All along the coast line of Japan stones can be found, some dating back as much as 600 years. These stones read “Do not build your homes below this point!” (Well they say it Japanese anyways…) The stones were placed by ancestors of villages all up and down the sea board. They serve as a stark warning that for hundreds of years the villagers have known about the potential risk of a tsunami destroying the nation. These stones were placed every time a tsunami struck, and if needed be, they were moved further back. Thus, they created a boundary line that should not have been crossed. Unfortunately, Japan forgot about these markers. They viewed that with their modern technology and sea walls would protect them, and they built infrastructure beyond the stone laden boundary.
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| A tsunami stone on the coast of Japan, was placed by ancestors to warn not to build past it |
The waters of the tsunami following a 9.0 earthquake stopped a mere 300 meters short of the 10 foot tall stones. Had the villagers listened to the warnings of their ancestors, the damage may not have been as bad as it is.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/21/world/asia/21stones.html?_r=2&ref=global-home
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