More than 600 years ago, Daioji Temple was founded by Fujiwara no Takahira who is the son of Fujiwara no Hidehira, the third lord of the Fujiwara Family and the leader who made Hiraizumi (World Heritage site) a prosperous area. The vivid and beautiful scenes from nature drawn on the ceiling have not faded even after long years, and captivate those who see it into the peaceful world of Gokuraku-jodo, the Pure Land where Buddha resides.

Kojin Kojima, a priest at the temple, offers words of support to the townspeople. “Survivors of the disaster must be thankful that they live by the grace of others and pray for the souls of the victims who lost their lives.

For many long years, no less than 80 beautiful cedar trees were lined in a stately row on the approach to the Taiyuji Temple, reflecting the dignity of this ancient historic temple. However, 60 of these noble trees were washed away by the massive tsunami. Those that survived were damaged by seawater and had to be cut down. Mr. Kojima is the Principal of the temple kindergarten, and he plans to rebuild the building of the kindergarten using these trees. The cedars have protected the temple from wind and rain for hundreds of years and these trees, in another form, will continue to protect the children who will be the future of Minamisanriku. When he thinks about this, he feels a surge of gratitude toward these trees and is overwhelmed by a flood of emotions.