Last Graduation Ceremony At Temporary Building
An elementary school in Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan, has held its final graduation ceremony at a temporary prefabricated building that was erected after the major quake and tsunami in 2011. The school will move to higher ground next month.
Forty-three sixth graders at Naruse-Oka Elementary School in Higashi Matsushima City were awarded diplomas on Friday. All the students recited a farewell message in unison.
The students then gave their family members flowers and expressed their gratitude to them. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, up to two members of each family were allowed to attend the ceremony.
A girl said she was happy that the ceremony was held at the building, as she has lots of memories there.
After the 2011 disaster, the prefecture's 23 public elementary, junior, and senior high schools were forced to hold classes at temporary prefabricated buildings.
Naruse-Oka Elementary is the last school in the prefecture that is still using one of the prefabricated structures.