Is there a longer version of this footage? I remember watching this days after the quake and always wondered about the photographer and his companion, and the poor van driver on the bridge.
Among other shocking aspects and horrors of the tsunami, the noise level of the rushing water is terrifying. It is so amazing that there was not a far greater loss of life and is a testament to the preparation, warning systems and tenacity of the Japanese people. 🙏✝️🕊️❤️
It may sound morbid, but if you watch the Minamisanriku footages, you will get a good eye measure of how high you have to climb for survival. And of course choose a concrete building or hill, not a wooden building.
I have not see this recording until now, it is amazing the height from sea floor to the top of the sea walls, and the speed that each set flowed over the previous waves. I thought that this section of the sea wall would hold the sea but the last surge simply ran over and swamped everything. Still the sea wall seemed to hold and must have held millions and millions of tonnes of sea water for a short time, to allow some people to escape. RIP to all those lost 😞
@@kayeagustinVLOG. I imagine it'd be like Sanriku 1896. An 8.5 magnitude earthquake hit ninety miles offshore in the Japan trench, so there was little feeling of it onshore and not much expectation of a tsunami. This was thirty years before any preventive measures were in place for such an event. It was early evening, around half past seven and many people were at the beach celebrating the return of troops from the 1894 war with China and also an annual festival. They were completely unaware and unguarded against what was creeping in upon them. At the point of high tide, it hit the shore, receded and returned five minutes later, reaching up to thirty eight meters, it crushed everything. As opposed to death by drowning as you'd expect with a tsunami, many of the dead had injuries you'd see more in victims of fatal traffic collisions. They didn't stand a chance.
Amazing video. So deceptive. The speed at which it escalates is staggerring. Hopefully the world will never forget the power of this phenomenon. And how deadly it can be.
Sadly just like the ones before i guarantee they are rebuilding in the same spot for this to take place again someday. Its like the city of new orleans when's it gonna return to the swamp it once was lol again? Hell i unknowingly moved on to the side of a giant sinkhole along with all my neighbors but i can say if the earth eats my house I'm gone i will not rebuild here no matter if they say its stable or not or no matter how much money ill lose by doing so. You'd think its common sense but i think so called they have dumbed us all down to the point logic is gone!
@@hailjigglypuff4771 "Ordinary" waves don't overtop breakwaters, which these first waves did. Then at least 4 more sets of waves each bigger than the last.
Fortunately 9.0 earthquakes are rare. That's what caused this massive tsunami. And why it was so deceptive. A lesser earthquake wouldn't have created such a huge tsunami and doubtful it would have breached seawall.
@@sonny9493 Wouldn't have filmed it. You wouldn't have seen it. So you wouldn't have spent a moment of your life watching it. And you couldn't have commented on it. And I couldn't have seen your comment. So basically, this cameraman has brought us together. Darling. ❤
In the old Japanese paintings of a Tsunami I always wondered why the water was so black - now we know why. And the exaggerated crashing waves were just the artist interpretation of when the waves hit the rocks and crash 20-30 meters into the air. They were more accurate than maybe we gave them credit for.
The cameraman was survived. He re-uploaded this footage with his comments on it. According to the comments, he thought about his wife Mitsuko when he was filming this, feeling this was the last moment of his life and saying thanks for supporting him all the time and apology for his selfish behavior to her in his mind.
What else he can say now. He obviously did not afraid for his life and did not think about his wife because he was filming at lower floor until he got his feet wet🙃
@@Petey194 I guess you need to be in his shoes in order to experience and film such a sad and traumatic disaster. Then we shall see if your video loaded on YT is steady, sharp and well recorded with live reporting if possible.
Towards the end of the vid I was already starting to hold my breath. To feel nature’s raw power through this vid is nothing compared to what this person, who captured this with his/her camera, witnessed first hand. Belated but sincere condolences for those who suffered through this event.
@@jeffgallant649 ...Yes, the video stopped right at the climatic peak! Leaving us all in suspense. I understand he lived through this horror, badly shaken but okay. Too bad he didn’t tape the conclusion.
