In the 1960s, Mayor Kotaku Wamura of Fudai, Japan, was widely seen as a man obsessed with a wasteful dream.
He had studied the history of the great tsunamis of 1896 and 1933 that had devastated his region. He was convinced that another would one day come and was determined to protect his people.
His solution was a massive, 51-foot-high seawall and floodgate system. It was an enormous undertaking for a small fishing village.
The project cost the equivalent of $30 million in today’s money. Many in his own community criticized the expense, calling it a foolish waste that diverted funds from more pressing needs.
The opposition Mayor Wamura faced wasn’t just quiet disagreement. He was openly mocked for his persistence on building the seawall.
His plan was far more advanced than just a simple barrier. It included a complex and costly floodgate system designed to close and seal the river mouth, a detail often overlooked.
This required immense public investment, delaying other village developments that residents felt were more immediate and necessary.
He had to personally persuade a reluctant town council, arguing that no matter the cost, they could not leave the next generation to suffer as the last one had.
He once said, “Even if you face opposition, have the confidence to push through. In the end, it will protect the people.” His conviction was proved right when it mattered most.
For 40 years, Kotaku Wamura served as mayor, and for decades after he left office, the wall stood as a silent, concrete giant. A monument to what many called one man’s folly.
Then came March 11, 2011. A catastrophic earthquake triggered the Tohoku tsunami, sending waves as high as 46 feet crashing into Japan’s coastline.
Town after town was wiped from the map. But in Fudai, the wave met Wamura’s wall. The water crested the barrier but the structure held firm, completely protecting everything and everyone behind it.
While neighboring towns suffered unimaginable loss, not a single life was lost within the protected zone of Fudai. The mayor’s controversial vision, born from studying the past, had saved them.