From the reconstruction sites, passing on to the future

復興の現場から、未来へ語り継ぐ

After leading the reconstruction of Minamisanriku, a town deeply affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, former Mayor Jin Sato has been appointed as a Special Advisor to the “Minamisanriku 311 Memorial.”

As a hub for passing on the experiences and lessons of the disaster to future generations, he will conduct lecture activities across the country to share the importance of disaster prevention and mitigation, centered around the Minamisanriku 311 Memorial.

Special Advisor Profile

Personal Information & Hometown

Date of Birth: December 24, 1951
Hometown: Shizugawa Town, Motoyoshi District, Miyagi Prefecture (currently Minamisanriku Town)

Education & Baseball Background

Graduated from Sendai Municipal Sendai Commercial High School (1970)
Member of the baseball club in high school; participated in the Koshien national tournament and reached the Quarter-finals (Best 8).

Political Career

1992: First elected as a member of the Shizugawa Town Council
2002: Appointed Mayor of Shizugawa Town
2005: Led the merger of Shizugawa and Utatsu towns, becoming the first Mayor of Minamisanriku Town
2009: Re-elected as Mayor of Minamisanriku Town
2011: The Great East Japan Earthquake occurred. Despite being caught in the disaster at the former Crisis Management Center, he led the reconstruction efforts. Served 5 terms in total.
2025: Announced retirement, stating “My mission is fulfilled”

Since that day, I have moved forward with the single-minded determination to “rebuild this town without fail.”

Every time a large-scale disaster occurs in Japan, I think, “We must never let our experiences go to waste.”

Memory fading is not necessarily a bad thing; humans move forward by forgetting. However, there are things that must never be forgotten.

How do we pass that on? Even after stepping down from the front lines, I believe I still have a “duty to keep telling the story.”

To protect even one more life in the generations to come.

(Jin Sato)

Lectures and Speaking Engagements

Example Lecture Themes

Target Audience	Theme
Local Governments / Administrative Agencies	“From Reconstruction to Vitalization (Sosei)”
Corporations / Organizations	“Disaster Response and Organizational Decision-Making”
Educational Institutions	“Learning the Preciousness of Life from the Earthquake”

“Sharing the past not to tell a story, but to utilize it for the future.”
With the mission of a leader who experienced a once-in-a-millennium disaster, he delivers messages of hope across the nation.

Lecture Formats

Format	Overview
On-site Lectures	Travels to local governments, companies, and schools nationwide to conduct lectures.
Online Lectures	Remote lectures or dialogues using platforms like Zoom.
Local Lectures (at Minamisanriku 311 Memorial)	Special lectures held on-site during group visits and training sessions.

Key Lecture Achievements (Partial List)

Event Name	Location	Lecture Theme
National Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Forum	Tokyo	“Building a Town Where Lives Are Never Lost to Tsunami Again”
International Disaster Prevention Conference	Sendai	“Minamisanriku as an International Model for Regional Disaster Prevention”
Noto Reconstruction Support Symposium	–	“Creative Reconstruction and Utilization of Local Resources”

Books & Co-authored Works

Cover of 'Three Years of the Minamisanriku Mayor - Never Stopping Since That Day'

Cover of 'Learning from Leaders' Battles: 100 Days of Wisdom for Emergency Disaster Response'

・”Three Years of the Minamisanriku Mayor – Never Stopping Since That Day” (Kahoku Shimpo Publishing Center, March 1, 2014)
・”Learning from Leaders’ Battles: 100 Days of Wisdom for Emergency Disaster Response” (Editor: Tamio Mori, Publisher: Gyosei, April 2025)

Applying for Lectures

How to Apply

Requests for lectures, cost estimates, and schedule adjustments are accepted via the inquiry form below.

Fees and Estimates

Lecture fees, travel expenses, etc., will be estimated based on the content, location, and format of the lecture.

Please contact us via “Inquiries” first.

Requests

・Please inform us of the purpose, target audience, desired theme, number of participants, and schedule in advance.
・Please prepare the necessary equipment at the venue (projector, screen, audio equipment, etc.).
・Requests for on-site lectures (within Minamisanriku Town) require prior schedule adjustment.
・For online lectures, please prepare the connection environment (Zoom, etc.) on the host side.

Click here for inquiries and requests
regarding Special Advisor Jin Sato’s lectures