Introduction

The book tells the true story of an event that took place during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. This was a massive earthquake accompanied by a powerful tsunami that struck along the Pacific side of Japan’s Tohoku region. The story is set in Hachinohe, a port city in the northern part of the Tohoku region that was struck hard by the earthquake and tsunami.

On the day in question, a group of elementary school students from Hachinohe City went aboard the Deep Sea Scientific Drilling Vessel Chikyu, a research ship that was berthed in the Port of Hachinohe. The Chikyu is the flagship of an international research project aimed at exploring the deep sea.

Following the earthquake, which continued for over four minutes, a tsunami struck the port. The students stayed aboard the Chikyu with the crew. There were many people crammed into a large meeting room, and fear was spreading among them.

At that time, the students did something on their own initiative.
What precisely did they do?
This book describes the heartfelt exchange that took place and the bonds of friendship that were forged aboard the Chikyu during the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

About the Deep Sea Scientific Drilling Vessel Chikyu

The Chikyu is a research ship that is capable of drilling deeper below the seafloor than any previous scientific drilling vessel. Chikyu participates in the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP), an international marine research collaboration effort involving 23 participating nations.

The Chikyu is also the largest scientific research ship in the world, with a length of 210 m, a width of 38 m, a draft of 9.2 m and a gross tonnage of approximately 57,000 metric tons. Designed to operate under deep-sea conditions, the vessel has the capability to drill to a depth of 7000 meters below the seafloor.

The Chikyu is equipped with a laboratory section covering four decks as well as accommodation facilities covering eight decks. A total of 200 people, including roughly 50 scientists, 50 technicians, and 100 ship and drilling crew, work aboard the vessel.