill.
Hours: 9:00-17:00 (Exchange Center)
Closed: Every Tuesday (the following day if Tuesday is a public holiday); Dec 26 – Jan 7
▼ About 29 min by car (about 30.2 km; estimate calculated by a map service)
4. Yamamoto Town Earthquake Ruins: Nakahama Elementary School
The former Nakahama Elementary School building, where 90 children, staff and parents took refuge on the roof and survived the tsunami, is open to the public as a disaster ruin. The school closed in 2013. The town preserves and uses it as the only disaster-damaged building remaining in southern Miyagi Prefecture.
Suggested time: About 1 hour. The school building where 90 children, staff and others took refuge on the roof.
Hours: 9:30-16:30 (last entry 16:00)
Closed: Every Monday (the following day if Monday is a public holiday); Dec 28 – Jan 4
Before You Go
- Closing days differ. Arahama and Nakahama Elementary Schools are closed on Mondays, the Sennen Kibo no Oka Exchange Center on Tuesdays, and Memories of Yuriage on Thursdays. If you plan your trip for Wednesday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday, all of them are open.
- Arahama Elementary School is closed on Mondays and the fourth Thursday, and Memories of Yuriage on Thursdays.
- Memories of Yuriage closes at 15:00. Going from Arahama Elementary School to Yuriage in the morning is the safe choice.
- The last entry at Nakahama Elementary School in Yamamoto is at 16:00.
Travel times are estimates for driving, calculated with a map service (OSRM / OpenStreetMap), and vary with road and weather conditions. Suggested visit durations are the editors’ estimates. Hours, closing days and fees may change, so please check each facility’s official website before you visit. Many of these facilities are also places of mourning for those who lost their lives.
This article was compiled by the Tohokuru editorial team based on the official pages of each facility and other sources (checked: October 13, 2026). For details on each facility, please see its individual article.