The theme of the eTOPOS 2016 Calendar and skyMEMO

The March 11, 2011 tsunami disaster along Japan’s Tohoku coastline called for a paradigm shift in its recovery effort. Instead of rebuilding the towns that perished, the tragic and unprecedented immensity of the destruction called for a serious re-visioning of the region’s future. Of utmost priority was ensuring the safety of the people, followed by the founding of a revived community in the now-vanished landscape of emptiness.

BEYOND 2020_nx advocates that all future homes be located 20 meters above sea level, to be accessed by a funicular transportation system from the coast. The new town center will be planned as a minna no butai – a “Stage for All.” This proposed concept is based on the following 3 Insights and immanent realities for Tohoku:

I.   New Ecology at Ground Zero

The town destroyed by the 3.11 tsunami in Miyagi-ken’s Minamisanriku was in fact a lowland area reclaimed from the Pacific Ocean. Given the global rise of sea levels, the future must involve a return of the bay to its original state.

II.  Scaling New Ground

To safeguard the homes of survivors and the next generation, post-tsunami communities must be located beyond the 20-meter elevation mark above sea level. This keeps residents secure while ensuring access to the region’s coastal economic base and maintaining the long held lifestyle with the waterfront.

III.  Year 2030 Pop<10k Community

Between 2030 to 2050, it is predicted that Japan will lose 30% of its total population. In post-3.11 Tohoku, most towns will have a population of under 10,000, and a majority of them will be 65 years or over. Beyond 2020_nx for the next generation will be a very different place in that region. The concept of a “Stage for All” emanates from considerations for such a context.

By the MIT Japan 3.11 Initiative

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Further Reading:

Learn more about the MIT Japan 3.11 Initiative, which ran from 2011 through 2014.

The River’s Rightful Place in Minamisanriku: Guest blogger MIT Architecture alumna Adele Philips shares her work and reflections based on her participation in several Japan Design Workshops in Tohoku.

Ancient tsunami stones along the coast of Japan have long stood as markers and warnings of risk for communities. Read more at MIT Japan 3.11 Initiative and 99% Invisible.

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Should communities rebuild in their original locations, or retreat to higher ground as BEYOND 2020_nx proposes? What are the societal and physical implications of such a move? What other initiatives around the world might help to inform the future of Tohoku?

Submit your ideas and encounters through the contact page, Facebook, or on your favorite social media platform with the hashtags #beyond2020nx #skyMEMO #etopos. We will continue adding ideas as they come in.