On March 11, I was at the Izumi Campus of Tohoku High School in Yakata, Izumi-ku, Sendai, to watch a practice session of the Tohoku High School baseball team, with the spring Koshien tournament just around the corner.

At 14:46, when batting practice finished and the practice game was about to begin, there was the strongest vertical jolt that I had ever experienced, and then horizontal shaking continued for more than five minutes. I waited for the shaking to stop, holding tightly to the bench at the back of the ground. In the school building, many students were in the middle of class, and the school was thrown into uproar.

 

I waited at the bus stop for nearly an hour after the situation calmed down. While I was waiting strong aftershocks came one after the other　But the bus didn’t come, so I walked to my house in Katahira.

While I was walking I saw a huge traffic jam. Even after the traffic lights went out as there was no electricity, and the long train of cars remained. Furthermore, I saw worried office workers returning home or seeking refuge and parents and children who were wearing disaster hoods.

I finally reached Kitasendai, then Ichibancho and it was nearly 21:00 when I returned to my house in Katahira.

 

Immediately after the earthquake. Tohoku High School’s ground in Yakata, Izumi-ku

 

 

Immediately after the earthquake. Members of the baseball team gathering at the center of the ground

 

 

15:47  “Izumi Village 1-chome” bus stop

 

 

 

16:40 I waited for the bus for an hour. It began snowing.

 

 

 

16:40 I gave up waiting for the bus and began walking.

 

 

 

16:54  I knew there had been a power failure when I saw the traffic lights were not working. (Sanezawa Ohaizan, Izumi-ku)

 

 

 

17:17  Cars stopping at the intersection. (Kitanakayama 3-chome, Izumi-ku)

 

 

 

19:46 Water was spouting from the road. (Tsutsumidori Amamiyamachi, Aoba-ku)

 

 

 

19:46 There was a long line at the convenience store.

 

 

 

19:46 Higashi Nibancho Street jammed with cars.

 

 

 

19:51 Kita Yonbancho Intersection.

 

 

 

20:00 Intersection in front of Mitsukoshi.

 

 

 

20:01 The building was roped off probably because the exterior wall fell off. (in front of Hotel Com’s Sendai)

 

 

 

20:20 The intersection of Bansui and Aoba Avenue. The traffic had improved.

 

 

 

20:20 A convenience store whose entrance was blocked by garbage boxes. (Intersection of Bansui and Aoba Avenue)