I can't imagine looking out into where my town once stood. My home, my neighborhood, my friends houses, my favorite shops; all gone. The places where I lived my childhood taken from me. I don't know what this young boy was thinking as he looked out - except I know he had trouble identifying where certain landmarks were.

This may also be known as Rikuzenkoizumi - I will have to check. Where we stand is in the parking lot of a school - now evacuation area - for this town. There is a river but the water closer to me was once land (and houses) I believe. The triangular structure near the left boundary of the top image is the roof of a house that floated on top of the railway bridge.

The challenge moving forward is who will decide how rebuilding will occur? When will it start? Everyone has an opinion but the weakest voice is also the most important. The people who lived here have been dispersed from their home likes baby spiders in the wind. They are scattered throughout the area and the country. So, their voice is not unified. In their absence decisions are being made by various government bureaucracies. But, would you want the national government or even the state government to dictate your neighborhood layout?

Koizumi, amongst other things, was once known for its surfing. But, the topology was changed and surfing, post tsunami, is no longer possible.

more to come. (I'm surrounded by floating baby spiders this evening - thus the analogy).