What’s important is evacuating to the nearest hill or building and do not approach shore, when the sea level suddenly moves down because that is a signal telling us huge tsunami coming. This black wave reminds me of a nightmare. I'm now surprised that this comment I posted 6 yrs ago had been read by many people.
@@mjmtaiwan many did not. There are plenty of pictures from Thailand showing people going to the water’s edge as it continued to recede - not knowing the receding water was the first warning of a tsunami.
Someone commented that he was a gate keeper there but couldn't evacuate in time as the waves came in very fast. Good thing he could go to a higher ground or else he would be swept away.
@@emilyl1094 Yes I saw, and I have to say that it does rather change the context tp learn he wasn't just foolishly ignoring warnings in order to get better cameraphone shots for his social media but was in fact desperately trying to shut flood gates to limit the damage to the town and thus his peril was through selflessness and not mere stupidity. I hadn't actually been aware that the structure he was at is actually designed to be a secure post when a tsunami arrives.
I'd like to see anyone hold a camara still when a 50 foot wave is comming at you and there's nowhere to run a shaky camara is the last thing that should be on your mind when you watch this video this guy has the bigest set of ball I've ever seen
Not to mention it would be nerve-wracking not knowing how high the waves are going to go. I would have the shakes for sure. No way I would be standing out there filming. I was amazed at the ferocity of those waves.
Not sure whether this is extremely brave or extremely stupid. I guess that's the nature of a surge, it appears surreal & slow until it's upon you. Either way I'm going with brave and I am glad you made it.
Wow this footage is amazing. I remember back before 2004 when footage of tsunami's were actually pretty scarce. Now with our techonolgy today, we are ready to shoot footage at all times.
situational awareness, something the mainstream media lose all the time when they get tunnel vision of something way off in the distance only to miss the thing about to run over the camera crew. at least this fella zoomed back out on occasion so we could get a hint of what we missed when the camera was near max-zoom. the steadiness of the shot of the water going over the wall at the end is also incredible compared to some other vids. I've watched a lot of vids, and I'm still not sure anyone can grasp what it was like to be there looking at an oncoming 16+meter tsunami, horrifying doesn't begin to describe it. Much respects.
I cannot begin to imagine the emotions that went through your mind in the last 3 minutes. I just hope you survived and your family also. この3分間にあなたの心を通り抜けた感情を想像することはできません。 あなたが生き残って、あなたの家族も生き残ったことを願っています 🙏🏻
@@ravsinghrajput2105 I hear what you’re saying. There are a few of these videos where the film survived, but unfortunately the camera operator and those around them didn’t. You have to admire how they preserved this event on film for us. I don’t think there was anything like it documented so well before.
The water in a place that close to the ocean would not have stayed high for very long, only a few minutes for each wave, and the waves probably mostly subsided within an hour or two, judging by other videos I've seen of the event. Unless it pooled behind seawalls, but they did not look very high there. Now, navigating the debris after the water receded could be a different matter.
This camera-man had the balls to take the video, *up close and personal.* Everytime he was taking steps up the ramp sounded like in the movies when you are chased by a Tyrannosaurus *(T-Rex)*
He was there to close the water gate in the river. If he didn't close the gate, the water will rush into the river and cause more damage in the city. He choosed to stay there because it was too risky running after closing the gate
@@amirulgeum3645 His closing procedure finished just before filming this video. There are no other safe and tall enough facilities near by and will take him more than 5 minute to reach the nearest safe place, which is on top of the mountain. It was better for him to stay on the gate control/watch tower.
You mean to lower ground? He is at the highest point for quite a bit around it seems. And certainly at a point that wouldve been enough by far for the last 1-200 years of tsunamis or so I'd imagine.
@@sw11593 Read my comment again and think hard about what I meant by it, should be self explanatory but I'll be happy to break it down for you if need be.
I can only describe this with one word: apocalyptic. Though the wall couldn’t stop the Tsunami, it at least bought precious minutes for many. Also, hope that no one was in that van at 7:53. 😰 Because if so, that is truly terrifying.
