The Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum

The Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum

The Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum (東日本大震災・原子力災害伝承館, often referred to in Japanese only as ‘Denshokan’ [伝承館]) is located in Futaba town, in the coastal area of Fukushima prefecture.

Through exhibitions, storytelling, research and interactive displays, visitors can learn about this area before, during and after the disaster, deepen their understanding of the revitalization of Fukushima and the decommissioning of the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, as well as listen to testimonies of residents.

This museum shows how Fukushima has dealt with a complex and unprecedented disaster and its ongoing consequences, and communicates lessons for the future on the importance of disaster prevention and mitigation.

The museum opened in September 2020 and has about 200 items related to the The Great East Japan Earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster on permanent exhibition.

Exhibits include explanations in both English and Japanese.

Located nearby the museum is the Futaba Business Incubation and Community Center.

Venue Details

Venue Details
Websitehttps://www.fipo.or.jp/lore/en
Contact

+81(0)240-23-4402

Best SeasonAll Year
Opening Hours

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Last entry at 4:30 PM

Closed: Tuesdays (or the following day if the Tuesday falls on a public holiday) and year-end holidays (December 29-January 3)

ParkingFree
Entrance Fee Adults: 600 yen. High school students and younger: 300 yen (discounts available for groups of over 20 people).
Related infoThere are lockers available to use only during opening hours for 100 yen (deposit-refund system).
Access Details
Access39 Takada, Nakano, Futaba Town, Futaba District, Fukushima Prefecture 979-1401
View directions
Getting there

By Car: 12 min from the Joban Futaba IC off the Joban Expressway.

Approx. 1 hour 30 minutes from Sendai City.

Approx. 1 hour from Iwaki City.

Approx. 1 hour 40 minutes from Fukushima City.

By Public Transportation: 3 hours 10 min by train from Tokyo Station to the nearest station (JR Futaba Station) (JR Joban Line; Limited Express Hitachi).

There is a shuttle bus from Futaba Station to the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum (200 yen one-way) (see timetable in Japanese).

Related trips

  1. Culture

    Fukushima’s Revitalization Educational One-Day Trip

    This is a model itinerary for visitors who would like to learn about Fukushima’s revitalization. The coastal area of Fukushima is the only place in the world to have survived a triple disaster: an earthquake, a tsunami and a nuclear disaster. Following extensive decontamination efforts and a great deal of demolition and reconstruction, several areas that were once designated as ‘difficult to return’ have started welcoming both residents and visitors again, with many residents eager to share their stories with the world. This itinerary centers on the towns of Futaba and Namie, both of which were severely affected by the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident in 2011.  The first stop is Futaba station and the surrounding Futaba Art District, a mural art initiative that pays homage to the residents and folk art of the town. From there, you’ll visit the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum, which has a detailed account of the area before, during, and after the disaster. At the museum, you’ll learn about the stories and testimonies of locals, as well as the plans and ideas for the future of Fukushima. The last stop is the remains of the Ukedo Elementary School in Namie town. Although the school building, located only 300 meters from the sea, sustained great damage from the tsunami, students, teachers and staff were able to evacuate from the school safely, for which it is known as a ‘miracle’ school.  This is a one-day itinerary, but we recommend staying somewhere in the coastal area of Fukushima after your visit.

Nearby

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Local Foods

Café Amazon Kawauchi

Café Amazon Kawauchi is a modern cafe and restaurant located only 350 meters away from the Tenzan Bunko Museum. Café Amazon has over 1500 restaurants abroad, and serves Asian food and coffee.This was the first Café Amazon restaurant in Japan, opened to help reinvigorate Kawauchi, attract visitors and, of course, serve delicious Thai dishes!In 2016, following extensive revitalization efforts, all restrictions were lifted in Kawauchi village, which had had to be evacuated in 2011 following the nuclear accident. Kawauchi is now is a quiet, green village surrounded by mountains and streams, home to a few thousand people.But because the village had remained uninhabited for some time, the only coffee shop there had closed, and, left without a local hub, it seemed difficult for the community to rekindle—that’s when Thai restaurant chain Café Amazon stepped in.Café Amazon Kawauchi has a warm and light wooden interior (built using wood from Fukushima!), as well as a piano and guitar you can play freely. You can sit indoors or outdoors on a wooden deck.Café Amazon Kawauchi isn’t only a coffee shop, it’s a fundamental part of the reconstruction of Kawauchi village, a meeting place for both locals and visitors.

The World Glassware Hall
Hot Springs

Iwaki Yumoto Onsen

This well-known hot spring is thought to be one of the oldest hot springs in Japan. The list of most ancient springs also includes Dogo Onsen (Ehime Prefecture) and Arima Onsen (Hyogo Prefecture). It is said that Iwaki Yumoto Onsen as first used for its hot spring water around one thousand years ago. Water is pumped into the numerous hotels and ryokan in the town at a rate of five tons per minute. The springs have various benefits such as having skin-beautifying properties.

The World Glassware Hall
Historical Sites

Daihisan Stone Buddhas (Daihisan no Sekibutsu)

Estimated to have been carved over 1,000 years ago, the Daihisan Stone Buddhas (大悲山の石仏) are a group of stone-carved Buddhas in Odaka, Minamisoma City, in the coastal area of Fukushima prefecture.The Daihisan Stone Buddhas are made up of three groups of statues: the Yakushido Buddhas (薬師堂石仏), the Amidado Buddha (阿弥陀堂石仏), and the Kannondo Buddha (観音堂石仏). The statues are enshrined in a forest area with many smaller Buddha statues.They are the biggest and oldest stone Buddha statues in the Tohoku area of Japan, and have been designated as a National Historical Site. Their origins, and much of their history, however, remain unknown, although they are presumed to have been built sometime during the Heian period of Japanese history, which goes from 794 to 1185.In front of the entrance to the Yakushido Buddhas is a 45 meter high cedar tree known as Daihisan’s Giant Japanese Cedar Tree. The tree has a circumference of 8.4 meters at eye level, and is one of the largest trees in Fukushima prefecture, also estimated to be over 1,000 years old. It is designated as a Natural Monument of Fukushima Prefecture.

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