Onagawa Station miniature model conjures up pre-disaster memories

The Yomiuri Shimbun

November 21, 2021

A visitor views a model of the JR Onagawa Station building, which was destroyed by tsunami in the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, on display at Miyagi Prefecture’s municipal government building. Nobuo Takama, a miniature model artist who lives in Fukui Prefecture, created the model with hope for the region’s reconstruction. By referencing photos taken before the disaster and other materials, Takama crafted the 1:45 scale miniature of the building, including the unique station name sign, ticket vending machines and taxis waiting for customers in front. “My wife, daughter and I traveled through the station,” said Hajime Suzuki, 61, who viewed the miniature with his wife. “The tsunami totally changed our town, and this model brings back memories.”