In 2011, a tsunami devastated Japan and left thousands dead. But the village of Fudai, in Iwate Prefecture, was barely wet. The reason? A 15.5-meter gate built decades earlier by its former mayor Kotoku Wamura.
Wamura, who governed from 1945 to 1987, promoted the project after witnessing the tsunamis of 1896 and 1933. He was criticized for spending ¥3.56 billion (about 30 million dollars), but he insisted: "I will not see bodies under the rubble again."
The gate protected Fudai from the tsunami of 2011, which reached 20 meters in other areas. After the tragedy, the residents visited Wamura's grave to pay their respects
