Japanese "tsunami stones": a wise warning from time immemorial (6 photos)

Due to its location in the Pacific region, Japan has always was subject to devastating earthquakes and tsunamis, and knowledge of the local population about natural disasters are rooted in the depths of centuries. One of the best examples of this is the so-called "tsunami stones" - slabs with inscriptions that warn that below a certain mark building houses is dangerous. If a big wave comes, the inhabitants of the lowland will not say hello.





One of the most famous of these stones is located in the village Aneosha. A text is carved on a three-meter slab, which reads: "High dwellings are the peace and harmony of our descendants. Remember the disaster of the great tsunami. Do not build houses below this point." Residents took the advice to heart: their homes withstood the tragic earthquake and tsunami 2011, and some neighboring villages suffered terrible losses.



Other stones also contain a warning, but in a more general form: "If there is an earthquake, beware of the tsunami," calls a slab that reminds people of the need to climb higher ground immediately after the earthquake.

Such slabs usually appeared after another deadly tsunami, such as, for example, in 1896, when 22,000 people died. There are also stones indicating that this place is high enough and safe in the event of a fatal wave.





"Tsunami stones" can often be found along the coastline Japan, and some of them are over 600 years old. "Tsunami stones are a warning to future generations from their ancestors. In some places, these lessons of the past were heeded, but in many they were not," told Itoko Kitahara, a specialist in the history of natural disasters, in interview with The New York Times in 2011.

The stones have been around for centuries



It's also a good reminder to value people's knowledge, who lived in this place for decades. "This stone, set after the tsunami, was a way to warn posterity for the next 100 years about another tsunami is sure to come," said Mr. Kimura, local fisherman.



This is a great example of the connection of generations, as well as resourcefulness and wisdom. ancestors. Do not completely deny the past, follow it listen.