Between the Emergency and the Everyday: The Problems of Time, Memory, and Resilience in the Tsunami Memorial Halls of Miyagi Prefecture.

This article examines the history and evolving roles of tsunami memorial halls built in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, following the 1933 Shōwa-Sanriku earthquake and tsunami. Originally intended to commemorate victims, promote disaster education, and serve as evacuation shelters, these thirty-three halls were also designed to address everyday social welfare needs in impoverished coastal communities. Over time, the halls were repurposed to meet immediate municipal and socioeconomic demands, leading to the erosion of their memorial functions and eventual destruction, especially after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake (3.11). The article highlights the challenges posed by the mismatch between human and geological timescales in sustaining collective memory and resilience, arguing that memorials themselves must be adaptable and durable to remain effective tools for long-term disaster preparedness and social resilience.