Takatamatsubara Memorial Park for TSUNAMI Disaster, National Memorial Facility

Special Exhibition | August 4, 2026

At the center of the building, which houses both a roadside station and a folklore museum, is a water basin that receives light from the skylight. A "principal axis" extends in a straight line towards the sea. ©︎Tomohiko Tagawa
Looking back at the park from a "place overlooking the sea." A "principal axis" connects the building and the center of Hirota Bay with a single straight line, in order to carry on the memory of the earthquake into the future. ©︎Tomohiko Tagawa
The "place overlooking the sea" is located at the end of the "axis of prayer." Situated atop a massive 12.5-meter-high seawall newly constructed after the earthquake, it offers a dramatically expansive view of the ocean. ©︎Tomohiko Tagawa

A place of remembrance, imbued with a resolve to face the sea.

The Reconstruction Memorial Park is located in Kesen-cho, Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture. It is one of the reconstruction memorial parks established by the Tohoku Regional Development Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism with the aim of commemorating and mourning the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake, and passing on their memories and lessons. It is a national memorial and prayer facility. Within the area, several earthquake-related relics remain, including the "Miracle Pine Tree" and the former roadside station "Tapic". Inside the park's buildings are the roadside station "Takada Matsubara" to create a lively atmosphere in the area, and the "Great East Japan Earthquake Tsunami Memorial Museum" to pass on the lessons of the earthquake. While it is necessary to pass on the memory of the earthquake to the next generation, the landscape design also needed to be considerate of the many people who still have tragic memories. Recognizing that the way people mourn and pray varies from person to person, a "place overlooking the sea" has been created as a place where visitors can uniformly calm their feelings and pray.

Takatamatsubara Memorial Park for TSUNAMI Disaster, National Memorial Facility
・Architect :Preck Research Institute・Naito Architect & Associatesdesign joint venture
・Location : 180 Dotekage, Kesen-cho, Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture
• Uses: Parks, museums, roadside rest areas
・Completion year: 2019

Text: Yoshinao Yamada