In January 2026, fifth and sixth grade students from Minamisanriku Town Iriya Elementary School visited the Minamisanriku 3/11 Memorial and took part in a learning theater.
On the day, we took part in Learning Program 1, "Evacuation that means the difference between life and death."
Based on actual examples from the Great East Japan Earthquake, we learned how important the "decision to evacuate" and "the speed at which evacuation begins" were in saving lives.
Learning the importance of starting evacuation from experiences at the Hill of Prayer
Before attending the learning program, the participants visited the Earthquake Disaster Reconstruction Memorial Park and had the opportunity to try running up Prayer Hill.
By actually moving their bodies and heading to higher ground, the children had the opportunity to learn firsthand the importance of "starting evacuation as soon as possible."
Student feedback
During the program, the following question was posed to the students: Q. What can you do now to prepare for an emergency (when a disaster strikes)? In response to this question, the students gave the following responses:
"Building relationships of trust"
"Talk to the people around you. Prepare food and other things in advance. Say hello to others."
Check for nearby evacuation sites
"Work hard at training"
"Interacting with people"
This was an opportunity for each student to think in their own words about how their everyday actions and connections with others can lead to actions in the event of a disaster.
Minamisanriku 311 Memorial will continue to implement learning programs that allow children to think independently about and learn about "actions that will protect their own lives."