Kasper Nybo

Japan tsunami eyewitness stories #4

Having lost almost everything, the strangest experience for the two sisters Ryoko and Kaori, is to walk in the remains of their house – wearing shoes inside what used to be their living room.

In the gym hall, Ryoko is racing across the floor. She sees nothing, except the springboard in front of her. 1, 2, 3, her feet are synced in perfect rhythm, setting off and being catapulted into the air. She’s weightlessly flying, in a long split second. But as she makes a perfect landing on both feet, the ground is giving away under her. Everything is shaking and squeaking. Something is wrong. The tremors become stronger and stronger. Ryoko knows it’s an earthquake. She has experienced it many times before, but never this strong. She can’t get up and run, as it continues to shake.

Kaori, 9, and her sister Ryoko, 12, Ishinomaki, Japan.

The girls around her are screaming and crying. Ryoko tries to crawl to the others, helping to get everyone to sit together and hold on to each other. The ground is rocking under them in what feels like an eternity. And then, finally, it stops. The following silence is deafening, as if they’re all holding their breath thinking “Is it really over?”, without really daring to believe it.
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Japan tsunami eyewitness stories #3

The twins Hiroki and Miho are caught inside their school. A gigantic earthquake has hit, and a tsunami floods the town right before their eyes.

It’s late afternoon and school is about to finish for today. Hiroki’s thoughts escape out the window of the classroom. The rest of the art-class is busy drawing and painting. A ray of sun hits him and warms his body in the midst of a cold winter. He looks forward to going home. Suddenly everything starts to shake. At first just a little, but then harder and harder. The tables are dancing, and the windows are rattling, pictures are falling down from the walls. Hiroki is torn out of his daydreaming; an earthquake is hitting! The building is cracking and everybody is screaming. It’s the biggest earthquake Hiroki and his classmates have ever experienced, and it goes on and on. The earth is shaking so much, nobody is able to move. Under his desk Hiroki is hanging on to the leg of the desk.

Twins Hiroki and Miho, 10 years old. Fifth graders in Ishinomaki, Japan

When at last it’s quiet, the whole class runs to the teacher. Together they get down the main stairs and out into the school yard. Hiroki calls for his sister Miho. They are twins but are not in the same class. There is snow in the air, and Hiroki is cold while he is calling and looking for Miho. All the children press close together to keep warm, many of them left their jackets behind in the rush to get out.
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Japan tsunami eyewitness stories #2

The second story in my ongoing miniseries on eyewitness stories from survivors of the earthquake and tsunami, Japan 2011. These are the stories normally used as part of my background research, but deserving so much more, they are now being put together here. Read the first story and more about the series here or carry on reading the second story below.

“Every time I think about this story it leaves me speechless. It’s almost unreal how our human paths can cross each other in ways that seem impossible, but still as if they were meant to be.

I have a neighbor and dear friend who was the ex-wife of a monk, and despite their separation, they had remained in very good terms and close contact. Her ex-husband lived in his temple in another city and she was here, next to my house.
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Japan tsunami eyewitness stories #1

Eyewitness stories are one of my greatest resources to help shape and direct my work in the field. I’m incredibly thankful to the people sharing their story, providing me valuable angles and background information about an event. Sometimes however the stories themselves are so strong that they deserve more than being background material.

This was the case during my time in Japan, covering the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami. A number of people I spoke to had stories that left me absolutely speechless, and I knew I wanted to put them together to this miniseries of eyewitness stories.

These are stories by everyday Japanese people, old and young, seeing the world around them being literally washed away, and a regular Friday afternoon turning into a fight for their lives.

Some requested anonymity, and through that also inspired the name for this series.
These are the stories you will see as you look closely “In Our Eyes”.

“I was on the highway when the earthquake hit. It was so strong that I decided to turn back towards my home. I had the radio on, and reports of the tsunami waves started coming in. Since they were only talking about cities higher north, I assumed everything would be safe.

Thinking back now, retracing my route – I was heading straight into the tsunami.
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