Tokyo: March 11, 2021, marks the 10th anniversary of the devastating magnitude 9.0 earthquake that struck the Pacific coast of Japan’s Tohoku region, which triggered a tsunami that washed away entire communities and took over 15,500 lives. The multiple meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant also forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents.
Momota was a first-year student at Tomioka High School in Fukushima Prefecture 10 years ago, one of the worst-hit areas by the disaster. That school was only about 10 km away from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Fortunately, Momota who was sixteen-years-old at the time, was in Indonesia to participate in a junior tournament.
The current World No. 1 player said he was shocked and extremely sad when he saw the news, and images of the destroyed towns and villages through television in Indonesia.
“I asked myself if I could go back to Japan or I would be stuck in Indonesia,” said Momota.
“A local coach asked me to call my teammates in Japan quickly, but I couldn’t get through the phone line until the end of the night. I felt so scared and helpless at that time.”
Momota managed to fly home a few days later, but he had to be relocated to his parents’ house in Kagawa Prefecture, while his badminton team had to move their training facility to Inawashiro.
The 26-year-old said he went back to Fukushima several times after the disaster, when he visited Tomioka High School, he was in despair to see his school was demolished by the disaster.
“I was able to connect with 15 of my 23 teammates after the incident, but eight of them were forced to attend other schools,” explained Momota.
“All the lights in the gym where I usually trained were all switched off, and broken glasses were all over the place… I just couldn’t speak, it’s a very sad situation.”
When asked about what would be his most memorable moments 10 years after the devastating disaster, Momota told Japanese media that he has a strong emotional reaction to the incident.
“When the earthquake struck, suddenly, I have a strong feeling of being left alone in Indonesia. It’s hard to forget that feeling. After the car accident in January last year, I went back to train in Tomioka High School, which really gave me a lot of positive energy.”
