Top leaders who survived the Great East Japan Earthquake

 On March 11, 2011, Minamisanriku Town in Miyagi Prefecture suffered extensive damage from an unprecedented tsunami.

As mayor, Jin Sato was the one who worked hard to restore and rebuild the town together with his staff and townspeople, even though his old disaster prevention office building was damaged in the disaster.

Since then, he has led an unprecedented restoration and reconstruction project for 14 years, working hard to revitalize the region in areas such as medical care, industry, and human resource development. Rather than simply "restoring," he has focused on how to restore pride in one's hometown and how to bring back the vitality of the region.

These were also days when I continued to face the question of how to pass on a sustainable region to the next generation.

From Minamisanriku to the rest of the country: Sharing hopes for the future based on the experience of reconstruction

 Mr. Sato Jin, who was appointed as a special advisor, will use his experience in the Great East Japan Earthquake to provide advice to local governments, companies, and educational institutions across the country.

 We will hold lectures on the themes of disaster prevention and mitigation, leadership, and community development.

 In his speech, he spoke about "decisions under unprecedented circumstances" based on his experience as the head of a disaster-stricken area who has been at the forefront of reconstruction for 14 years.

 We will convey practical knowledge gained in the field, such as "decisions to save lives."

He also gave on-site lectures to corporate training and educational institution inspection groups visiting Minamisanriku Town.

 Through the "real voices" that can only be heard in the disaster-stricken areas, we provide an opportunity to think about disaster prevention as something that concerns you personally.

 Through these activities, we will promote Minamisanriku as a "learning hub" and connect it to future disaster prevention education.

Based on the belief that "we should not talk about the past, but rather convey it to make use of it for the future,"

 As the head of a region that has experienced a once-in-a-thousand-years disaster, I feel a sense of responsibility and will continue to send out messages of hope.

From a "role to communicate" to a "mission to continue communicating"

【message】

 Since that day, I have continued to move forward with the determination to "rebuild this town" in mind.

Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, major disasters have occurred all over Japan, and every time one occurs, I think, "We must never forget our experiences."

 "I don't want to let it go to waste." Fading is not necessarily a bad thing. People can move forward by forgetting.

However, there are some things we must not forget. How can we communicate these things? Even after retiring from the front lines,

 I believe that I have a role to play in continuing to pass on this message. That is the mission of those who have been given life.

To protect as many lives as possible for the future. (Jin Sato)

[Jin Sato's profile]

 Date of birth: December 24, 1951 Place of birth: Shizugawa Town, Motoyoshi District, Miyagi Prefecture (now Minamisanriku Town)

Education: Graduated from Sendai Municipal Sendai Commercial High School (1970)

During his high school years, he was a member of the baseball club and made it to the top eight at the Koshien tournament.