Kamome
In 2011, a powerful earthquake and tsunami devastated northeastern Japan, including the town of Rikuzentakata. A small boat, named "Kamome" (meaning "seagull" in Japanese) and used by Takata High School students for maritime science, was swept out to sea.
Kamome, carrying a message of hope, traveled across the Pacific Ocean for over two years, eventually washing ashore on the coast of Crescent City, California, in 2013. Students at Del Norte County High School in Crescent City discovered the boat and, with the help of the community, restored it.
The Relationships
Kamome was then returned to Takata High School in Rikuzentakata, Japan, in 2014. The return of Kamome led to a blossoming friendship between the two schools, which became sister schools, and the two communities, Rikuzentakata and Crescent City, which now share a strong bond. Both communities also share commonality for tsunamis, as Crescent City also suffered a devastating tsunami in 1964 which killed eleven people and devastated 29 city blocks.
The story of Kamome became a symbol of hope and resilience, reminding people on both sides of the Pacific of the power of human connection and the importance of helping each other. A documentary about Kamome's journey, titled "Kamome: The Boat of Hope", tells the story of the boat and the communities it connected. The documentary was showcased on NBC during the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan.
Photo credit: Roger Gitlin
The Festival
The City of Crescent City now celebrates the Kamome Festival every April to commemorate its sister city relationship with Rikuzentakata Japan, support the student exchange program, and bring awareness to emergency preparedness.