Miyagi: ‘Good-catch’ Fishing Flags that Survived the 2011 Tsunami Exhibited in Japan Coastal City

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:00 JST, February 12, 2023

NATORI, Miyagi — “Good-catch” fishing boat flags that escaped tsunami damage in the Yuriage area of Natori, Miyagi Prefecture, following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake are currently on display at the Natori City Earthquake Reconstruction Museum.

A local doctor collected and stored the about 2-meter-long, 3-meter-wide flags, which were used by fishermen to signal a rich haul.

According to the museum, most of the 22 flags on display were made between the 1950s and 1970s and are decorated with the names of fishing boats and stores.

Photos of Yuriage Port can also be seen at the museum, which plays traditional folk songs celebrating big catches to remind visitors of the port’s pre-quake vivacity.

Katsumasa Takeda, director of the Natori Tourism Association, said he hopes the museum will “cheer locals by reminding them about bygone days, while also raising awareness of the need for disaster preparedness.”

The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. but closed Tuesdays. Admission is free. The exhibition will run through Feb. 27.