The Rikuzentakata Volunteer Tour 2016 for international students was conducted from December 17th (Fri.) to 18th (Sun.), 2016.
The tour was conducted in English and assisted by students from Tohoku University's TGL program. Seventeen international students from Italy, Indonesia, the Netherlands, Cameroon, Taiwan, China, Poland, Malaysia, and South Africa participated.
On the first day, the group heard a first-hand account of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The also visited some preserved ruins from the time of the disaster and the "miracle pine" that survived the tsunami. On the second day, the group performed volunteer work, preparing bamboo wraps that will be used in tree-planting next year. The students then had lunch with some local residents. The final part of the event consisted of a dance led by the Takata residents and a performance of the song "Kitaguni no Haru" (Spring in the North) by the Tohoku University students. The tour provided the participants a valuable opportunity to observe some of the areas damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami with their own eyes and hear the accounts of the survivors.