ONAGAWA, Japan, October 2 — Yasuo Takamatsu has spent more than 13 years searching for his wife, Yuko, who went missing after the tsunami that struck Japan's northeastern coast in 2011. About twice a month, Takamatsu leaves Onagawa port by boat and travels out to sea. Wearing scuba-diving equipment, he enters the water and searches for any possible sign of his wife. He has made more than 760 dives since he began searching. "I felt that if I kept diving, one day I might be able to meet my wife," Takamatsu said.
The day of the tsunami
On March 11, 2011, a powerful earthquake struck Japan, triggering a tsunami that devastated communities along the country's northeastern coast. That morning, Takamatsu drove his wife to the bank where she worked. During the short journey, they talked about what they would have for dinner that evening. After tsunami warnings were issued, Yuko went to the roof of the bank building with 12 colleagues. From there, she sent her husband a short message. "Are you safe? I want to go home."
Takamatsu said the message initially reassured him that she was safe. The following day, however, he went to a municipal hospital where survivors were being sheltered and learned that Yuko was not there. He was later told that his wife had been swept away by the tsunami. "After that, I couldn't even stand. All the strength left my legs," he said.
Learning to dive
After the tsunami, extensive searches were carried out along the affected coastline for people who were missing. Yuko's remains were never found. For about two years, Takamatsu watched Japan's coast guard divers search the waters and recover personal belongings and other items. He then decided to learn how to dive himself. Since then, he has continued to return to the sea regularly in the hope of finding his wife. "After diving again and again, I began to feel that perhaps she was somewhere nearby," he said. "It feels different from visiting a grave because she isn't in a grave. It feels as if I am going to meet her."
Memories beneath the water
During his dives, Takamatsu sometimes sees debris left behind by the tsunami. He said such sights remind him of his wife. "When I see the debris, I think, 'My wife must not have been able to come back up through all of this,'" he said. Despite what happened, Takamatsu said he does not hate the sea. "I don't really hate it. The sea was very rough when the tsunami came. But at the same time, it provides many delicious things and its scenery is very beautiful," he said. More than 13 years after the disaster, Yuko's remains have still not been found. Takamatsu continues to make regular dives in the waters where she disappeared.
Latest Posts
