The Ukedo Elementary School Earthquake Ruins is a heartbreaking landmark, found on the coast of Namie, in Fukushima Prefecture. The site is a former elementary school, which was devastated by both the 2011 Tohoku Tsunami and later part of the exclusion zone of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster – a mere 5km away.
At 2:46 PM on March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake rocked Japan’s northeastern coast. Just over 40 minutes later, a massive tsunami—reaching heights of over 15 meters—swept through the Tōhoku region.
Ukedo Elementary School, located just 300 meters from the coastline, was directly in the tsunami’s path. But thanks to swift decision-making by the teachers and staff, all 82 students and teachers managed to evacuate to higher ground before the wave hit.
In 2021, after long debates and community discussions, Ukedo Elementary School reopened to the public as a preserved ruin. Unlike many other earthquake-related sites that were cleared or rebuilt, this school was left intentionally untouched—a raw, powerful exhibit frozen in time.
Walking through the ruins of the Ukedo Elementary school, you can see the waterlines from where the Tsunami waters inundated the school. Because Japanese schools are built to a high standard, the concrete structure is well preserved, and you can see a clear difference in where the Tsunami hit the school.
The bottom floor of the school remains as it was post-tsunami. You can see Shattered blackboards and upturned desks, exactly as they were left following the tsunami. The school’s second story also remains as it was on the day of the tsunami, but instead of mud and clear signs of a devastating disaster, the school’s second floor was relatively unscathed, leading to a near prefect example of how the school was left on March 11th.
Hours and Admission
- Hours: 9:30am - 4:30pm (Closed Tuesdays)
- 300 JPY
- Average Time Spent: 30 - 60 Minutes
- Official Website
Accessing The Ukedo Elementary School Earthquake Ruins
Following the disaster, public transport is not currently an option to access the Ukedo Elementary School. Instead, visitors to ruins will need to get there by car. See more information on renting cars in Japan.
From Sendai, the ruins are about an hour and a half by car.
From Tokyo, the drive will take about 3 and a half hours.
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