A Surviving House

On March 11, 2011, the largest earthquake ever recorded in Japan struck the northeastern Tōhoku region. Along with the ensuing tsunami, countless lives and properties were lost, destroyed, and changed forever. Thirteen years have passed since then… Not far from the shore in the hard-hit area of Ishinomaki stands a lone house that was damaged by the tsunami waves. The owner of the house does not want to demolish it. It was an email from her that brought us to this still surviving house to make this documentary. We wanted to find the lessons people learned from the disaster and what things they may have forgotten. This “still surviving house” provides glimpses of destruction and restoration, oblivion and memory, and most importantly, the lives of those who survived and those who didn't.