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.
Over the next 14 years, he led an unprecedented recovery and reconstruction effort, working hard to revitalize the region in areas such as medical care, industry, and human resource development.
Rather than simply "restoring," we spent every day grappling with questions of how to restore pride in our hometown and the vitality of the local area, and how to pass on a sustainable community 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 each time one thinks, "We must never let our experiences go to waste." Fading memories is not necessarily a bad thing.
Forgetting helps us move forward, but there are some things we must not forget.
How can I convey this message? Even after retiring from the front lines, I believe I have a role to play in continuing to convey it. That is the mission of those who have been given the opportunity to live.
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 high school, he was a member of the baseball team and made it to the top eight at Koshien.