There is a mountain right nearby.
The mountain next to the gymnasium—about a
minute’s walk from the schoolyard—has a gentle slope, and until 2009, hands-on
learning activities for shiitake mushroom cultivation were held there every
March. Since there is a water treatment plant at the top, there was also a path
leading up to it. (Photo on the left)
There is also a photo from June 2010
showing lower-grade students climbing the hill right next to the schoolyard as
part of a class activity (photo on the right; taken by the principal and
displayed in the hallway).
In five minutes, it would have been
possible to evacuate toward the Irigamatani or reach the “Bat Forest,” where
trees were planted in 2008. The school bus was also waiting, having turned
around so it could leave immediately. No trees were felled by the earthquake.
